St Leonards Memorial Hall turns 100

THE sunrise has been brought inside with the installation of St Leonards Memorial Hall’s new stage backdrop.

The hall, which will celebrate its 100-year anniversary this year, was established on September 12, 1926, to commemorate the 47 local men who enlisted in the first world war.

To begin a year of celebrations, the St Leonards Progress Association, who manage and maintain the hall, put a callout to local artists and photographers for a backdrop to fill the wall behind the stage.

Local amateur photographer and member of the St Leonards Progress Association Phil Walters submitted the selected photograph of the sun rising over the St Leonards pier.

“The image needed to reflect the hall’s origins, and purpose as a memorial hall,” Wendy Mayne of the St Leonards Progress Association said.

Mayne, who has been involved in organising the 100-year celebrations said of the photograph: “Those who went off to war, it’s an image that would have been something they had in their mind at that time.”

The sunrise fills the entire back wall of the stage and is accompanied by the words “at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Walters said it was an amazing experience to see his photo displayed in such a significant way, and to this scale.

“That makes taking the to find and take those photographs all worthwhile, to have it recognised like that.”

Walters, who retired to St Leonards almost two decades ago has been taking photos for about 60 years, ever since he was a scout in New South Wales.

In the lead up to 12 September, Mayne said the Progress Association are compiling historic records and local accounts of the hall, as they prepare for a celebratory dinner dance.

He said there is a “strong sense of connection” to the hall among St Leonards locals, and added “everyone has a story” about the hall.

The backdrop was created and installed by Print My Sign, and sponsored by local St Leonards traders, Portside Pilates and Neville Richards Real Estate.