Celebrating 100 years in the heart of the Landsborough community
By Sonia Isaacs
2024 marks the centenary of the Landsborough School of Arts Memorial Hall with a special community celebration event planned for Saturday November 23.
The hall was originally constructed in 1924 on land donated by John Tytherleigh and was built as a memorial to the Service personnel of the district from World War I.
Upon construction, the hall was regarded as one of the finest buildings on the North Coast Line at the time.
According to LSOA hall committee members, reference exists that the land was actually donated as early as 1919, however it is understood John Tytherleigh transferred the certificate of title to trustees on February 9 1922 for the purpose of building a hall.
Records report the LSOA Hall was officially opened in early May 1924 by Lieutenant Governor the Honourable William Lennon who arrived to the launch by train and was met at the station by John Tytherleigh, the chairman of the hall committee along with committee members.
News reports of the time wrote that residents from Landsborough and the surrounding towns welcomed the dignitaries with a guard of honour and procession through the streets, “which started at the railway station and consisted of returned soldiers, boy scouts, charity queens, and many decorated cars and lorries”.
Back then, Landsborough was a small but evolving township. The 1901 census listed the population as 169, which had grown to 377 by 1933.
Known for its rough, logging-camp character, the area began to see new developments post-World War I, with the School of Arts Hall, council chambers, Mellum Club Hotel, and several stores in operation by 1924.
Over the years, the hall has hosted a wide range of community activities—from a library and movie theatre to sports like basketball, table tennis, and indoor bowls.
It has been a venue for the Red Cross, church assemblies, the Masonic Lodge, and countless local events, including debutante balls, school formals, weddings, and birthdays.
For many, the Landsborough School of Arts Memorial Hall holds special significance as a place of both personal and historical relevance.
