St Bathans' 116-year-old hall will be repainted as part
of a restoration project costing $198,000.
More than $12,000 of plaster has been applied to the hall's
mudbrick exterior in preparation for the paint. After that
has been finished, the interior toilets will be upgraded,
completing the project.
The Department of Conservation (Doc) started restorative work
on the hall in April last year, carrying out mostly interior
work since then.
Doc Central Otago ranger and project co-ordinator Marion
Sutton said painting should take about two weeks, depending
on the weather and availability of contractors.
"We hoped to have it finished before winter, but I couldn't
guarantee that. The toilet upgrade has been held up a bit
with paperwork,'' Ms Sutton said.
After a grand opening, the Crown-owned historic reserve hall
will be open for viewing by the public and might accommodate
small-scale community events.
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust approved the
restorative work, after which the Government provided funding
for the project, which was being carried out with help from
conservation architect Guy Williams.
The hall was built in the early 1890s.
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