- The Kardinya Lesser Hall, located at Morris Buzacott Reserve in Kardinya, is now open to the community following its expansion and refurbishment.
- The City’s $1.1 million investment into the facility has quadrupled the building’s capacity and created a space for collaboration and creation within the community.
- The facility features additional workspaces, internal storage facilities, space for demonstrations, and a wood storage shed funded and designed by the Melville Woodturners as part of the redevelopment.
The City of Melville is proud to unveil its new state-of-the-art multi-use facility at the Kardinya Lesser Hall, which will be a long-term home to the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of Western Australia (WAWA).
The City collaborated with the Melville Woodturners on the refurbished facility, which can accommodate up to 150 people at one time and is a space for community members to utilise for art, culture, and collaboration.
The facility opened with a celebration event on Thursday, 27 April 2023, with Noongar Elder Neville Collard providing a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, and the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of WA providing woodturning demonstrations.
The expanded space is accessible and multi-use, with a dedicated woodturning workshop, kitchenette, and sustainability features such as a solar water heater, water-saving taps, and electricity-saving lights.
The City’s $1.1 million investment into the facility forms part of the City’s Creative Melville Cultural plan and adds a unique dimension to the City’s growing range of arts facilities.
The Melville Woodturners designed and funded a stand-alone wood storage shed as part of the redevelopment and contributed funds towards brand new audio-visual equipment to support their learning programs, demonstration sessions and general outreach.
For more information the Melville Woodturners, visit www.woodturnerswa.org.au/melville
Comments attributed to City of Melville Mayor the Hon. George Gear JP:
City of Melville Mayor the Hon. George Gear JP said the City was pleased to support the growth and outreach of the Melville Woodturners and the Woodturners Association of WA by providing a long-term home for their operations.
“The Woodturners Association of WA is a fantastic not-for-profit organisation and their Melville chapter have been generously raising money and making donations to charities and other not-for-profits for a long time, so it’s great to support their work with a customised facility,” said Mayor Gear.
“Not only will this facility provide a space for the woodturners to create and demonstrate their work, but it will also provide a space for other members of the community to come together and learn from one another.
“This is the largest dedicated woodturning facility in WA, so we’re excited to see how the woodturners use the space.”
Comments attributed to Convenor of the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of WA Robyn McLean:
Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of WA Convenor Robyn McLean said the new facility had opened many more opportunities for the group to expand activities and grow their membership.
“Prior to the extension, we had reached maximum possible growth,” Ms McLean said.
“Meetings were crowded, and it was impossible to safely set up all our equipment for members to use.
“The new building enables us to again enter a further phase of expansion of membership and activities.
“We look forward to welcoming new members to join us to experience the satisfaction and joy of woodturning in a friendly, social environment.
“We have redesigned our training programme to cater for greater numbers of new and existing members.
“A range of new activities will be commenced, and with equipment being permanently set up, the open workshop sessions will be increased so members can come at any time to work on their projects.
“The workshop enables Melville Woodturners to take part in new activities such as the Melville Open Studios programme, and to provide a quality venue for demonstrations by visiting WA, interstate and international turners.
“The new facility will also provide other groups, such as the Fine Woodwork Association, with a base to grow their membership and activities.”
Image: City of Melville Director of Environment and Infrastructure Mick McCarthy, Melville Group of the Woodturners Association of WA Convenor Robyn Mclean, Woodturners Association of WA President Barbara Jennings, Mayor George Gear JP, City of Melville Director Community Development Gail Bowman, Member for Bateman Kim Giddens, Councillor Katy Mair, City of Melville CEO Marten Tieleman, Member for Tangney Sam Lim, Councillor Nicole Robins, Councillor Duncan Macphail and Councillor Karen Wheatland.