BRRA gets 24 month lease for museum

The City of Swan granted the peppercorn lease of the hall that was closed last year due to structural and maintenance issues.

Originally built as an agricultural hall in 1904, West Bullsbrook Hall has been used for a range of purposes including as a temporary school, an RSL hall, a Country Women’s Association hall and for religious services.

BRRA secretary Anne Sibbel said the hall was the first public building built in Bullsbrook and it was important to preserve it.

She said the council’s buildings assets audit listed the hall as being built in the early 1950s but it was actually built earlier.

‘It was recommended the hall be demolished but I went in to State records and copied the records about the hall and we submitted a request to the City of Swan to be able to use the hall as a museum.’

Ms Sibbel copied records dating back to the turn of the century noting Bullsbrook residents had supplied land and money for the construction of the hall.

Records also included a news article from the Swan Express from October 1904 describing the ball that was held when the hall was opened.

City of Swan north ward councillor Kevin Bailey said the city would address the white ant issue and build a new kitchen in the hall before the BRRA sign the two-year lease.

‘This building is older than the town hall; the Premier of the day came out here and there was a massive ball here,’ he said.

‘The generation that lives here now have no idea about what actually happened in generations past. It’s important to preserve it.

‘The younger generations of the early settlers still live here, the Taylors and the Smiths ” they were the pioneers.

‘This hall will be great for the whole community,’ Cr Bailey said.