‘Give us back our hall’ demand Korumburra seniors
Korumburra Senior Citizens celebrated their 65th anniversary at the Korumburra Scout Hall with a passionate plea to South Gippsland Shire Council to give them back their Senior Citizens Hall.
“We want our hall back,” said Korumburra centenarian Avis Tilley as the Korumburra Senior Citizens celebrated their 65th anniversary at the Korumburra Scout Hall.
With morning tea provided by the Korumburra Community Development Association (KCDA), Avis Tilley (100) and Mary Fields (93) pulled no punches in their ongoing tussle with South Gippsland Shire Council over the disputed Korumburra Senior Citizens Hall.
With the wrangle over legal title to the hall scheduled to go before the Supreme Court in Melbourne later this year, Avis and Mary voiced their concerns in the strongest possible terms as the senior citizens cut a large cake to mark their 65th birthday.
“It’s the oldest senior citizens club in Gippsland,” said Mary, a foundation member. Established in April 1961, the club was based on a similar model in the United Kingdom.
“Council took the hall back after the club suffered a downturn in numbers and activities during COVID,” explained Mary and Avis. “And we haven’t been able to use it since.”
“We used the hall for all sorts of things,” said Mary. “Birthdays, funerals, raffles, indoor bowls and weddings, now we meet at the top pub twice a month for lunch, and the middle pub in Korumburra once a month for morning coffee.”
“That’s why we want our hall back,” said Avis. “We’ve even lost our plaques from the hall. It means everything to us, it feels like we’ve been cut right out.”
“We miss our hall very much,” said Mary."
If you don’t fight for something you don’t get anything,” warned Avis. “We want our hall back, and if we got it back, we could open it up for everyone in the town.”
Speaking on behalf of the Korumburra Community Development Association, committee member Andrew McEwen said he was both a member of the KCDA and Korumburra Senior Citizens Inc.
“The major role of the KCDA,” Mr McEwen said “was community development, communication and supporting community groups.
Council's repossession of the senior citizens hall was a severe blow to the town's social fabric highlighting the growing friction between rural communities and local government management of historical assets.
For decades, the hall served as a vibrant municipal hub, funded and maintained by generations of local volunteers. Supporters argue that the temporary drop in attendance during pandemic restrictions should not have been used as a lever to permanently reallocate the premises.
They maintain that the local elderly population required a dedicated, accessible, and familiar location to combat isolation and foster community spirit. South Gippsland Shire Council has maintained that its decision-making processes regarding property portfolios was aimed to maximise utility for the broader municipality.
President of the Korumburra Senior Citizens Janne Grenon said the group had been very active prior to COVID, but South Gippsland Shire had decided they wanted the building.
“We’re going to court to get our rooms back,” said Ms Grenon.
As the legal proceedings loom, the resilience of Korumburra’s senior residents remains unshakeable. They argue that the fight is not just about a building, but about preserving the dignity, heritage, and autonomy of the town’s older generation.
