2022 marks 11 years since Trundle began the Trundle Main Street Rejuvenation in 2011.
The rejuvenation began with 94 volunteers contributing over 1200 hours of labor over the course of several years, continuing even today.
The very first project completed back in 2011 was the Weston Star, which used to be the local Theatre but was unfortunately closed around 1964. The verandah of the building was slumped by 300mm in the middle and was on the brink of collapse. The volunteers did an amazing job bringing the building back to life, installing a new stable verandah and giving the front a new paint job which was done by Grant McLuckie and a new sign completed by Christines Signs.
“When we stripped the paint back all the original signs were right there and easy to copy. Col and Val Grinter generously donated copies of extremely rare color photos of the Main Street taken in the 1950’s which we were able to get the original paint scheme off.” read a post on the A Town Like Trundle Facebook Page.
“Ornamental pressed tin cornicing across the top had been ripped off and disposed of all except a short piece one metre long which we were able to use to get reproduction pressed tin cornicing from Bathurst.” the post continued.
“Nearly all the dimpled press tin across the front had to be pulled off to allow repairs to the timber frame behind. To do this millions of small tack style nails had to be removed. These repairs alone took several days.”
Many people dropped by during the rejuvenation to share memories of the films they watched there as children. Bill Berryman stopped by to recall a film he watched there as a child in the 1930’s and Rita Ledger recalled taking her children there in the 1960’s to films put on by the Trundle RSL Subbranch especially for the children of ex-service people. Even people from out of town visited, a women from Manildra turned up whose father had been the last person to operate the theatre. She had made a special journey to see if it was still standing and was amazed to see the work being undertaken.
“It was wonderful to be working on something which so many people had such fond memories of.” concluded the post.
Source and Image Credits: A Town Like Trundle Facebook Page.