Hall Committee and Meetings Rous Mill & District Committee Meetings are held Bi-Monthly. Meetings are scheduled for the first Wednesday of every second month, starting at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome.
The 2021-22 Committee are Grant Tait- President Andrew Roberts- Vice President Miriam O'Grady Secretary Mel Towner- Treasurer Simon Chate Bryan Douglas Kat Smith Bruce Worrell Lyn Delaney Donna Byer Steve Miller (Ward C Council Rep)
Hall History The Rous Mill District and Memorial Hall was opened on the 18th August, 1959. It stands today as a Memorial Hall, that commemorates the service men and women who contributed in the war efforts 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. Rous Mill District and Memorial Hall took six years of fundraising by the hall committee to raise the £4500 to build the hall. Fundraising activities included catering for clearing sales, euchre tournaments, dances and sport days. The Secretary of the committee, Mr Arthur (Artie) McDonald made 10 acres of land available for free to plant crops of potatoes and peanuts grown by voluntary labour, to contribute to the fundraising. There was also a contribution of land for the hall by Mr Harold Crofton. The hall was built by Mr Norm Gowers and when the hall opened in 1959, it was virtually debt free. It is recorded that the hall quickly became the focus of the Rous Mill community, as it is today. * We would like to acknowledge the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society who has collected the information referenced here from resources including Rous Mill Historic Village and Recognising District Citizens Vol 2. For more information contact Crawford House Museum The hall has had a long history of voluntary committees all committed to keeping the hall focused on community connection. This included Jazz afternoons with the Duck Creek Mountain Jazz band, strong connections with Rous Public school who used the hall for school events, and longstanding Ballroom dancing nights as part of the FNC Ballroom dancing circuit. In 2013 a group of interested community members formed a sub-committee known as Milling Around Rous. The aim of this group was to add to the existing events and hall use. This has resulted in an Annual Hall Ball, Rous Unplugged, Music events, Workshops, Film nights to name a few. This group continues today (see Milling Around page)
We would like to thank those who originally worked to find a way to make the Local Hall a reality. Many were involved... we know it takes a community to make great things like this happen.
The original Certificate of Title had these people as joint tenants : John Hewett George Eric Mison Lionel Towner John Oliver Watt Keith Cleve Fredricksen Arthur Gordon McDonald Arthur Warren McDonald Raymond David Ross Lindsay Hutchinson Cook Keith Fredrickson Arthur Warren McDonald
In 2016 the hall was generously handed over to the Rous Mill and District Memorial Hall Incorporated by the surviving tenants Keith Fredrickson and Arthur Warren McDonald The hall is in the ownership and use fo the local community as was always the original intention ke this happen.
The current committee and associated sub committees are in the process of improving the hall. This includes painting, improving kitchen facilities, lighting, adding an outside deck and PA system. We are also developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.