The Quandialla Soldiers Memorial Hall Association in New South Wales is one of the 19 recipients who received funding from Round 15 of the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Inland Rail Community Sponsorships and Donations program.
The group received funds to go towards upgrading their facilities with new stage curtains for the Memorial Hall.
The hall has been a fixture of Quandialla since 1954 and contains memorabilia and the Quandialla Rolls of Honour. The hall has always played an important role within the community, hosting a wide variety of functions.
Quandialla Soldiers Memorial Hall secretary Marlene Taylor said funding during COVID had enabled the association to build a disabled toilet, paint the interior and exterior of the hall, as well as repair and refinish the floors.
“Once the floors are finished, we will be dressing up our hall with some beautiful new blue stage curtains. This will complete the interior makeover and provide longevity for our hall within the Quandialla community,” she said.
“Inland Rail’s support will allow us to present our hall back to the community looking her best. For this we are truly appreciative.”
Other recipients included Goondiwindi Kindergarten in Queensland, and North Star Public School in NSW.
The kindergarten’s playground is now safer and softer for young children following the installation of a new soft fall play area under the swings and hopscotch area.
The soft fall play area aligns with the kindergarten’s play-based program that is supporting nearly 50 local children as they progress their learning journeys.
North Star Public School has created a new yarning circle in the shade of a large tree in the playground. The circle consists of 12 limestone blocks that create a welcome space for students to meet.
The yarning circle offers an environment to learn as a group, build respectful relationships, and pass on cultural knowledge. It brings students from kindy to Year 7 together for classes, exploration, and play.
The Inland Rail Community Sponsorships and Donations program offers funding between $1000 – $4000 for organisations in eligible regional areas. The funding supports organisations that contribute to local and regional prosperity, wellbeing, and sustainability.
The latest round of funding takes overall support for local communities and associations along the Inland Rail alignment to over $1 million since the program launched in 2019.
Applications for the next round of funding close on January 31.
Queries can be directed to 1800 732 761 or email: ircommunitysponsorships@artc.com.au.