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Stillwater Community Hall was officially opened last weekend, on May 16, with a large crowd attending a festive event to mark the occasion.
One of Stillwater’s earliest residents, 95-year-old Mary Livingstone-Atkinson, was first in line to see the hall officially opened. She has been waiting to see a hall built on the site since her late husband George paced out the measurements for it in Duck Creek Road Reserve 30 years ago, and she was on the original hall committee.
In a speech at the opening, Otene Reweti of Ngati Whatua quoted a Maori proverb that says “success is not about the work of one, but the work of many”.
The former Rodney District Council initiated the project, but did not set aside enough money to make it happen. The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board took the bit in its teeth and, according to chair Julia Parfitt, begged, cajoled and pleaded with the governing body to get the project over the line.
Construction of the 217sqm building and 89sqm deck took eight months and came at a final cost of around $860,000.
Until now the Stillwater Boating Club has been the only gathering place, so the hall offers a new focal point for social and community activities.
Speaking on behalf of the Stillwater Ratepayers & Residents Association, Mary Gallagher thanked the local board and the community for making it happen. “It’s wonderful to have a place where we can come together and be a community,” she said.
The association has set up a committee to run the hall, and Scouts, yoga, Thai kickboxing, a playgroup, and quilters are already on the schedule. The idea of holding a monthly market is also being considered.
