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Nearly halfway between Tuakau and Pokeno is the Whangarata Community Hall. The hall was originally the Whangarata School, built in 1926 to replace the first school building, which burned to the ground in 1925.
The school officially closed its doors on December 18, 1969. Sandra Brasell was the third generation in her family to attend Whangarata School, leaving the year before the school closed.
“Mangere Intermediate used the old school as an outdoor education camp for several years before it became a community hall. We had a school reunion here in 1997, and I like to have a selection of photos from the school’s history on display inside the hall. “The community here has changed so much over the years, and a lot of newer residents won’t even know the hall is here.”
Outside the hall sits a granite obelisk monument, unveiled on September 15, 1924, in what was then the Whangarata School grounds.
It serves as a First World War memorial inscribed with a roll of honour featuring 55 names, including 14 local servicemen who fell in action.
“It’s a beautiful setting here, incredibly peaceful.”
The council-owned, community-run 152 square metre hall has a capacity of 50 people for indoor events and has four toilets and kitchen facilities. The hall is clad in weatherboard with a corrugated iron roof.
The asphalt area where school children used to play netball, padder tennis, and other outdoor games is still there, and the Waikato District Council replaced the water tanks in recent years.
“I’d love to see some more maintenance work carried out in the hall. The windows need re-putting, the kitchen facilities are tired, and the chairs need replacing. As a council-owned but community-run facility, it can be hard to get funding for this type of work.”
Whangarata Community Hall is used every Sunday by a Tongan church, with other bookings primarily children’s birthday parties or milestone birthdays, she says.
Hall bookings can be made by contacting Sandra Brasell on 027 408 4027 or at k-sbrasell@xtra.co.nz or Ian Johnson on 027 289 3330 or ianjohn@xtra.co.nz.
