Geraldton Regional Art Gallery exhibition opening night to tell story of old Town Hall through 20th century

It’s opening night for Geraldton Regional Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, which tells the story of a local landmark and a historic event.

The exhibition revolves around the old Town Hall from 1907 to 1984 — which is now home to the art gallery — and the original Banksia Ball which was held 50 years ago.

The Geraldton Guardian was invited in for a sneak preview of the exhibition, which is a part of the 2022 Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival.

It combines three collections: the City of Geraldton’s civic collection, including mayoral memorabilia, the library’s heritage collection featuring oral histories and photographs, and the city’s art collection.

The ground floor of the gallery tells the story of the old Town Hall in the early 20th century, through both world wars and to the beginning of the art collection.

The second floor covers the modern era, focusing on the 1967 referendum which changed the situation in Australia for Aboriginal people and allowed for the first Banksia Ball.

City of Greater Geraldton gallery and public art co-ordinator Marina Baker said the exhibition was the culmination of an idea many years in the making

“Manager of library, heritage and gallery, Trudy Cornish, suggested to me some years ago that the city would love to see an exhibition that actually told the story of the Town Hall and how (it) was saved in 1984 from demolition,” she said.

The exhibition was developed by Geraldton Regional Library heritage services coordinator Lorin Cox, Mrs Baker and independent local artist and curator Ingrid Horn.

Mrs Baker said they spent three months working on it.

“Ingrid has really been the curatorial mind that has brought all those aspects together and turned what was a pile of archival material, newspaper clippings or some interesting paintings into the story of the Town Hall from 1907 to 1984,” she said.

“In Geraldton, there were Aboriginal groups who were very active and by 1972 they had their first Banksia Ball, which is now the NAIDOC ball.”

Mrs Baker said there were some surprises in store on opening night.

“We’ve got a few special things happening. Some people are going to be taking a turn on the old floorboards to dance up a storm here in the old Town Hall and the Geraldton band will be here to play a few things in the background, so it’s going to be lots of fun,” she said.

The exhibition will run until November 20.

Tickets are free and available via Eventbrite.