The Ōmokoroa Settlers Small Hall will be one hundred years old in 2029. As the centenary draws closer, the OSH committee have started to work on a couple of centenary projects in collaboration with the Ōmokoroa History Group. The first project was to create a large historical photo montage of old photos, maps and information which depict the importance and historical significance of the Settlers Hall to the local community over the past one hundred years.
The Committee are thrilled that the photo montage has recently been finished and is now installed as a feature wall in the main entrance foyer of the halls. The montage has not only created a stunning feature in the entrance; it creates a visual story of how the halls have been used over the past one hundred years. It is a permanent reminder of how the local Ōmokoroa farmers pooled their resources and gave their time and labour for free to build a community facility which not only housed the local school from 1929 until 1959 but also became an important meeting place for the local community. Settlers Hall is still a beloved and well used hall and meeting place today. As the new OSH tagline states, it has been “connecting our community since 1929”.
The committee are extremely grateful to the local history group members who helped with proof reading as well as collating photos and information, the Ōmokoroa Photographic Society who assisted with enhancing many of the old photos and provided the photographic background to the montage (a photo of the Ōmokoroa Peninsula), the Western Bay and Tauranga City Council Libraries and Heritage Services for providing old maps and historical documents, and to The Ōmokoroa Centre Trust for funding this exciting centenary project. And last but not least, thanks to Sign Creations in Mount Maunganui, who gave some of their
