MEDIA RELEASE | Council to reopen heritage-listed Shire Hall with a community open day

Heritage-listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1997, the Hall was closed in April 2015 following an engineering assessment carried out to assess the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Ita – the Hall’s heritage considerations escalating the repair bill into the millions.

“Historic and sentimental, the Hall has a very special place in the hearts of our community.

“It took some time but, inspired by the community support for the Hall’s restoration, Council successfully secured 100% of the funds required to preserve the iconic building from Australian and State funding programs,” said Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott adding that Council looks forward to welcoming the community back to the Hall a community open day event being held on Saturday 21 May.

Shaping up to celebrate and showcase the past, present and future of the Hall, the free ‘Welcome Back!’ community open day will include live music and entertainment from Captain Tap and the Watery Hose; a complimentary afternoon tea*; classical, bush, swing and belly dancing performances and a chance for community members to reminisce about the past while taking part in the Hall’s historic re-opening event. 

Following the open day event, the community will be able to book the Cooktown Shire Hall for private events, functions and community activities from noon on Friday 1 July 2022.

“It is fantastic to see the Cooktown Shire Hall restored to its former glory,” Federal Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch said.

“It’s important that we invest to ensure our heritage buildings can continue to be appreciated for generations to come.

“I have no doubt the Shire Hall will once again become a focal point for the Cooktown community.”

This project was jointly funded by the Australian Government, the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland, and COVID Works for Queensland programs. Australian Government funding of $499,416 was provided through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program. This program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information please visit www.cook.qld.gov.au or call Council on 4082 0500

* Please be advised that the Cooktown Shire Hall ‘Welcome Back’ Community Open Day is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event.

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