Community Centre

This community hall was constructed on the north side of Williams’ Lake Eacham Hotel in 1910. It was built concurrently with the hotel. Known as 'Williams’ Hall', it served many and varied purposes including community meetings, dances, skating and church services. It was the location of the first meetings of the newly formed Eacham Shire in February 1911. When the hotel was extended in 1926, the hall was relocated into Cedar Street. The hall was considerably extended when it was moved, with walls removed to create side aisles. It was then used for showing movies as the Tivoli Theatre, hosting the ‘travelling picture show men’ who came by train. The hall was purchased by Alf and Alice King in 1957 who continued to operate it as a theatre until 1969. In need of repairs, it was purchased by the Eacham Shire Council in 1971, and renovated. The stone wall adjacent is apparently a remnant of a staff accommodation wing at the hotel. The flammability of early film stock led to the insurance company demanding that the wall closest to the theatre be fireproof. Local volcanic rock, used extensively and decoratively around the hotel, served the purpose.