Hall Stories to tell the tales of Tasmania's meeting places

Many a visitor to the Lower Barrington Community Hall has probably thought – if only these walls could talk.

The next best thing is about to happen, when comedian, author, actor and storyteller Damian Callinan rocks up on Friday, April 24 at 7pm to enthral with tales of the hall and the district as gathered from the locals.

In a performance that combines hilarity and community, Hall Stories will also share from his impressive armoury of personal stories from his time performing in remote locations. 

He’s been swooped by bats in Boomi; passed a kidney stone in Carinda; done the Macarena with the Mayor in Mansfield; sabotaged a seating plan in Sorell; had his tackle transgressed in Tallangatta and been bought a beer by a baby in Buchan. 

And Lower Barrington residents reckon there’s a chance he’ll top them all with the fun stuff they’ll feed him in the lead-up to their event – not to mention the slide show.

Lower Barrington Hall Committee History Group member Christine Williams was instrumental in organising Damian to perform at the Hall, the first show in Tasmania ahead of a second show at the Albert Hall in Launceston on May 2 to mark its centenary.

Christine is well versed with preserving the area’s oral history, being involved in collecting stories from local residents and uploading them to YouTube so that they’re preserved forever.

“When I heard about his popular Hall Stories show I knew it would fit in well with what we want to achieve here,” she said.

Other committee members who have interesting stories to tell and can’t wait for an uplifting night out include hobby farmer Terry Dooley, whose great grandfather was a surveyor on the original wooden tramway that once serviced Lower Barrington, former livestock agent and auctioneer Barry Brooks from south Spreyton who farms cattle and sheep at Wattle Grove farm and has been attending the hall since 1950, Ken Burtt who grew up on a nearby family farm and went on to become a tour coach driver and Tameka Roberts of Grange Hill Farm who breeds highland cattle for show, beef, hides and horns.

All have worked hard to fundraise and add to a government grant to afford to put the show on.

Secretary Bronwyn Watson said that an example of the crazy things that have happened over the years at the hall is the determination by Santa to arrive at the annual Christmas party via a different mode of transport every year - basically everything except the traditional reindeer and sleigh.

Last year it was an Austin Champ, 2024 a black Dodge, 2023 bright yellow Torana, 2022 turquoise Ford Mustang, 2021 school bus, 2015 John Deer traction engine, and before that there’s been a fire truck, Harley motorcycle and even a helicopter.

“In recent years there was a near catastrophe when Santa lost his beard and improvisation was needed quickly, let's just say a few safety pins and initiative saved the day!” Bronwyn said.

The annual Christmas party first started in around 1948 and has been going with very little change to the original format since that time – until the Covid pandemic.

 “When Covid restrictions forced the Christmas party outside, a new tradition was born,” Bronwyn said.

“Hall Committee member Natalie Talbot suggested decorating the outside of the hall with farm-themed art and it spread to all the local houses, fences, sheds and land.”

Christmas trees made from wooden pallets, Christmas-themed hay depicting Minion Bob, a Christmas pudding, Pingu the Penguin, Olaf the Snowman from Frozen and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer have all been featured.

Concerts have long been performed by local children in the hall, and Bronwyn recalls one concert when the power went out just as they took to the stage.

“The local farmers of the district bought their tractors and cars along and turned on the lights to shine into the hall to allow the performance to still go ahead - saving the day.”

The Lower Barrington Hall, at 1027 Sheffield Main Road, is 97 years old, having been built beside the Baptist Church which was sold off in the 1970s and moved to Rianna to be used as a barn.

In recent times it has been used for Rural Alive and Well workshops, the harvest festival and trivia nights.

Tickets to Hall Stories are $30 and available through Eventbrite.