TTTT - Beltana Hall Refurbishment, Beltana, SA

Welcome to FRRR’s Tackling Tough Times Together podcast – about how people in remote, rural and regional Australia helped one another pull through the harshest droughts in living memory.

In this episode, we hear how the historic town of Beltana, in South Australia’s north, overcame the devastating effects of years of drought by bringing the community together to renovate its historic hall. We chat to community leaders about the challenges they faced, how they responded, what impact their project had and the legacy it left. They share their stories and lessons learnt, as we all learn how to cope with an increasingly dry climate.

From devastating drought where the smell of dead kangaroos filled the air, to a revived community that revolves around a newly renovated historic hall - this is the story of the transformation of the historic town of Beltana in South Australia’s remote Flinders Ranges. Townspeople patiently renovated the hall for the town’s 150th anniversary, with FRRR funding enabling them to remove 20 tonnes of rubble from the cellar and transform it into an art gallery tourist attraction.

Jan Ferguson OAM, is the Secretary of the Beltana Progress Association, and she watched the spirits of locals dwindle as drought took hold and families stopped visiting. But with investment in people and infrastructure, Beltana now proudly attracts more tourists to the town and has become known as a muso centre on the Festival of Small Halls Folk Circuit. Jan tells us how that transformation took place, by removing one heavy rock at a time.

This project was funded by FRRR - the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal– thanks to partnerships with philanthropy, government and business, and the generosity of individuals, all of whom share the vision of a vibrant, resilient, sustainable and empowered rural Australia.

FRRR acknowledges the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Custodians of Jaara country at Bendigo, where the organisation is headquartered. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations around this vast country, and pay respect to their Elders past and present, and to the continuation of the custodial, cultural and educational practices of Australia’s First Peoples.

GET IN TOUCH
The Tackling Tough Times Together podcast was produced for FRRR, the only charity focussed on building the social and economic strength of remote, rural and regional Australia. It was funded in partnership with the Australian government.
For further information on anything shared in this podcast, or if you have a project and would like to apply for funding, or you would like to support these kinds of projects, head to www.frrr.org.au or call 1800 170 020.

CREDITS
Host: Nance Haxton
Production Assistance: Michael Adams
Interviewee: Jan Ferguson, Secretary of the Beltana Progress Association

RESOURCES
FRRR - www.frrr.org.au
Beltana Progress Association - www.beltana.org.au/