Odd Fellows Hall

Description

The Oddfellows Hall was originally constructed by the Loyal Border Lodge of the Manchester United Independent Order of Oddfellows. Construction commenced on this site in May 1886 and the finished hall was handed over to the Oddfellows in July 1886. In 2001 the former Corowa Shire Council, with the assistance of a Commonwealth Federation Fund Grant, purchased the site and restored Oddfellow’s Hall as a Centenary of Federation project. The Halls place in Australia’s Federation history stems from its use during the 1893 Corowa Conference organised by local Border Federation Leagues held in the Corowa Court House. The hall was the venue for public meetings where the people met with politicians to discuss, debate and move resolutions on the Federation issue. One of these public meetings, chaired by Mr A.A. Piggin, was held in the Oddfellows Hall on the evening of 31 July 1893 prior to Dr John Quick, a delegate from the Bendigo branch of the Australian Natives Association moving his famous People’s Federation. This motion was to change both the direction and pace of the Federation and subsequently that led to Corowa becoming known as the “Birthplace of Federation”.