They were once the hub of the local community, bearing witness to birthdays, engagements and weddings. They were also the place where locals would travel from miles away in the hope of meeting a potential life partner at the monthly dance.
Not that long ago every country town and hamlet had their own community hall, which was usually managed by a local group of volunteers who would rely on hall rentals to the keep the doors open and the lights on.
But local community halls are in decline.
David Nichols, a professor in urban planning at the University of Melbourne, says reduced demand for the venues can be attributed to generational and technological changes.
"There is a decline in community halls and there are several reasons, there's ageing populations and changing demographics," he says.
"If you look at teenagers or people in their 20s they are not interested in going to a local community dance.
"It's not just the internet. Television 50 years ago changed what people did on a Saturday night, as did drive-in movies and local picture theatres.
"Now there are not too many local dances still operating or travelling performers who used to visit these halls."
The slow decline
At one stage on the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns in Far North Queensland, there were more than 20 community halls. Now there are three, with one of them on the market.
The Evelyn Pioneer Community Hall was built in 1938 by locals as a place to hold community meetings and regular dances.
Local farmer John Hardy bought the hall from the Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) in 2020 after it had been on the market for several years, due to a lack of use and volunteers willing to manage it.
Now Mr Hardy has put the building up for sale (not including the land) and hopes someone will come and take it away and put the hardwood timber to good use.
"We bought it because it was adjacent to my property and the council couldn't sell it and we wanted to add the land to our property," he says.
"The council wanted it demolished or moved elsewhere and I'm too old to do either."
More than just wood
Despite wanting the old hall removed, Mr Hardy says he has fond memories of seeing bands in the hall.
"I had old friends who have now passed away who were here for the opening of the hall," he says.
"After the war [World War II], dances were very popular and there was one every weekend and people would travel for miles to attend them.
"We had rollerskating here, I played guitar at so many weddings and band practices, it used to be $5 to rent the hall."
Due to lack of use, and deterioration, the hall is up for sale as timber.
"The building is just going to sit here and rot. We can't afford to maintain it, it is at the point where it is now dangerous," Mr Hardy says.
"Someone will take it away or eventually it will fall in on itself. It's sad but either way this hall is going to go."
The heart of the community
Another hall struggling to keep the doors open is the Jaggan Community Hall, 25 kilometres south-east of Atherton.
The hall has held only two functions over the past 12 months.
Due to rising prices in electricity, rates and public liability costs, the hall is struggling to stay open.
Husband and wife Tom and Maree Hamilton are the secretary and the president of the hall.
"To keep the lights on, we hold an annual Christmas raffle as well as market stalls," Ms Hamilton says.
The Hamiltons are descendants of the people who were responsible for the opening of the hall nearly 100 years ago.
"The same families have helped to keep the hall open all of this time," Ms Hamilton says.
"For those of us who experienced functions and the dances at these halls, we appreciate the atmosphere and the preparation that used to go into those events.
"Unless you have been here for one of those events you really don't get it.
"We provide the opportunity for people to have that experience, but it is up to families and organisations to make the most of what we have here."
100 and not out
The Butchers Creek community hall is celebrating its centenary next year and is still available for rent, being kept open due to the generosity of local volunteers and government grants.
Treasurer Petrina Callaghan says she has seen many different functions over the years.
"We hold our own social functions where people can come along and socialise, we have seen birthday parties, family functions, weddings and engagements," she says.
"There have also been Melbourne Cup functions, New Year's Eve balls and even indoor cricket practice.
"Most of our money comes from hall bookings and the assistance of grants, which helps with the maintenance and upgrades.
"The committee itself holds about five social events per year, otherwise we still get two-three bookings per month."
With so many halls demolished or sold over time, Ms Callaghan says community spirit has helped keep the hall operating.
"The community spirit started well before my time here. It was built 100 years ago and the early families that were here and helped it open are now keeping it going 100 years later."
Use it or lose it
Professor Nichols says that unless residents embrace their local community hall, they may be lost forever.
"They need to be valued, not just for the monthly social dance but maybe in the 21st century there's a bunch of new functions that they could have," he says.
"Communities need to embrace these buildings and find things to do with them because they can be a great resource and once these halls are gone, they are gone permanently."
