Friday, August 26, 2011

Hall Showgrounds


Just to the north west of Canberra, but still within the ACT border, is the village of Hall. Named after Henry Hall, who settled in the area in 1833 - just seven years after the first European explorers came through. The Hall family actually lived in a homestead in what is currently the suburb of Fraser, and their property was named 'Charnwood' - now the name of another Canberra suburb.

The village was gazetted in 1882, although there had been a hotel since 1864.

Today's photo is looking from Victoria Street across part of the Hall Showgrounds, with the barbecue shed in the background. I don't know how old the shed is, but with it's rough-hewn poles and corrugated iron roof, it would have been typical of early buildings in the area. The local show was held annually at Hall Showgrounds between 1925 and 1964, when it moved to the Exhibition Park in Canberra. Today the grounds are used for various sports, National Sheepdog Trials, functions and the very popular monthly Hall Markets.

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