RENOVATION OF DUNTROON HALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 34

RENOVATION OF DUNTROON HALL.

Mr F. H. Wise kindly supplies us with the following particulars of the renovation of the Duntroon hall : —

; As I hinted a- few weeks ago, the hall has been ■ enlarged and "thoroughly renovated. Having an hour to spare the other day I took a look over it. The main body of the hall, which was until recently about 40ft by 30ft, has been enlarged by throwing the whole of the old stage , and wings into the body of the hall, thus iii- ' creasing the seating accommodation to 40ft by | 40ft The roof has been raised and repanelled, and a new stage added. The walls have been I dadoed for a height of about 3ft 6in, the dado being painted a dark stone colour, the moulding | being picked out in Indian red. The upper X:art of the walls has been treated in stone colour, the pillars, etc., of the stage front being painted sea-green. The new stage and wings extend the whole breadth of the hall, giving ample room on the stage and in the dressing- [ rocms. The diop curtain has been painted in watercolour with an exceedingly good rendering of a scfiie on Loch Long (on the Clyde), the treatment TSeing artistic in every way and. the execution good. The back of the stage has a very good representation of Mount Wellington, in Tasmania, from an oil painting in the possession of the artist, the treatment of native foliage, etc., being very realistic. The side wings have been treated in bits of bush, ferns, etc., each forming a handsome work of art in itself. One especially, a cabbage tree, is very true, and another, on old English beech, is excellent. The whole of the interior decoration, has been carried out under the supervision of Mr C. B. Moi'is, the scenery being entirely from his brush, and Duntroon has now a hall which is second to no country hall in New Zealand, and which would run many a city hall very close for first place. Mr Orr is to be congratulated on the spirit he has shown in placing such a beautiful hall at the disposal of tho Duntroon people. „ x

The Peninsula Road Board intend to make on Saturday, July 7, a general rate of Jd in the pound on the rateable value of all rateable property in the district for the ensuing year.

As a result of the severe frosts experienced lately Waihola Lake was frozen sufficiently hard on Sunday to allow of skating being indulged in. A number of local residents, loth to miss the opportunity, fossicked jut some antedeluvian skates and proceeded straightway to enjoy the rare sport thus afforded. — Bruce Herald.