Community milestones

We have been researching local Community Milestones for the National Trust's Heritage Festival, and almost reached another.
It was in December 1963 that the Nhill Library opened in the Lowan Shire Offices. Unfortunately the building was recently gutted as part of the new Hindmarsh Shire office development, however there is still the photo evidence.

The library in residence in 1960s

Going - March 2013

Gone...just a shell - April 2013

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The Kaniva and Lowan Shires both joined the then Horsham and Dunmunkle Library in 1962. The Lowan Shire incorporated the library area into their new Shire offices, which opened on 20th December 1963.

The 606 square foot library had a bookstock of 2,500 volumes, and was open for 16 hours a week.

 The Library Assistant was Mrs Rita Oehm, at the loans desk above.

The shelving was mainly Tebrax with some wooden units. The vinyl flooring was in natural tonings with a black and blue pattern set into it. The chairs were a brown vinyl.

The childrens' section had stools of natural coloured vinyl and a wooden picture book unit with a padded seat.

The Library moved out of the Shire Offices into a shopfront location in Nelson Street.
Then in 1997, the Hindmarsh Shire purchased the old Manchester Unity Lodge Hall in Clarence Street, and the Library moved back into the building which had previously been home to the Nhill Free Library Reading Room.

- Stage One of the new two-storey Hindmarsh Shire Offices behind the old Lowan Shire Offices building. There will be an Open Day for the new offices on Monday 13th May from 10am to 4pm.