Te Puna is celebrating the centenary of the heart of its community – the Te Puna Memorial Hall – today Saturday, October 1, with a day filled with food, circus activities, music and fun!

'We're celebrating 100 years, which is a really major event, so we are celebrating with the whole community and we want the community to come and enjoy the hall,” says hall committee member Mennie Scapens, nee Earp, who has lived much of her life in Te Puna.

The original hall was built in 1922, says Mennie.

'It was built to commemorate the men who had lost their lives in the First World War.”

The land for the old hall was donated by the Armstrong family and built by master builder David Borell with the help of community volunteers.

Mennie has plenty of fond memories in the original Te Puna Hall from attending Sunday School, waltzing at school PTA dances to community parties and functions.

'They were quite special events on the calendar, then through my teenage-hood we played badminton in the old Te Puna Hall.”

Although the old hall had to be demolished to allow for Te Puna Rd/State Highway 2 roundabout in 2016, special pieces of the original building remain in the new hall.

'Some of the original flooring has been used from the old hall and we've created two beautiful tables for our new hall's meeting rooms,” says Mennie.

The four original granite plaques bearing the names of the Te Puna men who lost their lives and also those who served in WWI and WWII are mounted in the new hall's foyer. Carrying a centenary legacy, the new hall was situated as close as physically possible to the old hall site and completed in 2020.

The new hall was purpose-built and described by Mennie as a hub for the community with meeting rooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a large stage.

'I think the new hall is just so much more user-friendly and is so much more inviting for people to use.”

The Hall Committee is thrilled to have lined-up stellar music for the evening.

At 7pm vintage vocal trio The Madeleines will perform their ‘Old Hollywood Cabaret'. Mennie describes the trio as 'jazzy and glamorous” and encourages everyone to come along and connect as a community.

Free family celebrations run from 11am- 2.30pm at Te Puna Memorial Hall on Saturday, October 1.

Tickets for ‘The Madeleines' gig at 7pm on Saturday October 1 are on sale online for $60 including complimentary bubbles, supper and a dessert. For more information, visit: www.tepunahall.nz