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The Haberfield Centre is a heritage building that is located at 78-80 Dalhousie Street in Haberfield, New South Wales, Australia. Formerly the Haberfield School of Arts, it is currently a community centre which contains Haberfield Library and two meeting rooms.
History
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The Haberfield Centre began as the Haberfield School of Arts. Traditionally, a School of Arts, also known as a Workingman’s, Literary or Mechanics' Institute, served a community need for adult education and recreation, but as these communities grew, these schools or institutes were replaced with more specialised services such as libraries (Ashfield’s Men of Mark, p. 62).
On 15 December 1911, Alexander Goodsir applied to the Department of Public Instruction for a proposed building to become the Haberfield School of Arts with Richard Stanton, John Chudleigh and John Lugsdin as Trustees (Ashfield’s Men of Mark, p. 62).
On 14 September 1912, the foundation stone for the School of Arts was laid by the Premier of New South Wales, J. S. T. McGowen at 78 Dalhousie Street Haberfield.[1]
A publicity brochure produced by Richard Stanton around 1913 proclaimed:
“As a further illustration of a progressive District with progressive people, one of the finest Schools of Arts has now been erected at Haberfield, to which is attached a spacious hall with stage, scenery, etc. In the basement is a fine billiard room with two first class billiard tables. The Institution was recently opened by Mr. Stanton, who was presented with the gold key”.[1]
A World War I Honour Roll was unveiled at The Haberfield Centre on 2 November 1918 at a ceremony conducted by His Excellency The Governor, Sir Walter Davidson (Ashfield’s Men of Mark, p. 63). This honour roll recognises the support of local residents who served in the armed forces during the Great War (Tours of Haberfield, p. 260).
The local Catholic Youth Organisation used the main hall for its concerts in the 1950s.[1]
Current usage
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In 1988, the building was renamed The Haberfield Centre, extended with a design by Howard Tanner and converted into Haberfield Library. It has one meeting room on each level, the Tanner room on the ground level and the Mervyn Fletcher room on the top level.[1]