Queens and memories reign at Tallygaroopna Soldiers’ Memorial Hall centenary

Unforeseen by all involved, it became the hall’s major fundraiser.

The Queens, Miss Marjorie McKenzie (Queen of Diggers), Miss Doreen Palmer (Queen of Charity), Miss Wisely (Queen of Sport), and Miss Mabel Voice (Queen of Peace), boosted the fund with a combined total of £618.

“It didn’t sound like very much in our money, but it was in those days,” Ms Pell said.

Miss Wisely raised an impressive £272 and secured 22,000 votes, earning her the title Queen of the Valley in vying for the throne.

Now, 100 years on from the hall’s establishment, a Queens of Tally re-enactment will take place this Saturday, June 8, packed with plenty of pageantry, poise and homage paid.

Of course, Ms Pell and her daughter will be among the masses enjoying the evening’s entertainment.

But on Sunday, June 9, she’ll be centre stage as her duties as the Queen of the Valley’s daughter beckon.

Ms Pell has the honour of cutting the 100-year celebration cake at a luncheon to further commemorate the hall’s centenary.

Although the gig doesn’t come with a crown or a flowing robe, it’s fitting for the proud local whose family roots in Tallygaroopna run deep.

“My father lived out on the east side of town, and my mother lived on the west,” Ms Pell said.

“They both came into Tallygaroopna and worked on the memorial hall committee; that’s where they first met.”

Throughout their marriage and raising a family, the town-crossed lovers remained actively involved in the community, centred around the hall.

“My father was a trustee. He opened it up for people hiring it, and I went with him,” Ms Pell said.

“Even at four years old, I remember going to the hall and seeing people preparing for concerts, parties and balls.

“It wasn’t a big population then, but it was a town that was very social, and it felt like home.”

Ms Pell’s picture-perfect memory can recount even the finest details of the hall’s events over the years.

From standing in the street on a scorching hot school day, waiting for the Governor of Victoria and his wife (she was dressed in blue) to drive past, to bidding farewell to the soldiers in World War II.

“On the outside, it was a happy time,” she said.

“There was cheering, seeing the boys go off, but inside, everyone was very much aware that not all would come back.”

Amid the conflict, women and children were forever thinking about the soldiers.

“Telegrams would arrive for families, and you’d see the postman leave and think, ‘Oh dear, that’s someone’s father, brother, son’,” Ms Pell said.

“War is a terrible thing, it touches your heart.”

While the soldiers were on the battlefield, busy minds and idle hands were kept occupied in Tallygaroopna.

After school, Ms Pell and her friends would go to the hall to pack bandages, ANZAC biscuits and fruitcakes in hollow tins for the Red Cross.

These supplies were sent to the soldiers, giving them a taste of home.

“Most got through, and some even went to prisoner-of-war camps in Europe,” she said.

Reminiscing about her life, especially at the hall, brought back “a lot of memories and sensations” for Ms Pell.

Those memories have been immortalised in a book detailing the hall’s history.

The Tallygaroopna Historical Society, of which Ms Pell is a member, has compiled the contents, and the history book will be launched during this weekend’s celebrations.

As the centenary fast approaches, it’s difficult to choose which part of the celebration is the most highly anticipated part.

But for Ms Pell, it’s seeing the people, past and present, who have been the beating heart of the building for the past 100 years.

“I’m 95, so not many of my school friends are around... but I know some families still live in Tallygaroopna,” she said.

“I’ll be delighted and interested to see who turns up.

“I’m hoping many people will.”

Celebrations for the Tallygaroopna Soldiers’ Memorial Hall centenary will take place on June 8 and 9.