An 11th hour hurrah has been organised to support Matong’s beloved Farmers Home Hotel, which has been slapped with a demolition order that will take effect from next Thursday.
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Signs were put up around the Matong township in the early hours of Thursday morning, featuring a play on words – “Comm (on) Unity Get Together” – to urge the community to come on and unite for the cause.
“Hopefully we’re just going to get the community of Matong together, and open it up to all who are welcome,” organiser Pete Gare said.
“On Saturday from 11am we’re going to have a picnic in the park, a bit of entertainment, there’s a great little playground in the park for the kids and good old-fashioned Saturday afternoon good times.”
The focus, however, is unity; a chance to unite all those with various opinions to the common cause of finding a way to save and return the pub to its former glory.
“It’s an opportunity to get together … and hopefully find a way to keep the pub alive,” Mr Gare said.
What was once the heart of Matong since the early 1900s, The Farmers Home is now a derelict shell after suspicious fires and a near-decade spat between the owners and Coolamon Shire Council halted plans to have it restored.
Col McKinnon represents Matong on Coolamon Shire Council and said watching their beloved pub disintegrate from a lack of care is torture.
“It’s frustrates the daylights out of me,” Councillor McKinnon said.
“We lost our store, Matong Memories Antique Shop has closed due to fire, and we have nowhere to get bread and milk.
“We are losing hope the owners and council won’t work together.”
Coolamon Shire Council put the demolition order on the building to force the owner’s hands.
Co-owner Bruce Maples last week said he would “be down in a heart-beat” if council agreed to a conciliation meeting.
When council did agree to the request, it was Matong’s heart that skipped a beat.
Mr Maples told The Daily Advertiser on Thursday afternoon that workers will be undertaking six areas of repairs by Monday of next week to fulfil council safety requirements.
They include installing Acrow Props to reinforce the falling archway, bracing windows and barricading the rear timber stairwell access.
“I want you to ask council if we comply with these six points, will they remove the demolition order?” Mr Maples said.
Coolamon Council general manager Tony Donoghue said the priority is to render the building safe.
“Then we will be happy to sit down with the owners and find a way forward to save the pub,” Mr Donoghue said.
