Friends of Old Bega Hospital Newsletter April 2022

Dear Friends of the Old Bega Hospital

Restoration progress

The architects (Design 5) and project manager (Public Works Advisory) have been busy reintegrating the documents they prepared for a staged restoration of the main building, back into a single set of documents for the tender and builder.

We expect a request for tenders to be advertised later this month, but at this point do not have an exact date.

We hope a contract will be finalised and work can begin by the end of July. Big opening day might be at the end of 2024.

Friends of the OBH Events Committee

Meanwhile, the Events Committee has been busy making preparations for our major Annual Events: Raffles, Winter Trivia Night, Spring Raise the Roof Fair as well as taking any opportunity it can to promote the restoration.

Building Blocks of Memories project

The Friends 'Old Bega Hospital Building Blocks of Memories' project has been launched to celebrate the beginning of the restoration of the main building, ruined by fire in 2004. Over the last 20 years it has sat as an iconic landmark, a ruin on the hill.

This ruin will slowly slip into memory as it is revitalised as our regional community creative hub. To celebrate the ruins of the OBH in 2022, we will be publishing a set of templates for you to create building blocks, featuring never seen before photos of the ruins. You can print, cut out, fold and paste each template to make a building block, and gradually accumulate the full set. The aim is to publish one a week.

The templates are free.

You can get them from the Friends Facebook page, or download from the OBH website at https://www.obh.org.au/Friends/blocks.htm.

Trivia Night and Silent Cake Auction, Saturday 6 August

After a two year hiatus because of Covid, the Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Trivia Night and silent cake auction is locked in for Saturday 6 August 2022. Tables of 8, $10.00/head. This is a great fun night so mark this date on your calendar and start organising your table so you won't miss out. Donations of cakes, patty cakes, scones, biscuits for the silent auction will be appreciated. It isn't too early to commit to providing some cooking for the Silent Auction. Email Val, froglittle@bigpond.com.

Pavers project

The Events Committee is proposing a community project of engraved pavers to be included in new paths for the restored main building. Engravings can be either family names, hand drawn images or business logos. An engraved paver path will allow all in the community to own a small piece of the restored precinct, many in memory of family who have personal connections to the OBH over its 130 year history- whether as the Hospital, the Boy's Boarding House, the Agricultural Experimental Farm or the Regional Community Cultural Centre. Others in the community will want to own a paver because they will then be part of the new technological and creative era when the restored OBH opens its doors early in 2024.

Trees

The Friends have put in an expression of interest for the Queen's Jubilee Plant a Tree Initiative, Whether we get a grant or not, we hope to involve the community to plant 100 tall-growing, environmentally suitable trees, to make up the outer line of a three - tiered boundary planting around much of the OBH site, to protect us from cold winds and the views of our industrial neighbours. The Events Committee will be working on a plan for launch with community planting at our 2022 Raise the Roof Spring Fair on Sunday 30 October.

Autumn Raffle

The Friends are running an Autumn Raffle to raise money to provide equipment for the common areas of the restored OBH building. Tickets are only $2.00 each and get cheaper the more you buy. See the Mitre 10 poster at http://www.obh.org.au/Friends/documents/RaffleAutumn2022.jpg for details. Anyone keen to help with this fund raiser by taking a 20 ticket booklet to sell among family/friends, email Val at froglittle@bigpond.com.

Our merchandise and ticket sales stall is located, outside Sportspower in Carp Street, Bega, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10.00am to 1.30pm. If you have any questions about what's happening at the precinct come and have a chat. Check out our merchandise and buy a ticket. You might turn $2.00 into $500.00! 20 ticket books available at stall.

Help with the newsletter

We are always looking for help, and at the moment we need help to produce our seasonal newsletter. If interested, or you know anyone who might be interested, contact Val - email froglittle@bigpond.com.

Bega Valley Textile Group

Group members are slowly catching up on family and friends, with the relaxing of Covid restrictions, and making a return to face to face meetings. The group meets weekly in the former operating theatre at the Old Bega Hospital.

In February and March we held two workshops, introducing Quaama residents, affected in any way by the 2019 bushfires, to the crafts of Indigo Dyeing and Mosaic Crocheting. Despite the Covid forced delay of two years, the workshops were enthusiastically embraced. Fourteen keen Quaama‑ites attended each workshop. Follow ups have occurred at our Cobargo meetings. Thanks to those textilers who helped with the workshops - they couldn't happen without you volunteering your time and expertise.

The group is now preparing for the third and last of the Quaama Workshops - hand weaving a scarf using a Rigid Heddle. This will be held on Saturday 4 June, from 10.00am until 4.00pm. Any textilers able to help are asked to contact Chris Rogers.

The group will be holding an exhibition of the many examples of its craft work in the Lazy Lizard Gallery in Cobargo, during the month of May. We thank the Lazy Lizard for this opportunity to showcase the work of the many skilled fibre artisans of the Bega Valley. The display also allows locals and visitors to get their hands on the hand made and designed creations of our community artisans.

Workshops in the pipeline - Felted Baskets and Colour Theory. No dates as yet, so watch this space.

Friends Events Committee

The next monthly meeting of the Friends Events Committee will be held in the OBH precinct Nurses' Quarters, on 2 May at 10.30am. Any and every one interested in helping the committee to promote the OBH will be most welcome. Register with Val at froglittle@bigpond.com so she can keep you advised of any changes in arrangements.

With best wishes

Richard Bomford

President
Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc