Melrose Hall
Situated on the corner of the Great Western Highway and Park Street Emu Plains, stands Melrose Hall or The Melrose as it was once called. Built on the eastern extremity of Emu Park, the hall was once the focal point of many important social functions at Emu Plains. Although still used by many community groups, it will probably never regain its former importance as a hall for dances, concerts and many other local social events.
The hall was officially opened on the Friday evening of 21 December 1934. The opening night was described by the local newspaper (Nepean Times) as one of “great splendour”. Built by Mr. Huon, of Lawson, the hall was designed by Messrs. Metcalf and W. Green. It was not the first public hall to be built at Emu Plains, but Melrose Hall was the first built specifically to cater for relatively large public gatherings. The hall was funded by a special “building relief” grant made available by the government at the time. The opening of Melrose Hall was seen as a significant step forward for Emu Plains community. Following the official speeches on the night of the hall’s opening, the local newspaper reported that the hall was “given over to dancing”. The music on the night was provided by the Trevor Pear Orchestra from Blacktown.
Now owned by Penrith City Council, the hall is run by a Management Committee and is still used by many local community groups as a meeting place.