Drouin’s Oak Street was awash with music and art this weekend as locals came together to celebrate the launch of the newly renovated Drouin Community Hub facilities.
The free event organised by Committee for Drouin and supported with a Baw Baw Shire Council Community Grant – the Oak Street Arts Happening – turned the spotlight on local artists and creatives, and featured market stalls and displays by local groups including Creative Drouin, Drouin Croquet Club, 3BBR, the Senior Citizens, Rotary Club of Drouin, Community Bank Drouin and District, Off The Leash Theatre and more.
Committee for Drouin president Jeannie Haughton was delighted with the community turnout for the launch and excited for the possibilities the Hub presents going forward.
“The Committee for Drouin is thrilled the hub is open, and even more thrilled with the response from the community which turned up in droves to this event which was designed for the public to explore the fantastic Community area in Oak Street,” said Ms Haughton.
“It’s so central and close to public transport – so much potential to gather, have fun, meet others and do stuff!”
Speaking at the event, Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Annemarie McCabe acknowledged the work of the Committee for Drouin for putting together the free event for the community.
“It’s fantastic to see our community out and about embracing the arts and culture here in the shire, and I thank Jeannie and the Committee for Drouin for organising today’s Arts Happening,” said Mayor McCabe.
“It’s the perfect way to launch our newly renovated Community Hub.”
The works at the Drouin Community Hub follow community consultation to better understand the needs of users. The renovations include improvements to the buildings on both the north and south side of Oak Street.
“Council has invested over $660,000 to improve this multi-function community space, making the variety of rooms more usable and accessible for all,” said Mayor McCabe. “The Hub is perfect for meetings and all kinds of community activities for the public, and we are very pleased to officially open this space for our community and can’t wait to see it used.”
