General News
17 March, 2026
Timor meet and greet
The Bowenvale Hall Committee held their first meet and greet afternoon on the weekend for community members new and old.
Recent arrivals and long-time locals alike got a chance to meet their community at the Bowenvale Hall on Sunday.
The Bowenvale Hall Committee held their first meet and greet afternoon on the weekend for local residents and community groups alike.
Beyond the allure of afternoon tea, attendees were able to learn more about local community groups including the Bowenvale Fire Brigade, Timor West Landcare group, the Bowenvale Cemetery Trust and the Bowenvale Hall Committee.
The hall committee’s president Glen Ipsen said they organised the event to foster a greater sense of community.
“Over the last few years, we’ve had a lot of people moving into our community. We’d like to welcome them and look forward to get to know them better,” he said.
The Bowenvale Hall has long been the centre of community life and volunteer effort.
It’s a sentiment backed by Bowenvale Fire Brigade Captain Allan Monk.
“Without a community we’ve just got paddocks,” he said.
Bowenvale Hall’s existence is a testament to the community’s willingness to come together and rebuild.
Mr Ipsen said the former hall was destroyed following a lethal storm that swept the region at the end of 1960, but was rebuilt thanks to volunteer effort.
Now over six decades on from this effort, Mr Ipsen said local community groups need more support.
He explained that few volunteers meant “there’s only a handful of us doing all the work” for the community’s benefit.
“We just want to try to get the community to be more of a community,” he said.
“If you get everyone meeting together there’s more chance of them giving a helping hand.”
Attendees were also encouraged to put their ideas for what they’d like to see in the community in an ideas box.
Central Goldfields Shire councillor Anna de Villiers said there was funding available for the right project — specifically surrounding mental health and social cohesion in a community.
“What would you like to happen for yourself as a group,” she asked.
Mr Ipsen ended his speech with a clear message to attendees and perhaps the wider community.
“Just keep talking and meeting each other,” he said.