The Manaia & Districts War Memorial Hall was opened by local MP E.B.Corbett on 16 April 1955. The previous hall was partially destroyed by fire on 20 June 1953 and plans for this reconstruction and upgrade were prepared by architect and author, John W Brimblecombe of Manaia.
The old hall had been burned a week before the Government's subsidy for World War II war memorial halls was due to close. A hall restoration committee under R.L. Bennett impressively raised £4,500 in a single-day appeal six days later which, with the insurance available, enabled a total subsidy of £6000 to be applied for.
The hall was closed by the South Taranaki District Council as an earthquake risk in 2015.
On 2 September 2025, the Taranaki Daily News reported that the South Taranaki district councillors had decided to build a new combined town hall and sports complex for about $3.5m. The new facility would be located at the Manaia Sports Domain and work on demolishing the old town hall would begin shortly.
Related items:
After the fire:
Appeal Advertisement (Taranaki Daily News 26 June 1953)
£5,060 Raised in Appeal (Taranaki Daily News 1 July 1953)
£5000 Subsidy (Taranaki Daily News 5 Sept 1953)
Reconstruction Of Town Hall at Manaia Started (Taranaki Daily News30 April 1954)
Opening Of Manaia War Memorial Hall will be on April 16 (Taranaki Daily News 8 Feb 1955)
New Manaia Hall Rises on Predecessor's Ashes (Taranaki Daily News 14 April 1955)
How Architect Worked Through Night on Plan (Taranaki Daily News 15 April 1955)
Race Against Time Was Background to New Manaia Hall (Taranaki Daily News 15 April 1955)
Manaia War Memorial Hall Opened (Taranaki Daily News 18 April 1955)
After the closure of the hall in 2015:
Multipurpose centre a step closer (Taranaki Daily News 23 November 2022)
Plan for Manaia centre scuppered (Taranaki Daily News 25 April 2025)
Feedback sought on community centre plans (Taranaki Daily News 25 November 2020)
Residents make views on hall clear (Taranaki Daily News 3 February 2021)
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