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Canberra Today 12°/15° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

The little, rural village with lots to discover

SURROUNDED by open country, Hall is a small village to the north of Canberra that features historic buildings that existed before the establishment of the ACT.

Away from the chaos of a city, but still in close proximity, Hall Village (population 271 people at the 2016 census), attracts many outsiders and locals alike for its small-town, country feel.

In 1881 the NSW government surveyed the area where Hall sits today for an official village and chose a site on Halls Creek.

The new village was initially called Ginninderra in 1882, but after protests from local residents was renamed Hall, in honour of the first landholder in the area, Henry Hall.

In 1954 the main street of Hall (which had been part of the state highway system since 1935) was named the Barton Highway.

In 1980 the highway alignment was shifted to the west as part of a dual carriage upgrade, bypassing Hall completely.

 

Cosy cafe’s sweet deal for all readers

THE family-run cafe, Daughters at Hall, is embracing the cold with its new winter menu and “fireplace” set up.

Owner Jenny Berron says there’s a lounge in front of the “fireplace” and blankets outside to keep people warm over winter.

And if that’s not cosy enough, Jenny says they’re offering a free sweet with every hot (or cold) beverage purchase for “CityNews” readers.

“We make all our cakes, slices and biscuits,” she says.

“We’re doing apple pies for winter, too.”

On the savoury side of the menu, Daughters at Hall has started a new partnership with At Sea, a fish place from Ulladulla.

“They bring the fish straight off the boat to us so we can do fish and chips, too,” she says.

“And, At Sea is coming once a month to the front of our place and selling their fresh produce.”

Moving away from food, Jenny says the community-based cafe also loves to support its staff and is currently selling macrame hangers, terrariums and earrings, which are handmade by three girls who work there.

“Plus, we make all our jams, relishes and chilli sauce, too!” she says.

Daughters at Hall, 5 Victoria Street, Hall. Call 6230 2457, visit halldaughters.com.au or follow @daughtersathall on Facebook

 

Friendly country care for pets

Hall Veterinary Surgery’s head receptionist April Maney.

PET owners can escape the concrete jungle of town with Hall Veterinary Surgery’s “friendly country care”, says head receptionist April Maney.

Established more than 30 years ago, the purpose-built hospital looks after all companion animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets.

With its tag line, “a passion for pets and their people”, April says pet owners can be guaranteed a friendly and easy service provided by the family run surgery.

“We’re very tailored, we’re not a one-size-fits-all practice. Instead, we recognise that every pet is unique,” she says.

“We provide anything from general healthcare to preventative care, as well as surgery diagnostics and dentistry.

“We run an in-house dental program for patients, entitling them to free six-monthly dental check ups and discounted Grade 1 Dental Scale and polish procedures.

“We want to reduce (and prevent) the amount of pets who suffer from a severely painful mouth,” she says.

“And our new sister practice, Vets at Amaroo, is proving very popular with our Gungahlin clients as they get to see the same staff and experience the same standards of care.”

But for those who want to escape the city, April says the peaceful village of Hall is a massive drawcard.

And, she says they offer behaviour and training advice there, too.

Hall Veterinary Surgery, 33 Victoria Street, Hall. Call 6230 2223, email reception@hallvet.com.au or visit hallvet.com.au

 

Personal solutions for any surface

WHEN people choose Capital Asphalt, they’re supporting a local Canberra business which provides a friendly and personal service to all its customers, says operations manager Nathan Ellwood.

Capital Asphalt specialises in all flexible pavement solutions such as asphalt and bitumen spray seal for driveways, local roads and highways as well as profile milling to remove existing asphalt surfaces.

Nathan says the two main products they use are asphalt and bitumen, which are both road surfacing products that construct a durable trafficable surface.  

“There is no job too big or small,” Nathan says.

“Capital Asphalt happily delivers both residential and commercial works.

“[And] we offer technical advice during the pricing period to ensure our customers get the best product for the job while being conscious of financial restrictions.”

Capital Asphalt Services, 4/8 Victoria Street, Hall. Call 0418 630542 or visit capitalasphalt.com.au

 

The owners of Hall Farm Supplies, Anna and Jacqui.

Owners sweep new life into farm supplies

HALL Farm Supplies, formerly known as Canberra Rural Stockfeeds, has a new lease on life, according to its owners Anna and Jacqui.

They took over the shop in November and say they have since put in a lot of hard work, sweat and sweeping to give the big shed a revamp.

“The building was built in 1965 and has long been a great one-stop-shop for all your farming and rural needs,” Anna says.

And now, she says they’ve brought in a wide range of new stock, which is essential for small animals such as chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats and birds right through to large animal cows, sheep, alpacas and horses.

There’s also a large range of gardening essentials and tools and also fencing, irrigation, pumps, chemicals and oils.

More importantly, Anna says they’re all about listening to their customers and what they want.

“We are new and exciting yet we have continued running a business that has been in Hall for 40 years, we listen to what customers want and are happy to order in new products,” she says.

“We are conveniently located close to north side Canberra and are on the way home from work for the people that live out of town.”

Hall Farm Supplies, 1 Victoria Street, Hall. Call 6170 4278, email hallstockfeeds@gmail.com or @HallFarmSupplies on Facebook.

 

Trudy’s happy to keep parcels safe

NO need to worry about being home to collect a parcel, thanks to Hall Village Post Office and Gift Store’s parcel collect service, says owner Trudy Mansfield.

“If you’re at work or away, we’ll happily keep it safe and sound until you pick it up,” she says.  

“And because we’re open from 7.30am, people can pop in and collect the parcel on their way to work.”

Hall Village Post Office and Gift Store is also home to Beatrix and Bertram, an in-store and online store that sells women’s clothes and giftware.

Trudy says one brand she stocks, with quite a big following, is called Binny from SA.

“We also stock cashmere jumpers from Arlington Milne and handbags from Elms and King,” she says.

“They’re all really good-quality, timeless, Australian-made pieces. They’re also lovely and elegant.”

Trudy, who has been wearing some of these brands for about 10 years, absolutely loves them and says she still wears items she bought a decade ago.

But that’s not all that’s in store, and Trudy says they have some beautiful light gifts that people can easily post to family and friends.

With a love for her shop and a passion for being part of the Hall community, Trudy can’t wait to share the store’s friendly and excellent service with everyone who stops by.

Hall Village Post Office and Gift Store, 4 Victoria Street. Call 6230 2829, email hallvillagepostoffice@gmail.com or visit beatrixandbertram.com

 

Four course Capital Wines epicurean tasting.

Wine tastings with food to match

ABOUT three years ago, the owners of Capital Wines, Andrew and Marion McEwin, moved their cellar door to Hall.

Marion says visitors can taste their “amazing” range of wines and share a cheese plate or produce plate from 10.30am to 5pm, Thursday to Sunday, as well as public holidays, including the upcoming Queen’s Birthday holiday on Monday, June 10.

“On the weekends you can savour four or five-course epicurean tastings of wines expertly matched with food,” Marion says.

“This is a chance to discover how and why wine and food complement one another.”

Or she says visitors can try their acclaimed Ministry Series of varietal wines, which makes a wry comment on politics since the location is so close to the political hub of the nation.

Capital Wines is also excited about an upcoming event from Saturday, July 14 to Sunday, July 15, when it will be joining other wineries for “Hills of Hall”.

“The festival will feature music from the Ukulele Republic of Canberra and friends, including Vintage Ukes, Wattas, Loud in the Library, and the wonderful Lisa Richards,” she says.

“You can sample the wines while enjoying musical interludes covering jazz, rock, and blues played by small ensembles and solo performers.”

Capital Wines, 13 Gladstone Street, Hall. Call 6230 2022, email info@capitalwines.com.au or visit capitalwines.com.au

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