Russell Vale - Historic buildings

South Bulli Colliery Signal Box
Location: corner of Bellambi Lane and The Princes Highway in Russell Vale.

It was constructed by the South Bulli Colliery to be used as a gate and semaphore box at the crossing to Bellambi Wharf. It was officially opened on the 5th of October, 1910. The building is constructed of local brick and timber with a corrugated iron roof. The building is signicant as a reminder of a time when coal was transported along the tramway to the now demolished wharf at Bellambi. (Ali, c1981)

Russell Vale Community Hall
Address: Keerong Ave (cnr Channon St)

The Russell Vale Community Hall was opened in 1954 by the Chairman of the Joint Coal Board, Mr F.S.Cochrane. This piece of land was acquired by the Russell Vale Progress Association in 1950. The first reference to the Community Hall was in 1948 when the local ratepayers levied themselves a penny in the pound to go towards building the hall.

The total cost of building the hall was £9000. The money was raised by the local community, local business', local industrialists and the Municiple Council. The Joint Coal Board contributed half of the cost from its Welfare Fund. Ald. Williams said that this was the "culmination of many years agitation and work towards the ideal of establishing a Community Hall." (Illawarra Mercury, 1954)

Eventually the building became derelict. The Russell Vale Public School Parents and Citizens Group decided to make it shine again. There is a close relationship between the Community Hall and the Russell Vale School. This is because when the school was started it was originally held in the Community Hall. For the 50th anniversary of the building they did major renovations. The flooring was removed and the wooden floor was polished, a new coat of paint was applied and a gazebo was erected nearby. The Community Hall is now used for a variety of reasons. Playgroup is held there as well as ballet classes and occasionally the hall is rented out for events such as 21st birthday and engagement parties.(Advertiser, 14/04/2004; Illawarra Mercury, 1954; Russell Vale Local History Group,1994)