Pioneeer Trustees
Men with foresight
In 1913 Alan (Frank) Buckley and Charles Luxford were the registered proprietors of the land on which the Paddy O’Donoghue Centre (incorporating the Noble Park Public Hall) now stands, i.e. 18 – 34 Buckley Street, Noble Park. Local residents raised some money and a small timber hall was built.
In 1913 a trust, comprising Messrs Luxford, Maroney and Bunn, was set up, decreeing that the area should be used as a public hall. In 1919 Charles Luxford died and the two remaining trustees transferred the old hall and grounds to five trustees, Messrs Isaac, Beatty, Smith, Simpson and Luxford. Registered under the provisions of the Religious, Successory and Charitable Trusts Act, the salient points stressed and guaranteed by this action were that “the hall shall be used for public, educational, charitable and recreation purposes, subject to the provisions and management of the trust. Those eligible to vote shall reside within a distance of one and a half miles east and west and 2 miles north and south of the hall and shall be adults. Every trustee shall be not less than 25 years of age and shall be a landowner, resident within the area of the trust.
By registering under this Act the pioneering trustees with great foresight prevented any mortgaging or selling any portion of the area under the control of the Trust.
Those pioneers made certain that the people of Noble Park will never lose control of this valuable asset.
