The new Dimboola Library and Shire Customer Service Centre opened to the public for the first time last week, following the construction of the all-new building and the relaxing of government coronavirus restrictions.

The library that previously operated from the Old Shire Hall is now housed in a new purpose-built space behind its old location. The new building has large picture windows and a deck area that overlooks what was formally the car park but is soon to be transformed into the Dimboola Visitor Node as the starting point of the Wimmera River Trail which will include landscaping this space.

Before housing the town’s library, the Old Shire Hall was originally built in as the offices of the Lowan Shire and has since served as the offices for the Dimboola Shire, and in the next chapter of its life, will be refurbished to become the new Dimboola Community and Civic Hub.

Coordinator of Library Services, Whitney Kingston, says that due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, we were unable to be open to the public since bringing libraries in-house on 1 July 2020. As soon as we were able to, Hindmarsh Shire Libraries offered members of the public Click and Collect services allowing people to stay connected to their new library service.

“It is important to stay connected with our communities as best we can during these trying times. The opportunity to finally be able to open the doors to our members and community is incredibly exciting and rewarding”.

“We encourage the community to pop in and check out our new Dimboola Library and the recently updated Nhill Library. Micro libraries have also been established in Jeparit and Rainbow until we are able to open updated and new libraries to the Jeparit and Rainbow community.”

The Dimboola Library is open Tuesdays to Friday afternoons between 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm, and Thursday mornings from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm.

New temporary mini libraries have been opened in the Hindmarsh Shire’s Rainbow and Jeparit Customer Service Centres which will be replaced with new library spaces once the building works that are currently underway are completed.

Above - Customer Service Officer, Cameron Ruwoldt, in the new Dimboola Library.

Below - The interior of the new library.