THE SCHOOL OF ARTS HALL
&
THE CHURCH HALL
Set in the idyllic and picturesque Byron hinterland village of Federal are the School of Arts hall and the adjoining former church building, collectively now known as Federal Halls. These facilities were previously known as Jasper Corner. With a rich history, these halls have long been the heart of the Federal community and are easily accessible by car from surrounding towns and villages such as Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Lismore and Ballina. Nestled within well-tended gardens, Federal Halls is the venue of choice for a wide variety of events and activities, including:
Federal Day of Blues
8 hours of top quality blues music by talented local bands at the lovely Federal Halls on Saturday 21st November 2026, 2-10pm!
Owned and maintained by the Federal community, it will be a great venue for rhythmic music in beautiful surrounds with food provided by Japanese, Italian, Chinese and Australian chefs plus espresso coffee!
We’ll have a bar and say No BOYG as we try to raise enough money to fund R&Ms required by 130+ year old buildings.
Tickets are $75.
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A BRIEF HISTORY
From 1882, when John Bate and William Risley trekked through the bush from Lismore in search of land, the little village of Federal has had a well-deserved reputation for community spirit.
Early settlers helped each other clear the land for farms. Once they were more established, families like the Bates played an important role in founding schools and churches for the growing community. They set a legacy. Ever since, the residents have worked tirelessly to raise funds for community centres beginning with the Federal School of Arts (known locally as ‘The Hall’) which opened its doors in 1899. The Anglican Church opened in 1909, and more recently Federal Park and the tennis court.
The Federal community fought to keep their local store open and, in 2012, they put their fundraising hats on again and raised over $220,000 to buy the deconsecrated Anglican Church. The Church, which sits next door to the Hall, was to be sold to help pay off a considerable debt incurred by the Anglican Archdiocese. The community felt very strongly that it was important to maintain the building and the grounds for public use, particularly as it was situated so close to the Hall.
The result of their phenomenal effort is a wonderful ‘double amenity’ for the Federal community – the School of Arts hall and the Church building, known collectively as The Federal Halls.
