Community is excited now Tenterfield School of Arts is once again open

The historic museum, regarded as the "birthplace of a nation" and the first museum included on the National Trust register, closed its doors due to financial straits for Tenterfield Shire Councillors.

The complex features a museum, theatre and a cinema and was expected to cost the shire around $320,000 to stay open last year.

In what was an unpopular decision for some in the community, councillors voted for the closure of the building.

Jan Evans, a member of the 355 committee alongside Peter Harrison and Zac Curry, said council appointed an interim general manger, Glenn Wilcox, who realised the building should've never been shut down and put in plans to have it reopened to the community.

That plan came to fruition at the beginning of the month, with a Re-open Day Celebration.

"It was excellent," said Ms Evans. "We had hundreds of people come through, lots of people excited about it.

"The whole complex will be open, the museum will once again be opened, the cinema will be open, we are in the process of the cinema establishing a film society, that films can be shown again.

"At the moment, it's powering on. We've been inundated with people that want to be volunteers and to start up once again. It's all very exciting."

The site holds a lot of historical importance, as it was witness when Premier Sir Henry Parkes made his famed 1889 address, on the need for the Australian colonies to federate into one nation.

Ms Evans called the school of arts "the hub of the community".

"We have a cafe, we have the Sir Henry Parkes museum, that holds functions and also has bus tours and visitors, and other functions throughout the year.

"We have the cinema that has as well as the film society. It has live plays, musicals, concerts all throughout the year.

"We intend to have it running as many times through the year."

Ms Evans said the community was excited to have the venue back in operation and added that she is looking forward to the many things they have planned for the future.

"You've only got to see the number of people that are already coming into the centre and the number of people to put their hand up to be a volunteer.

"They're in the process of establishing [the film society] and we've had full cinemas come in and have people to discuss what we can and cannot do for that.

"We have our resident ukulele club that meets at the School of Arts as well.

"As the National Trust says, 'it's a building of national importance for Australia'."