“I had to sort out the water,” Mr Jarvis, 71, said.

The hall is at the heart of the town and Mr Jarvis, part of one of the oldest farming families in the area, lived basically next door to it for most of his life.

For the past 30 years, water to the hall has been coming from one of Mr Jarvis’ water pipes leading from his dam.

“It was not a legal diversion and it was a diversion nobody asked about,” he said.

He knew it would catch up to the committee sooner or later so he decided to donate 1000 square metres of his own land at the back of the hall so the pipe could run directly from the Kiewa River and into a water tank and then into the hall.

“We can pump water from the river without getting another meter,” Mr Jarvis said.

Tomorrow, the Kergunyah and Gundowring North community will turn on the tap to their new water at 6.30pm and are hosting a free barbecue to celebrate.

“It’s an amazingly generous legacy,” committee member Geoff Reid said.

“Lindsay and (his wife) Ann for several decades made tireless contributions to the greater community and to now make this significant donation is simply extraordinary.

“We are extremely grateful.”