A $10 million North Albury hall, nearly 40 years in the making, has been completed just in time to host year 12 HSC exams.
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The showpiece was this week handed over for use by James Fallon High School students after being built by Zauner Construction from August last year.
On Friday, principal Jenny Parrett showed off the building to Albury MP Justin Clancy and The Border Mail.
"It's James Fantastic High School now," a proud Mrs Parrett said.
"We're so lucky, because it's everything we wanted.
"It's a great performing arts area and sport area and it's terrific for assemblies."
For for the first since the institution opened in 1961 as Albury North High School the entire student population will be able to attend an indoor assembly.
The existing school hall could only hold a total of 380 students and this year's enrolment is around 750.
A new multi-purpose hub has been sought since 1982 when the current school hall was rated as the second worst in the region.
The new hall has retractable seating for 300, spotlights and a stage which will make it suitable for performances and volleyball, basketball, netball, handball and futsal can be played there.
The venue, which fronts Fallon Street, will be available for hire for community events such as drama productions.
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Mr Clancy was rapt to see what he called a "magnificent space" and said it was a legacy of his predecessor as Albury MP, Greg Aplin, who lobbied over a long period for state funding.
"It's something that Greg had been passionate on for an extended period as well, it's really pleasing and just a great lift for the school and a wonderful investment by the government," Mr Clancy said.
The hall will host the HSC English exam for about 65 students on Monday, a milestone in more ways than one given the COVID-19 interruption to their schooling this year.
"They've missed out on lots of things, but they've got this," Mrs Parrett said.
The hall has some distinctive architectural features with eye-catching recessed windows on its north and south sides, yellow doors and herringbone patterned brickwork in the vestibule.
The colour of the doors was a tribute to the yellow colour that marked the uniforms worn during Albury North days, while the brick design is a reflection of a Wiradjuri motif.
Mrs Parrett, who has worked at James Fallon High since 2008 and became principal in 2016, said the hall would be a great morale booster.
"It's such a shot in the arm, it's such an opportunity," she said.
