The PA People modernises Lord Howe Island community venue

Australia:

Bringing modern AV technology to one of Australia's most remote communities, The PA People has completed an integrated audiovisual upgrade for the Lord Howe Island Community Hall and adjoining Annexe. For the project, The PA People delivered a system designed to support everything from local performances to hybrid meetings while preserving the venue's heritage character.

Located more than 700,000m off the New South Wales coast, Lord Howe Island presents unique logistical and operational challenges, making reliability and ease of use key priorities for the project. The Community Hall serves as the island's primary gathering space but had been relying on ageing AV systems that had become increasingly difficult for non-technical users to operate.

The new installation integrates audio, projection, presentation, conferencing, recording, streaming and stage lighting through a single control platform. Touchscreen interfaces provide users with pre-configured operating modes for common events, enabling volunteers and staff to operate the system without specialist technical knowledge.

The audio system features Bose Professional ArenaMatch Utility loudspeakers powered by QSC Network amplifiers and managed via a Q-SYS DSP and control platform. A Yamaha TF1 digital mixing console and Dante audio network provide the backbone for live events, while Audio-Technica microphones support meetings and presentations.

Presentation capabilities include a laser projector, wireless presentation technology, Apple TV integration and a switching platform designed to accommodate multiple content sources. The system also supports recording, livestreaming and unified communications, allowing meetings and events to be shared with remote participants via platforms including Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

The adjoining Annexe has been equipped with a 75in display, wireless presentation technology and a Biamp Parlé conferencing bar with intelligent camera framing and noise reduction to support meetings, workshops and hybrid collaboration. The installation was also designed to minimise its visual impact within the heritage-listed building while complementing planned acoustic improvements.

Oscar Salinas, who is in charge of AV on the island, said: “One of our key objectives was to respect the heritage significance of the Public Hall while providing a modern, intuitive technology platform that anyone in the community can confidently use. Achieving that balance was incredibly important and I believe this project has done exactly that. The upgraded Hall is now equipped to support future generations of community events while preserving the character that makes it such a special place for Lord Howe Island.”

The upgraded system made its public debut during a community screening of a David Attenborough documentary, followed by a live audience Q&A.