Councillors will step back in time and meet in the grandiose building to mark 150 years to the day since the first gathering of the Orange Municipal Council was held on February 18, 1860,

“It’s a proper council meeting, it will be business as usual but we’ll be so close together in here we’ll be able to stare each other in the eyes,” laughed OCTEC chairperson, Cr Jeff Whitton.

For several years meetings were held in the city’s former courthouse, however in 1886 the Municipal Council decided to build a permanent town hall.

In November that year the site on the corner of Anson and Byng streets was purchased for the bargain price of 11 pounds per foot.

Tenders were called and the lowest price of 1768 pounds was accepted. The foundation stone was laid on July 21, 1887 and the building completed in 1888.

Thousands of decisions were made in the building between 1888 and when Orange City Council moved to the Orange Civic Centre in 1976.

The building has been occupied by training provider OCTEC Incorporated since 1990.

OCTEC managing director and history buff Andrew McDougall has spent the last three months coordinating restoration work ahead of tonight’s meeting.

“It would be wonderful for this to perhaps be a yearly event,” Mr McDougall said. “Personally, I think it would be great for the building to be used more for events of historical importance.”