The Cardrona hall was built in 1879 as the local school. Children used to walk or ride for many miles to attend lessons each day, and the adjoining paddock was where they left their ponies during school hours. For many years, Cardrona was the largest school in the whole of the Wanaka district, but in 1954 dwindling numbers caused its closure. It was then gifted to the valley as a community hall, and in recent years both the hall and church have been restored to their original condition and are now used to host meetings, weddings, and musical events.br/br/The small church has a much more chequered history. Even older than the hall, it began life as the miner's recreation hall, an annex attached to the All Nations Hotel downstream across the river. Surviving a fire which burned the Hotel down, the annex was later consecrated as the Cardrona Catholic Church. With the valley's depopulation after the second World War, the building was transported down valley in 1952 and became the Catholic church in the growing Wanaka township until 1985, when it was replaced by a new church. It was to be demolished, but a Cardrona valley resident purchased it at the original price it was sold for and had it transported back up the valley to its current resting place on the Cardrona Hall reserve.