The Sign will be out and the Balloons and streamers will be up:

Come and Join us to celebrate the 59th Anniversary of the opening of the Civic Hall at the Foyer this Thursday 20th August.  Here Studio will be open as usual from 12-7pm and we encourage all the community to visit the foyer and view the 10 concepts as the consultants are preparing to narrow them down to 5 concepts during phase 2 of the Community Participatory Design Process.  It is important to have your say so please participate.

You can view this amazing celebratory cake and at 5.00pm we will cut the cake and you can help us eat it and wash it down with a complementary drink to toast the Civic Hall’s past and it’s future service to the Community. 

Image is owned by the Central Highlands Library

Thursday 20th August marks the 59th year of the opening of The Ballarat Civic Hall in 1956. The very same day the lock was turned for the very last time on the Alfred Hall (Now Big W) which was considered beyond repair and later demolished.  A procession took place from the closure of the Alfred Hall to the opening of the magnificent Civic Hall.  Mayor Callow led the procession.

Plans for the Civic Hall were formulated in 1939 but were unable to be implemented until after World War 11 due to financial constraints and manpower as the war consumed all resources.  It is a great testimony to the strength and persistence  of people of Ballarat that they did not give up and were determined to have a Civic Hall to replace the doomed Alfred Hall.

Long serving City of Ballarat Councillor, Herbert Leslie Coburn  left a lasting legacy in Ballarat for his achievements on Council, teaching at the School of Mines  and in his well respected Architectural business .  His architectural prowess and vision led to the erection of many fine public and residential buildings in Ballarat and the Western District.  

The Civic Hall was his Crowning Glory…unfortunately he did not live to see it open on the 20th August 1956, he was admitted to a hospital in Melbourne and  died that same year in September.  

We honour his memory and vow to save his wonderful Civic Hall!

It is only two weeks until our fabulous The People’s Hall- Civic Hall… From Early Concepts Future Possibilities Exhibition  opens at The Backspace Gallery on Thursday 4th June until Sunday 21st June.   We are amazed at the wonderful variety of items that such generous people have been willing to loan for the exhibition and also the assistance from an incredible number of groups and individuals …it just goes to show the enormous  community support for the Civic Hall.

The exhibition will show both sides of the argument as not everyone shares our point of view and the exhibition has to reflect the community as a whole.  Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your neighbours….The exhibition is FREE!!

The Civic Hall Tours:

People were amazed at the interior of the Civic Hall and more amazed at the Lower Civic Hall which has not been seen by the public since its closure.  The two halls are integrated by Coburn’s clever and unusual  design of fitting the Lower Hall underneath the stage of the main auditorium maximizing the use of the undulating land.  The upstairs which leads to the Long Room and Dress Circle is so iconic and forms the Art Deco facade seen from the front of the Civic Hall,  the carpet is in excellent condition as is the embossed ceiling of the main auditorium.  Most of the  beautiful light fittings are still intact.

Both Halls have been the target of graffiti and vandalism over the years but the structures are robust and solid as they were built on a steel frame and built to last.  The tour showed  no evidence of structural damage or cracking of the plaster.  With re-fitting of toilets, kitchens, disabled access and the usual restorations associated with an older building, there is no reason why the halls could not be useful to the community once more.  

It is all up to us as a community to send a clear message to Council and attend the Open Door Studio and tell Here Studio staff what we like or do not like about the 10 concepts that have been developed following the 1st phase of the Community Design Process.  The Save Civic Hall Group advocate the full retention of both the Main Hall and the Lower Hall for community use.

The Open Door Studio is open for the 2nd phase of the process:

9.00am -5.00am Tuesdays

12.00 noon – 7.00pm Thursdays

1st Saturday of the Month 9.00am -1.00pm

The Art Deco Walks

The Art Deco Walks were as popular as ever and participants were delighted to be able to go into the foyer and see inside the hall.  The rain held off for the walks .  Robin Grow explained the significance of the Civic Hall and gave an insight to designer, Les Coburn’s work as an architect.  We were also educated on the progression of architecture moving from the Victorian Era to Art Nouveau and then into the Art Deco and Modernist period and the reasons for the progression.  Very informative!…we look forward to Robin Grow returning for next year’s Heritage Weekend.