Reinventing the Town Hall

The town hall is often at the civic heart of a town, and in regional areas it would make sense for this place for community congregation to prevail, yet in many regions the influence of these buildings has waned. Along with the privatisation of the postal service and the repurposing of banks, our regional communities (like the cities) have lost many of the civic buildings that originally served them.

Historically the town hall was seen as a place for the decision makers’ orations, for musical and dance performances, debutant balls and the waltz, fundraising events, perhaps a pipe organ, emergency relief, protests, elections and free speech. Town halls located in NSW grew in number but then often filled with administrative functions, over flowing into other buildings and limiting community use. Later, in the mid-20th century many sat idle, looking for a new use after local government areas were merged and centralised.

Two halls recently looking to reinvent themselves are Maitland Town Hall and Lismore City Hall. Both places are regional centres, both on a river with a history of destructive floods and both amalgamated with neighbouring areas then proclaimed as a city, Maitland in 1945 and Lismore in 1946.

MAITLAND TOWN HALL

In the late 19th century the West Maitland Municipal Council advertised a design competition for a centennial hall, attracting thirty-five entries. These were judged by George McRae (Sydney Town Hall) and John Hennessy of Sherrin and Hennessy, Sydney. The winners were two young men from Oakhampton, near Maitland, James Warren Scobie and Arthur C. Lee who had formed a partnership in July 1888. The Maitland Mercury described the design for the town hall as, “Italian Classic … a noble edifice … and has an aspect of solidity, being in general treatment and detail of the pure Corinthian style of architecture…”.

Like all long-serving community facilities the Maitland Town Hall underwent change, additions and alterations. It suffered from flood damage and had several interior alterations. The adjacent ambulance station to the west was demolished for the new administration building, 1981-2 designed by McKenzie and Associates of Newcastle (once Thelander, Deamer & McKenzie of Maitland and Newcastle¹) This Brutalist structure was set back from and apart from the original building, but connected to it at first floor level by a concrete and glass walled bridge.²

In 1890 the hall was licensed for public entertainment and proceedings, the stage was finished in 1891. A wide range of cultural and social events made it a focal point for West Maitland and its hinterland.³ Since those years the hall has hosted Dame Nellie Melba in 1909, Paderewski, Nellie Stewart in 1911, boxing in the 1930s, Maitland Repertory Society, the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society, dance and supper nights, vaccinations, flood relief, flower shows, public meetings, vaudeville, choirs, Meals-on-Wheels and politicians including Edmund Barton in 1898 and Robert Menzies in 1961. ⁴

The council chambers are still used by council for regular meetings and the smaller ancillary rooms are in regular use by community and training groups. The town hall has a flat floor auditorium with a moderate sized stage, regularly hired for use as a dance hall, function, exhibition space, school exams, ceremonies, assembly room and occasionally as a performance space. The auditorium floor is a rare surviving example of a fully sprung timber floor, excellent for dancing.

The current project to upgrade the auditorium and performance space is a collaboration between the council and the Government Architect’s Office, who also have provided specialist heritage services. It is being funded ($2 million) by the NSW Government through the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund. The scope for the auditorium includes the stage house upgrade for safety, equipment upgrade and improved ease of its operation, new rigging over the stage, lighting, curtains and limited make-good refurbishment of heritage interiors. This project is nearing completion. The aim is to attract performing arts events, improve flexibility for the use of the space, all helping to maintain a valuable community asset and enhance its commercial viability. Having the new, very successful Maitland Regional Art Gallery across the street will help.

LISMORE CITY HALL

In 1960 the Stocks Park site was selected for the Lismore City Hall and Douglas G. Board of FJ Board & Son (Douglas) was chosen to design it. At the time of tender Mayor Alderman C J. Campbell demonstrated how things had changed since 1928 when he reassured the rate payers, saying “the proposed building would not be magnificent by any means, but it would not make extravagant use of the people’s money.” Then later balancing it with “there is little doubt that in this building we have the nucleus for the future cultural development of Lismore and its people.”

Local journalists tried to be positive. “The exterior has been kept almost severely plain… to avoid a ‘box’ appearance for the large building, all ground level walls have been recessed 11 feet to form colonnades.” The entry was made more interesting with the inclusion of a high level 81 ton folded slab canopy, referred to in the newspapers as a fluted portico. The new Lismore City Hall opened in January 1965.

The lower level interior finishes were robust, anticipating a flood. However, upstairs the foyer and auditorium featured vertical meranti wall lining with maple plywood rectangular panels and north coast hardwood parquetry floors. From the Opening Day Booklet we can note the pride: the building’s “acoustics were given expert treatment”, it was air conditioned, the main auditorium could seat 845 with 80 extra if required, the space below could sit 256, or 208 at tables and 80 in the theatrette, beside the Refreshments Kiosk. The Mayor forecast “Balls, Stage Productions, Orchestral Concerts, Ballet, Conferences, etc”, noting that there was a grand piano and specialised stage lighting, including cyclorama. The booklet also expressed regret that “Council, on the grounds of cost had to abandon its intention to construct a full stage house”. The good news came from the Minister for Lands and Member for Lismore who reassured teenagers that they “could perform the current dance craze -the stomp – without fear of stress to the structure”.