Glebe Town Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glebe Town Hall
Glebe Town Hall, following its restoration, in 2018.
General information
Type	Government town hall
Architectural style	Victorian Italianate
Address	160 St Johns Road, Glebe, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Coordinates	33°52′57″S 151°11′06″E / 33.8825°S 151.1850°E / -33.8825; 151.1850
Construction started	1879
Completed	24 June 1880
Renovated	1889–1891 1988–1989 2008–2013
Client	The Glebe Borough Council
Owner	City of Sydney (current)
Design and construction
Architect	Ambrose Thornley
Main contractor	Sanbrook and Sons
Renovating team
Architect	Otto Cserhalmi and Partners (1988) Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (2008)
Renovating firm	Stonehill Restorations Pty Ltd (1988)

The Glebe Town Hall is a famous old building in Glebe, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It stands at 160 St Johns Road. This important building was finished in 1880. It was designed by an architect named Ambrose Thornley in a style called Victorian Italianate.

For many years, from 1880 to 1948, it was where the local council, called the Glebe Municipal Council, met and worked. After 1948, it became a place for the community, managed by the City of Sydney. Later, it was looked after by the Municipality of Leichhardt for a while. However, since 2003, the City of Sydney has been in charge again.

The City of Sydney Council spent a lot of time and money restoring the building between 2008 and 2013. Today, the Glebe Town Hall is listed on the heritage register of the City of Sydney. This means it's a special building that represents the history of local government in Glebe.

Building the Glebe Town Hall

When the Glebe Municipality was created in 1859, the local council first met in a hotel. A few months later, they moved to a house that the Chairman, George Wigram Allen, let them use. Then, they rented a small building to be their official Municipal Chambers.

In July 1879, the council decided to build a new town hall. They approved a design that would cost £5000. The new building was planned for a great spot where St John's Road, Mount Vernon Street, and Lodge Street meet. The design was created by a well-known local architect, Ambrose Thornley.

The Town Hall was finished and opened on 24 June 1880. It had a clock on top, which was a gift from Sir George Wigram Allen. The Mayor, Thomas Dunn, officially opened the building.

Newspapers at the time praised the new Town Hall. The Sydney Morning Herald said it was "the finest building of the kind out of the city." The Evening News also noted how good the building was. They said it was "not only ornamental, but useful and substantial." They also said the work showed "the highest credit upon Mr. Thornley."

In 1889, the Glebe Council decided to make the Town Hall bigger. They wanted to add a smaller hall, a meeting room, and new Council Chambers. Ambrose Thornley also designed these new parts, keeping the same style. These additions were built on the Mount Vernon Street side of the building. On 19 February 1916, a special plaque was put in the Town Hall's entrance. This "Roll of Honour" remembered the Glebe residents who died during World War I.

Later History and Restoration

The Town Hall continued to be the main office for Glebe until 1948. At that time, the Glebe Municipality joined with the City of Sydney. The City of Sydney kept the hall open as a community center.

In 1968, the Leichhardt Council took over the building due to a change in boundaries. In August 1984, different environmental groups met in the hall to start the Greens New South Wales political party.

In June 1988, a fire damaged the main hall, especially the central staircase. Leichhardt Council made big repairs to the hall. Architects Otto Cserhalmi and Partners oversaw the work, and Stonehill Restorations builders carried it out. The repairs were finished and shown to the public in September 1989.

The hall stayed under Leichhardt's control until 8 May 2003. Then, another boundary change moved large parts of Glebe and Forest Lodge back to the City of Sydney.

In 2008, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, ordered a major restoration of the building. A well-known architectural firm, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, led these works. The restoration was completed and unveiled by Mayor Moore on 2 March 2013.

The big restoration included many improvements. They put on a new Welsh slate roof and fixed damaged parts of the building's top. They also brought back the original natural air system. A system to collect rainwater was added, which is used for a new garden. This garden was created for the endangered local Blue Wren.

The back of the town hall was also changed to add a new lift and fire escape. This made all levels of the building easier to access. During the restoration, workers found special plaster carvings on pillars in the main hall. These carvings used an Italian technique called Sgraffito. They are similar to designs found in the Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Venice church. These are now some of the few examples of this technique left in Sydney.

When the hall reopened, Mayor Moore said that the restoration had made the building a "sustainable community venue with modern facilities." She also noted that the hall's "elegant rooms" had hosted many important events throughout Glebe's history. These included wartime dances, concerts, debates, and political meetings. She hoped the hall would continue to be enjoyed by the community for a long time.

Gallery

• 

  Town Hall photographed by Sam Hood on 21 May 1935, on the declaration of the seat of Glebe for the state election.

• 

  Glebe Town Hall in the 1980s

• 

  Members of the newly launched Greens NSW party on the front steps in August 1984.

• 

  The Town Hall in 2007, prior to the restoration