Goondiwindi Civic Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goondiwindi Civic Centre |
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Goondiwindi Civic Centre, 2012
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| Location | 100 Marshall Street, Goondiwindi, Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Built for | Goondiwindi Town Council |
| Architect | Addison & MacDonald |
| Architectural style(s) | Modernism |
| Official name: Goondiwindi Civic Centre, Council Chambers, Town Hall (Civic Theatre) and Shops | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 9 July 1993 |
| Reference no. | 600531 |
| Significant period | 1930s; 1950s? (fabric) 1930s-1980s (historical, social) |
| Significant components | kitchen/kitchen house, auditorium, tower - clock, office/s, shop/s, council chamber/meeting room |
| Builders | Thomas Charles Clarke |
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The Goondiwindi Civic Centre is an important building in Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia. It is a town hall that also includes council offices and shops. This building is located at 100 Marshall Street.
It was designed by architects Addison & MacDonald and built in 1937 by Thomas Charles Clarke. The centre is also known as the Council Chambers, Town Hall, and Civic Theatre. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 July 1993 because of its special history and design.
Contents
History of the Goondiwindi Civic Centre
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre has a Town Council Chambers, a Town Hall, and shops. These parts are all connected by a shared front design. Architects George Frederick Addison and Herbert Stanley MacDonald created the design. Thomas Charles Clarke built the centre in 1937. A government minister, Mr. Ned Hanlon, officially opened it in 1938.
Funding and Purpose
The building was constructed with help from the Queensland Government. They provided a loan of about £10,333 and a grant of £5,167. The money earned from renting out parts of the building helped the council pay back the loan. The loan was fully paid off by around 1953.
The new centre replaced older council buildings. These old buildings were not safe for public use. It also replaced the School of Arts building, which was in poor condition. The new Civic Centre was seen as a very impressive building for Goondiwindi. It showed how much the local council wanted to improve the town.
Changes Over Time
The Council Chambers part of the building was changed inside in 1987. It also had an extension added at the back.
The Town Hall section was used as a movie cinema for many years. This was from about 1950 until 1978. After that, it was used only sometimes. A new community centre was built in Goondiwindi in 1990. This new centre now handles most of the events that the Town Hall used to host.
The front of the building, which connects the Council Chambers and the Town Hall, has not changed much. This includes the shops. In December 2015, the centre was reopened after a big upgrade. It cost $5 million and was renamed the Goondiwindi Regional Civic Centre.
What the Goondiwindi Civic Centre Looks Like
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre is made up of several single-story buildings. They are built from masonry (like brick or stone) and covered with a smooth finish. The roofs are made of corrugated iron. All these buildings are connected by a special front design. This front has an Art Deco style and a flat top edge called a parapet.
The complex includes:
- The Council Chambers at one end.
- A row of four shops next to it.
- An auditorium (a large hall for events) behind the shops.
- A kitchen area attached to the auditorium.
The Main Front Design
The front of the building uses cream-colored smooth finishes and smooth cement. Vertical lines are highlighted in a rose color. This design clearly shows the different parts of the civic centre and their entrances.
The Council Chambers is the most important part of the front. It has a large entrance with stepped edges. Above this entrance is a tall, elegant clock tower. You can see this clock tower from most places on Marshall Street. The clock tower connects to the simpler flat top of the shops next door. A metal awning hangs over the shops. The front of the shops is decorated with small mosaic tiles. The entrance to the auditorium is similar to the Council Chambers entrance but smaller. It is located between two of the shops.
Council Chambers Entrance
The entrance to the Council Chambers has a special panel design. It is shaded by a curved concrete awning. Above the entrance, there is a beautiful Art Deco stained glass window with geometric shapes. Decorative vertical lines rise above the entrance. They continue past the flat top to form the corners of the clock tower. The clock tower has a square clock face, a shingle-tiled roof, and a weathervane. You enter the Council Chambers through four etched glass timber doors. When the building was updated in 1987, much of the original silky oak and walnut wood details were restored.
Shops and Auditorium
The shop fronts have patterned ceramic tiles below their display windows. A thin band of decoration runs above the doors and windows. One of the shop windows still has its original wooden shutters at the back. The underside of the awning has a pressed metal design with geometric patterns.
You enter the auditorium through a passage between two shops. The entrance has stepped edges and vertical lines that say "Town Hall." The auditorium is a simple rectangular room. The stage is at the southern end. The room is richly decorated in blue and rose colors, also in the Art Deco style. The walls are smooth and have plaster decorations. The floor is made of hardwood.
The walls have special stepped pillars and plaster panels. These panels have geometric patterns that include the letter "G." The walls have alternating timber double doors with decorated steel grilles. They also have windows with steel grilles that look like fountains. Some of these grilles have been partly covered, but they still allow air to flow through. Large, crystal-like stained glass lights are placed between the openings and on either side of the stage. A single, larger crystal light is in the center of the ceiling. The ceiling has a gridded pattern and arrow-shaped vents. The edges of the ceiling slope at an angle and have a decorative border with diamond shapes. The proscenium (the arch around the stage) has a gently stepped design. It is decorated with plaster designs of stripes and scrolls. The stage area has small storage and dressing rooms on either side. The wooden roof structure above the stage is visible. The Art Deco design inside this auditorium is very impressive and still looks original.
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre is a public building used for many different things. Its Art Deco front is a very well-designed part of the building. It shows off the different uses of the building. It also makes the street look more interesting and the clock tower is a local landmark.
Why the Goondiwindi Civic Centre is Important
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 July 1993. This means it is considered a very important historical place.
History of Queensland
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre shows how Queensland's history developed. It is a good example of how civic buildings (buildings for local government) were built in the 1930s.
Special Design and Beauty
This building is important because it shows the main features of the Art Deco style. People in the community value its beautiful design:
- The Art Deco front is very well designed. It clearly shows the different uses and entrances of the building.
- It makes the street look much nicer.
- The clock tower is a well-known landmark in the area.
- The Art Deco design inside the auditorium is impressive and has beautiful details.
Connection to Important People
The Goondiwindi Civic Centre is strongly connected to the work of Brisbane architects GF Addison and HS MacDonald. They were important in designing public buildings in Queensland.
