St Kilda Town Hall facts for kids
The St Kilda Town Hall is a large and beautiful building. It looks like a classic old city hall. You can find it in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, at the corner of Brighton Road and Carlisle Street.
It was first built in 1890. Back then, it was meant to be the main office and public hall for the old City of St Kilda. Over the years, many parts of the building were added or changed. It became a very important place for the community.
In 1991, a big fire caused a lot of damage, especially to the main hall and the art inside. But the building was fixed up and even won an award for its new design! After some local councils joined together in 1994, it became the main office for the larger City of Port Phillip. The hall is still a popular spot for many events, meetings, and shows, just as it has been for over 120 years.
History of the Town Hall
The St Kilda Town Hall was built to replace an older building from 1859. The spot for the new hall was chosen in 1887. A famous architect named William Pitt designed it. His design was very fancy, in a style called Second Empire.
The building opened in 1890, but it wasn't finished. Only the main hall, the front part, and the Carlisle Street wings were built. The brick walls were left plain, and the grand entrance (called a portico) and tower were not built yet. In 1892, a large pipe organ was put into the hall. A big economic problem in the 1890s stopped any more building work for many years.
In 1925, the large classical portico was finally added to the front. This is the grand entrance you see today. Inside, a beautiful new staircase was also built. Even though people call it the Town Hall, the sign on the portico says "City Hall."
The other brick walls of the building stayed plain until 1957. Then, they were covered with a smooth white finish. In 1939, a new Council Chamber was added. This room, where local leaders meet, was built in the popular Art Deco style. Later, in 1971, a modern addition was made on the Carlisle Street side.
The 1991 Fire and Repairs
Early on a Sunday morning in April 1991, a fire badly damaged the main hall. The beautiful decorations, the organ, and many artworks were lost or hurt.
The office parts of the building were quickly fixed. A company called ARM Architecture was chosen to restore the hall. They also added a new entrance on the Carlisle Street side and offices at the back. This work was finished in 1994.
The hall was not fully restored to its original look. Instead, a new ceiling was put in, and the hall was divided into two parts. Some of the old plasterwork was repaired, while other parts were left as they were after the fire. This special repair work won two awards in 1995.
More building work happened in the 2000s on the Carlisle Street side. This was finished in 2008. The glass wall that had divided the hall was removed, making it one big space again.
The Town Hall has a lot of open space around it. There are wide lawns and a circular driveway leading to the grand front steps and entrance.
A Busy Community Hub
The St Kilda Town Hall has always been a busy place for the community. It has hosted many different events over its long history.
In the 1930s, during a tough economic time, people who didn't have jobs came here to pick up donated food. In 1958, over a thousand women met the Queen Mother for morning tea in the hall. In 1972, a big political meeting for former prime minister Gough Whitlam was held here.
For many years, the hall was a very popular place for ballroom dancing. This was a favorite hobby for many people. The dancing stopped for a while when the hall was divided in 1994, but it's now back to being one large space.
The building also played a part in sports history! For the 1956 Summer Olympics, the St Kilda Town Hall hosted the fencing events.
Today, the main hall, other rooms, and even the Council Chamber can be booked for events. This means the building is still used a lot by the community. In 2015, the hall was also the place for the popular St Kilda Short Film Festival.
