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ADELAD~E ,OUTCROWS .H IT OTHES~
.Larger Town Hall Required
NEW I?VIC CENTRE SUGGESTED
•·· .i:. :" :NEW CETRE:. ;:
.~.~.·::.:.(By Our Special Representative)
Adelaide has outgrown its Town Hall. Opened id 1866
when: the population of the metropolitan area comprised
40,000 to 50,000 people, in 1923 it is totally inadequate to
cope with a metropolis embracing 270,329 people.
Our Town Hall can accommodate 1,548. Launceston, with
a population of 24,318, boasts of a Town Hall which will
seat 3,000.
Wrapped up with the question of a new Town Hall, which
must come, is that of a new civic centre. -
It is doubtful whether a suitable struc
ture, together with the buildings required
to house the officers of the Adelaide City
Council could be erected on the present
site. It is bound by Government offices
on the south and by Eagle
Chambers on. the north. It has
been urged in some • quarters
that an attempt should be made to
establish a civic centre on North terrace
east, and that the Corporation should try
to secure Government House Domain for
the purpose. Originally that area was
part of the park lands,. and when no
longer required for its present purpose it
is only fitting that it should revert to
the City Council.
What finer site could there be? Cen
tral, convenient, and with spacious
grounds facing magnificent frontages ,to
Kiig William street and North terrace,
it is considered that civic headquartedrs
woithy of the Queen City of the Southl
could be placed there. What is more,
there would then. be no need for the for
bidding wall which apparently is neces
sary in the eyes of the authorities to;
eilrrnllnd lip vip?rp.il rpEidpncp.
Mr.I H. P. Beaver (Town Clerk of~
Adelaide) declares that while the present
site has many advantages, if it were
possible tu acquire a location equally
accessible which wouldpermit of a build
ing being placed in more open surround
ings it would be prferable to rebuilding
the present Town Itall.
"Our Town Hail," he says, "should be
placed back from the street, with open
approaches which would give full effect to
its architecture."'
SHotel Not Dignified
Mr. Beaver's remarks are significant.
Experts say that architecturally there rs
no fault to find with the facade of the
Adelaide Town Hall, but hemmed in as
it is it presents ' cramped and far from
Imposming appearance.
Further,.a hotel a a-civic adjunct, no
matter how admirably it may be con
ducted,. is neither dignified nor in keep
ing with Adelaide's municipal pile. Cer
tainly it may have proved pro1Tablhe, but
the same could have been ,,id of a
grocer's establishment. A pounds, shil
lings and penc. outlook is unworthy of
the subject and not in keeping with the
aesthetic ideals of civic.fathers prepared
to-spend -thousands of .pounds in beauti
fying the city.
The town acre on which the hall and sur
rounding council property stands was ac
quired for 12/. Its unimproved value now
is £65,000.
Something Must Be Done
Mr. Lewis Cohen (Lord Mayor) asserted
that sooner or later something must be
done in the matter. He said that al
though the removal of the Tow-n Hall,
was not. in the mind of the council at
present, it was apparent that the city
fathers would soon have to consider sern
ously the advisableness of increasing the
accommodation. That could be done, he
thought, by removing the organ, taking in'
the banqueting room as part of the main
hall and erecting a modern banqueting
hall.
Mr. Cohen admitted that Government
House domain would be an excellent site
for a new Town Hall, but added, "The
grounds have been so lon, under the coln
trol of the Government that I am afraid
it would not part with it readily for muni
cipal purposes."
His Lordship considers that the time is.
ripe for the replacement of the Town
Hall organ by a modern instrument.
The present organ was installed in
1877, being first used at the swearing-ini
ceremony of Sir Wililam Jervois (Go
vernor) in 1877.
"Our organ has served a fine purpose,"
said Mr. Cohen, "but today it is not of
the standard required by the third city of
the Commonwealth."
No Scheme Considered
Mhr. H. P. Beaver also explained that the
question of a new Town Hall had beeni
reierred to from time to time when the
need for an adequate structure had been
made apparent. The council, however,[
had not yet considered any scheme.
"There can be no doubt." he said, "of
the necessity for.a new and enlarged hall,
which has to serve the city and the me
tropolitan area. Not only that, but the
question of providing additional accommo
dation for the council's staff probably will
have to be gone into in the near future."
Col. T. H. Smeaton was emphatic that
the time was ripe for the authorities to
make a move toward the establishment of
a new civic centre.
"Like a boy, Adelaide has outgrown
its clothes," he remarked. "The city re-'
quires a hall as big as that at the Exhibi
tion Building, which cannot be regarded as
a permanency. The day will come when
it will have to be absoibed, probably for
University purposes.
"Our Town Hall block was not intended
to be a money-earning proposition. It is
a civic centre to house the council's offi
cers. and to provide conveniences for' the
citizens in general. It is doubtful whe
ther the present Town Hall buildings
could be so adapted to give all that is
necessary today. It could be done. per
haps, but at enormous expense.
"It might be profitable to offer to the
Government the whole of the .property,
which, with comparatively little altera-,
tion. coild *be made useful for many Go
vernment 'departments. In exchange the
Government could give the corporation a
site on which could be placed municipal
buildings sufficient for a century to come.
Government House domain could be that
site."
Adelaide has not yet 'reached the limit
of its growth, but it is getting near, it.
The park lands are so situated that the
city. proper cannot extend and its civic
requirements, therefore, will be limited
by the possibilities of its size.
"Ideal Location"
"It would be wise, to dedicate to the
city such an area as will enable Adelaide
to establish civic headquarters in keeping
with the status of our beautiful capital."
Sir Frank 'Moulden (a former Lord
Mayor) said ft had been suggested some
time ago that the council should endea
vor to secure Government House domain
as a site for a civic centre.
"It woulc'I he an ideal location," he
said, "for a beautitiful hall and munici
pal buildings. which would prove a
wonderfu:l addition' to the terrace. I!
am averse, hdwever, to the Governor
heing removed from a site which is so
convenient, 'and has such historic asso
ciations.
"The present Town Hall is too small,
2,nd if there be no hope of ever getting
Government House domain, the ques
tion is whether the council should not
embark on a reorganisation of the
civic buildings by taking in Eagle,
Gladstone, and Queen's Chambers. At
the same time w" should consider the
advisableness of providing entrances
from' Pirie and Flinders streets.
"I thir:l: the expense of enlarging it
by taking in the banqueting hall would
be unwearranted, considering' the ad
vantages to be gained. The trouble is
that the roof of the banqueting hall is
lower than that of the main hall."
Sir Frank added that it was a poor
advertisement for a city that part of
its municinal buildings should consist
of an hotel.
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