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BALLARAT’S CIVIC HALL by Earl Martell

allarat’s Civic Hall was first proposed by plans, and it wasn’t until 1951 that the Council finally got underway on the new Civic Hall,
Bthe Ballarat City Council in 1936, after finally approved plans for the new hall that which would occupy a 7.5 acre block on what
the huge Coliseum Theatre burnt down, would replace the aging Royal Prince Alfred was previously the Haymarket Reserve at the
leaving the South Street Society without a Hall, which itself had replaced the 1850s corner of Mair and Doveton Street.
permanent home. World War 2 put a halt to Adelphi Theatre in 1867. In 1953, work
The hall was completed in 1956 and opened
on 20 August. On that day, Ballarat Mayor Cr.
Callow, described the Alfred Hall as being
tired and dilapidated, and he closed and
locked the creaking front door for the last time
before officially opening the Civic Hall with
the claim that he hoped it would “stand
throughout the history and future life of the
city, to serve its cultural needs”. In his
opening speech, he said that the Civic Hall
was probably the most costly and largest, and
perhaps one on the most necessary works the
municipality had carried out. He said that it
was not built as a theatre, but as an all-purpose
building with a flat floor auditorium and a
raked stage. Cr. Callow dedicated the hall “to
the glory of God and to the service of the
people of Ballarat”.

In all, over half a million cream coloured
bricks were used in the construction of the
Civic Hall, sourced from the local Selkirk
Brick Company, along with 250 tons of steel
girders brought up from Melbourne and put in
place without the use of cranes!

32 CINEMARECORD # 92