Balmain Town Hall Refurbished

THethe balmainassociation1 1 1ESiPeninsulaincorporatednews sheetVo l 4 4 N o 2 I s s u e 3 11 F o u n d e d N o v e m b e r 1 9 6 5 J u n e 2 0 0 9B a l m a i n To w n H a l l R e f u r b i s h e dr I ihe heritage listed Balmain TownI Hall has been extended and-1- refurbished to improveto the front and side of the building.The large fig trees have been retainedlibrary facilities, whilst retainingand there is now a shaded courtyardarea accessible from Darling Street andfrom the Library.heritage features. The Town Hall wasbuilt in 1887-1888. as part of theBalmain Civic group of buildings. Thethe official opening by the Mayor ofLeichhardt Council took place on Monaccessibility and to pro\ ide modemStage 1 has now been completed andarchitect was EH Buchanan who was16 March 2009.also an alderman on the BalmainAttendees were taken on a lour of theCouncil. The main stmcture is a two-new library and meeting roomsstorey Victorian lialianate building ofbrick and stucco with plasterdecorations. The comer tower used tohave a large dome which was takendown during World War II Ibr safetyfollowed by tnorning tea. As well as theusual library facilities, there is now acomputerised history section, a newmeeting/reading room for teenagers anda new storage room on the first floor.reasons.Inside the 'new' LibraryResources have been expanded with thepurchase and installation of a publicaddress system, projector and screen.To support improved sound, advice wassought from an acoustic specialist. HisBalmain ceased being a municipality in1948 when it was amalgamated intoLeichhardt Municipality. The lastMayor to preside over Balmain Councilrecommendation for curtains to reduceand control distortion has beenimplemented. For the main hall to bewas Richard M O'Connor. On 10 Decfunctional, further work needs to be1948 the Balmain Council held itsu n d e r t a k e n . B a l m a i n To w n H a l lfarewell ball, the proceeds of whichCommittee has received a request fromthe Mayor. Councillor Jamie Parker, fora list of urgent items to be submitted toCouncil for consideration as fundingfor Stage Two is not available. Heexpressed support for an upgrade offacilities to complement the work thathas already been undertaken. Editorwent to the Red Cross and 'The MissAustralia Quest'.Official openingComments so far on the renovationshave been positive. There wasIn 1909 - 100 years agoparticular interest in the modemartwork windows in the new children'sarea. Council is to be congratulated onthe fine results. Community response tothe colour scheme, changes to thelibrary and foyer has been enthusiasticNewly refurbished Town Halland as use of the facilities increases,Leichhardt Council undertook tofull appreciation of the improvementswill be possible. Already a number ofrefurbish the Town Hall in 2008 with aplan of undertaking work in two stages.The first stage of work was theextension and refurbishment of thelibrary, provision of a lift to the mainhall on the first floor, upgrade of themeetings and other events have takenplace in the renovated building,including the March Ordinary Councilmeeting, the first Council meeting totake place at the Balmain Town Hallsince the refurbishment.Montague South from Post OITicc TowerIN THIS ISSUEPage1BalmainTo w nHall2 & 3 Ro/elle Heritage, Metro andMeeting Room and installation ofThe second stage of the refurbishmentDe\elopmeni Update4 Sydney Heritage Fleettoilets with disabled access. Exteriorincludes maintenance for the main hall.5It needs urgent attention so that thevenue can realise its full potential.6 & 7 Heritage Walk 1. Editorialpainting was also included.Landscaping work has been completed8JohnWhat'sBoothonattheWatchHouse

Heritage Rozelle NeighbourhoodMetro to Terminate History?A Metro station is proposed by theState Government for Rozelle Junction.English Gothic style. The same firmalso designed the adjacent rectory thatDarling Street and Victoria Road.was constructed in 1882 in VictorianThere is a cluster of heritage buildingsfiligree style.the adjoining St Paul's PresbyterianChurch, which opened in 1904.Rozelle still has a Masonic hall,erected in Victorian classical style inin that location that should be1888. The hall's elaborate facadepreserved. In the mid-1950s, toenable the widening of Victoriaincludes a canopied life-size statueof Minerva, whose left hand holdsRoad, Rozelle lost a swag of builtup the beacon of learning for theheritage that stoodbetween Darling Street and Terryenlightenment of nearby residentsand the bustling pedestrians ofStreet and faced Victoria Road.Darling Street's northemThe landmark While Bay Hotelthoroughfare. On the southwestside of Darling Street there standswas destroyed by fire last year.What remains of the built heritagej- the former fire station designed byshould be retained.Walter Liberty Vernon in a stylethat evokes the domestic arts andWhen, in 1914. Dr J J C Bradfieldc r a f t s m o v e m e n t f o r w h i c h Ve r n o nplanned a rail link connectingMillers Point to Petersham, viaRozelle Post Officeis famed.The 2008 rebirth of the formerthe Balmain Peninsula, the "Weston[Victoria] Road" station was to beA spacious 1906 St Joseph's CatholicMechanics Institute in Victoria Road aslocated near the Belmore andChurch with its distinctive French-a conservatorium of music is aWhiticombe Streets' intersection,inspired fleche dominates theadjacent to the former tramwayssoutheastern side of Victoria Road. Stpurpose of this 1907 building, whichelectrical substation in Hancockwas the advancement of useful arts.Street. Notifications of plannedJoseph's presbytery in nearby QuirkStreet is styled in free Victorianresumptions were issued to affectedGothic, possibly by local architect andmostly as a haven to a mouldyfreeholders at that time. A secondalderman, James McDonald. Thestation, "Callan Park", was planned forAnglican rectory and Catholiccirculating library which was houseddownstairs and shady habitues whoRozelle's border with Lilyfield.presbytery are two of the fewpatronized the upstairs poolrooms.Other of Rozelle's historical buildingsThe following is an extract from myoutstanding residences erected inRozelle during the late colonial periodonline Dictionary of Sydney entry onthat have escaped demolition or20''' century rail-sidings and wheatRozelle. With the exception of Stalteration.Joseph's Catholic Church andThe public school which John HorburyIsland reclamation displaced thePresbytery, together with the formerwelcome return to original edifyingThe building's previous life washave not siu 'ived. The earlysilos constructed on the GlebeHunt was invited to design opened inEdmund Blacket-designed abattoirs,Masonic hall, all other items are1878. William Edmund Kempwhich were demolished in 1915. Theclustered around the area where aextended the original wing in 1884removal in the mid-1950s of an entireRozelle Metro station would likely belocated. The online entry reads:In spite of the stigma of an ugly slum,Rozelle was blessed with a small butremarkable collection of publicand, under the hand of James Svenrow of imposing heritage buildings onWigram. it was extended again in1901. In 1961, the school's Horburythe northwest side of Victoria Road forHunt wing survived an arson attacktowered Rozelle Post Office, designedthat destroyed much of the building'sby Vernon and built in 1893-4, thea wider carriageway took the ornateroof and flooring but left its fabric andoriginal weatherboard St Paul's (1876),buildings. The oldest of these is StThomas's Church of England, designedstructure undamaged. Using a freedesigned by McDonald. Alexandermedieval style, local alderman andby Blacket and Sons in 1874. This wasbuilt, and later extended, in an earlyarchitect Edward John Bowen designedElphinstone's 1882 manse

-1- refurbished to improve accessibility and to pro\ ide modem library facilities, whilst retaining . 1 B a l m a i n To w n H a l l 2 & 3 Ro/elle Heritage, Metro and De\elopmeni Update . Before its demolilion c 1955