The foundation stone of the Norwood Town Hall was laid by Thomas Caterer JP, Mayor of Kensington and Norwood on 28 September 1882.
At the same time another stone was laid listing the Councillors and Town Clerk of Kensington and Norwood.
Opening of Norwood Town Hall
The Hall was formally opened by His Excellency the Governor at noon on 30 July 1883.
The services of the Norwood company of volunteers were called into requisition, the Military Band, by permission of the Colonel-Commandant, was present, bunting was liberally displayed, and the population turned out
With the Governor, there were also included on the platform Sir Henry Ayers (President of the Legislative Council), the Hon T Playford and the members of the Kensington and Norwood Corporation. [Ref: South Australian Advertiser 31-7-1883]
EXTENSIVE ADDITIONS
The important ceremony of placing in position the foundation stone of what is claimed to be the “largest and best-equipped'' town hall in South Australia was performed at Norwood by the Mayoress (Mrs H J Holden) on Saturday afternoon.
In September 1882, the original building, to which the present scheme marks a material and costly addition, was started, the corner stone being placed in position by the then Mayor (Mr Thomas Caterer). The property is a valuable one, and cost about £10,000. Since its erection marked progress has been made by the municipality, and the demands of the people have far outgrown the available accommodation there during the past 32 years. The outcome has been the adoption of a proposal for improvements to the extent of about £13,000, and the work is well in hand.
In 1913 Mr E H McMichael, architect, was instructed to prepare plans and specifications, which were submitted to the ratepayers and approved on September 8 that year. At the same time the council was empowered to declare a special rate of 2d. in the pound, and did so, and, on January 24, 1914, a poll was taken and the council authorized, to borrow £13,000. The contract. was let to Messrs. Milburn and Jeffery, of Adelaide, for £11,050. The work is to be completed in July next.
The new hall proper will have a floor space of 78 ft by 75 ft and the height to the centre of the curved ceiling will be 35 ft, and on the sides 27 ft. Behind the proscenium there will be a stage 45 ft by 52 ft, with 10 dressing rooms in three rows on the west side, and four rooms and scene dock and property rooms on the eastern wing. The proscenium will be 29 ft by 18 ft in the clear. The orchestra will be in a “pit” and will not obstruct the view of the audience. Provision is made for a dress circle and gallery overhead. The total seating accommodation will be 1,600, against 500 in the old room.
The hall is being built over the present one, and will extend several feet wider on both sides, where piers will be erected to carry the walls. At the rear new premises, separated by a lane from the old hall, are being erected for the caretaker. There is to be a sliding roof, which may be operated from the stage. [Ref: Register 9-11-1914]
On Tuesday night the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs H J Holden) invited several hundred ratepayers to come along to the official opening by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Henry Galway), and loud were the exclamations of praise on all sides as the guests realised that at last they had a hall second to none in South Australia for the perfection of its appointments and the excellence of its acoustic properties.
The completed structure is a triumph, for the architect, Mr E H McMichael, and those who carried out his design, and is characterised by the good taste of simplicity.
His Excellency went on to the stage, and declared the hall open, and wished it every success.
As a prelude to the initial entertainment, Herold's "Zampa" overture, as well, as other excellent numbers, was played by the Tramways Military Band, under Mr Christopher Smith.
At the conclusion of the programme the Mayor and Mayoress entertained at supper His Excellency the Governor, the Premier, Sir Edwin Smith, the municipal officers and their wives, the performers, and a few others. [Ref: Mail (Adelaide) 4-9-1915]
In 1847 Norwood was laid out as a township comprising sections 260, 261, 276 and 277 and was name after the village in London.
From its earliest days it attracted a number of progressive residents who embraced egalitarian ideals and advocated for universal suffrage and for responsible self-government.
On the 7 July 1853, Kensington, Norwood and Marryatville were incorporated into the town of Kensington and Norwood – the first Municipal town proclaimed in South Australia outside the City of Adelaide. The new established Town of Kensington and Norwood held its first council meeting on 5 December 1853, at the ‘Gold Diggers Arms’ now the Norwood Hotel. Distinguished civil servant and explorer Charles Bonney (1813–1897) was elected the first Mayor through the process of a secret ballot, the first such ballot conducted in South Australia’s electoral history.
In 1859 growing civic pride led to the building of the first Town Hall in South Australia on the south-eastern corner of The Parade and George Street diagonally opposite the present Town Hall. Designed by Charles Perry the single-storey town hall style was classical in form with a colonnaded entrance.
Over the next two decades the Town of Kensington and Norwood rapidly developed into a civilised and genteel urban society. The municipality contained some of the best private and public school, musical associations, sporting clubs and literary societies. In 1878 philanthropist Sir Edwin T Smith introduced the first suburban horse-drawn tram service in Australia running from Adelaide to Kensington along the Parade.
In 1882 the Town of Kensington and Norwood Council decided it was time to build a new Town Hall. The Mayor Thomas Caterer and councillors guaranteed a loan of 10,300 pounds to fund the project. Designed by prominent architects Ernest Bayer and Lathan Withall the building was grand in appearance with classically arched windows, ornate pilasters and parapets balance by an imposing tower. The Town Hall was officially opened on 30 July 1883 by His Excellency the Governor Sir W C F Robinson KCMG.
The town hall contained civic offices, mayor’s parlour, council chamber and a ‘Grand Hall’ but it also had a suite of rooms for commercial leasing. One famous tenant was artist and teacher James Ashton (1859–1935) who conducted his premier art school where Sir Hans Heysen (1877–1968) learnt his craft. In 1889, on a visit to England, Sir Edwin T Smith purchased a magnificent gas fired illuminated clock for the town hall which necessitated raising the tower.
In 1914 the town of Kensington & Norwood Council led by Mayor Henry J Holden, founder of the famous car manufacturing business, voted for the addition of a magnificent new concert hall at a cost of 13000 pounds. Designed by architect E H McMichael, and cleverly constructed over the existing Grand Hall, it seated 1600 people and was the largest performance venue of its type in South Australia. Among the most famous performers to grace the stage of the Concert Hall were Australian opera star Dame Nellie Melba, the popular musical star Nellie Stewart and internationally renowned Australian singer Peter Dawson. The Concert Hall was used as one of the main venues for the Adelaide Festival of Arts in the 1960s and continues to play a significant part in the city’s cultural life.
Ref: Norwood Town Hall story board text by Denise Schumann, City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters.
