Australia Hall is a former entertainment

hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

in Pembroke,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, which was built by the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross Society in 1915. The building burnt down in 1998, and only its roofless shell remains today, awaiting redevelopment.

History

Australia Hall was built by the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross Society as an entertainment venue for wounded soldiers of the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...

who were being treated in Malta during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The hall was built in November 1915, and was officially opened on 22 January 1916 by Governor Paul Methuen. The hall could accommodate up to 2000 people, and it was used as a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

, and also included a

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

. The building was subsequently used by the

Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ) is a company created by the British government on 9 December 1920 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. It runs c ...

, and it also served as a

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

after 1921. Australia_Hall_plaque_on_façade

In 1978, the British military vacated Pembroke, and the hall became property of the Government of Malta. A year later, the building was transferred to the

Malta Labour Party The Labour Party ( mt, Partit Laburista, PL), formerly known as the Malta Labour Party ( mt, Partit tal-Ħaddiema, MLP), is one of the two major political parties in Malta, along with the Nationalist Party. It sits on the centre-left of the p ...

in exchange for some property in Marsa. In 1996, the hall was listed as a Grade 2 National Monument by the

Malta Environment and Planning Authority The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA, mt, L-Awtorità ta' Malta dwar l-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar) was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning ...

. The building burnt down in December 1998, possibly in an

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wate ...

attack. The fire destroyed the hall's roof and interior, but its roofless masonry shell is still intact, although it has been vandalized and its walls are covered in graffiti. Australia Hall ruins

In 2010, the Labour Party was taken to court since it did not keep the hall in good condition, as was agreed upon in the 1979 contract. The charges were dropped in October 2013, when the Labour Party was in government. In 2014, the Labour Party sold the hall and some surrounding land to A. H. Development Ltd for a sum of €582,343. This amount was described as "grossly far off the current market price" by property agents, and the sale of the building has been described as controversial. This has resulted in a court case, with the Labour Party appealing that it is exempt from paying the tax on the sale. It is estimated that the Australia Hall together with the surrounding gardens are actually worth €5.5 million. In 2016, Australian High Commissioner Jane Lambert called for Australia Hall's restoration, and she is in contact with the building's owners, discussing possibilities for how to develop the site. There are plans to destroy the flora and fauna around the Australia Hall to build a massive embassy for China. The move promoted criticism amongst residents and the general public for the take over of the open space which is owned by China. 19,000 sq metres will be developed and closed to public access. The mega project will be out of context of the historic environment of the Australia Hall. Richard Ellis, Australia Hall outside.jpg Richard Ellis, British troops at Australia Hall.jpg Richard Ellis, Servicemen at Australia Hall.jpg Richard Ellish, Australia Hall, Penbroke.jpg

References

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External links

Australia’s unlikely WW1 history in Malta where ANZAC troops enjoyed respite, recreation and rehabilitation
News.com.au Pembroke, Malta Buildings and structures completed in 1915 ANZAC (Australia) Theatres in Malta Cinemas in Malta Categpry:Former cinemas Burned theatres 1998 fires in Europe Ruins in Malta Modern ruins Controversies in Malta Fires in Malta