Geelong City Hall is a civic building located on Gheringhap Street in central
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
. It was originally built for the
City of Geelong
The City of Geelong was a local government area about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1849 until 1993.
History
Geelong was the second municipality in Victoria, ...
, which became the
City of Greater Geelong
The City of Greater Geelong is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and, had a population of 271,057 as of the 2021 Australian census. I ...
in 1993.
Construction
The land for the
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
was first acquired by the council in 1854. Two acres (0.8 hectares) in size, it was on the corner of Little Malop and Gheringhap Streets. A design competition was held, with 12 entries being received. The winning entry was submitted by a Melbourne
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
Joseph Reed.
The cost was estimated at 34,533 pounds ($69,066), it was decided to only build a single southern wing along Little Malop Street. The foundation stone was laid on April 9, 1855 by the then-Mayor Dr William Baylie. The wing was completed soon after.
Expansion
The single southern wing remained alone until the early 1900s. Suggestions were made to move the Town Hall to another site, with a referendum being held in 1914 proposing the council move to the former
Geelong Grammar
Geelong Grammar School is a private Anglican co-educational boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located in Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay.
Establish ...
building on Moorabool Street. This proposal was defeated, with the original design being completed, opening in June 1917. It remains today, with minor additions at the rear.
References
*Peter Begg (1990). ''Geelong - The First 150 Years''. Globe Press.
Footnotes
{{coord, -38.1472, 144.3575, type:landmark_region:AU, display=title
Buildings and structures in Geelong
Neoclassical architecture in Australia
Town halls in Victoria (state)