South Perth Civic Centre, Library & War Memorial

Statement of Significance

The City of South Perth Civic Centre complex has aesthetic, historic, social and representative cultural heritage significance. Opened in 1960, the building was a fitting symbol of the newly acquired City status which the City of South Perth gained in April 1959. It continues to be the hub of civic life for the City of
South Perth.

Physical Description

The setting:
The City of South Perth Civic Centre complex is located diagonally across the corner of Sandgate Street and South Terrace. An open levelled site, the Ernest Johnson Reserve, adjoins the rear of the complex. The levelling of the Civic Centre site has resulted in a fall from the street intersection towards the Ernest Johnson playing fields to the west. The difference in levels has been taken up by the building, with a lower floor of the linear complex at the playing field level separating the public access to the civic buildings off grade at the upper level. The twostorey Hall building, with the Main Hall at the upper level and the Lesser Hall at the lower level, is at the southwestern
end, with the Library next and the Administration Offices at the north-eastern end. The Memorial Garden is at the south-eastern corner of the site.
Construction materials:
The predominant materials include salmon coloured pressed brick masonry with painted, pressed cement brise soleil block panels set flush with the painted reinforced concrete frame, with some sections of rendered and painted concrete frame as reveal linings containing metal framed curtain wall elements. Some pink hued exposed aggregate panels complete the architect’s original palette. The roof as a design element has generally been subjugated by means of a low pitch. The various roofs are corrugated zincalume, apparently of a recent
replacement phase. The entrance paving and pedestrian forecourt is square pre-cast pressed cement slabs. Some of the natural finish slabs have been replaced with mono coloured brick paving which is intrusive.
The Library was extensively altered and extended in 1994 such that little or no original visible fabric remains. In the Administration Building, the Council Chambers appear original, with jarrah furniture and wall cladding,
with textured render over, and a fine blackbutt parquetry floor in the ante Chamber. The Administration Offices have been altered and little fabric remains.
The War Memorial and Memorial Garden has a grey granite obelisk reminiscent of that in King’s Park, but smaller in size. The Memorial is also set across the diagonal of the intersection, the rose garden areas being delineated by Toodyay stone, and brick paving, with grassed areas and a stand of flagpoles.
Condition of the original fabric remaining in 1999 was good and the level of integrity is moderate. Much of the fabric was modified, renewed and exchanged during the office renovations and additions which took place between 2004-06.
The additions to the Civic Centre Halls and Library involved the almost complete demolition of the Library, and replacement with new materials. The outer walls of the Halls were retained, but the interior was modified
considerably.

History

The first library for local children was founded in the South Perth district in 1945 and, after much debate and deliberation, plans for a South Perth public library for adults were drawn up by 1959. The Murdoch Library was opened in 1960 by Sir Walter Murdoch, well-known former Professor of English at the University of Western Australia, and local resident. The Library was part of the City of South Perth Civic Centre complex constructed in 1960, comprising a Council Chamber, City Offices, a Library and two City Halls. However, by
1964, the Library was considered to be too small and inadequate according to State Library standards and a second Library was built in Manning in 1964 to supplement the main branch.
In 1955 South Perth had the status of Road Board, having been ‘demoted’ from Municipal status in 1922. In 1955 it was proposed that South Perth revert to Municipal Council status. The reversion was gazetted in 1956 and plans for a Civic Centre were drawn up. In 1959 the Council petitioned the Governor to declare the Municipal District of South Perth a City, and this was approved in April 1959.
The City of South Perth Civic Centre complex was opened in December 1960. It comprised a Council Chamber, City Offices, public Library, and two City Halls. After fifty-five years of use, the 1904 Road Board Offices were no longer used for Council administration and were leased out for private use over the following thirty years.
During the years, the original Administration building was periodically modified and expanded as the size and needs of the staff housed in the building changed and increased. The first of these occurred in 1974 with alterations and additions to the offices. The Library underwent additions in 1978 with further alterations and additions to the lower ground floor of the Library in 1982. Major two-storey additions to the Administration building occurred in 1988 at the rear of the building overlooking the Ernest Johnson Oval, at the same time
creating expanded undercroft garaging for the City’s fleet vehicles.
A War Memorial had been built at the corner of Labouchere Road and Angelo Street in 1923 (Refer Pl No. MPt 16 - War Memorial), but the traffic noise and noise from the zoo proved to be problematic. To alleviate the problem, a War Memorial and Memorial Gardens were built in the grounds of the Civic Centre in 1988.
In 1993, the Library was further extended, a portico was added to the Administration offices and Council Chamber entrances, and further major internal changes were made to partitioning of the offices. A key change
to office operations was the amalgamation of separate departmental front counters into a single service desk in a central foyer area. The garage undercroft was converted into staff lunch rooms and a training/meeting room.
In 1995, the City’s 1955 works depot at the eastern end of the street block bounded by Thelma Street, Ryrie Avenue and Blamey Place was demolished and the land subdivided into housing lots. A new small street in this subdivision was named in honour of a former City Engineer of over 33 years with the City, Max Forman.
In 1994, a new administration building and operations centre had been constructed on the southern side of Thelma Street, and the whole of the City’s operations department (including engineers, works, parks and environment staff) relocated from the Civic Centre to the new Thelma Street offices.
Between 2000 and 2002, the City underwent a change in political and administrative procedures, resulting in further restructuring. Multi-million dollar renovations and expansions to the Administration building and
Council Chamber during 2004-06 also occurred. Architects James Christou and Partners were commissioned to design these improvements. One of the main elements of this project was a major refocus on community interaction and service, which saw the creation of a dedicated Customer Focus Group, and a security-separated public reception area, a Concierge/receptionist, a semi-secure counter for the cashiers, introduction of a Call- Centre, introduction of several community publicity and liaison officers, and dedicated customer meeting rooms in the front foyer.
The same upgrading program included a complete internal redesign of the layout and fit-out of the administration office, with expansion of the City’s records and archive areas on the lower level, and the introduction of a lift to assist in carrying records between the administration level and the archives. The
Council Chamber was also enlarged and modernised, with a greater seating capacity for an audience, and better audio and visual electronic facilities.
As part of this process, the City’s Rangers relocated to the recently acquired South Perth Police Station site, continuing its role in community ‘policing’.
In 2009, the City embarked on its next stage of upgrading, involving the City Halls and the Civic Centre Branch of the Walter Murdoch Library at the Civic Centre. The architect of the works was Peter Hunt and the project manager was the City’s Director, Financial and Information Services, Mike Kent. During this project, Library functions were temporarily dispersed to the Manning Library and the Mends Street Police Station building. The City’s Rangers were again relocated for this purpose. The nominated builders, Badge Construction, took possession of the Civic Centre buildings in August 2009. Work concluded in January 2011, with the ‘new’ buildings being opened to the public the following month.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Condition

Fair-Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.