Curtin University of Technology (School of Mines Museum)

Parent Place or Precinct

01273 Chamber of Mines Building

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

School of Mines Museum is a fine example of the Federation Academic Classical style. The architectural massing of the building, the delicate detailing, and the bold and rich facade provided by the portico, creates a pleasing visual character and exhibits a sense of conservative robustness appropriate to its use as a museum. The building is an important element in the streetscape of Egan Street. (Criteria 1.1, 1.3) School of Mines Museum is aesthetically linked to the adjoining School of Mines (1903) and the adjacent Chamber of Mines (1899). The buildings are large, single-storey structures with red brick walls with contrasting rendered or stuccoed treatment. Although School of Mines Museum and School of Mines are now physically linked, each building remains distinguishable by its three-dimensional form and scale. The consistent use of red bricks and contrasting stucco and render work, provide a unifying theme to the campus complex and adjoining Chamber of Mines. Collectively the buildings contribute to the aesthetic qualities of the streetscape and townscape of Kalgoorlie. (Criterion 1.4) The form and materials of School of Mines Museum are common to civic, educational and commercial architecture in Western Australia as the State prospered and developed following gold discoveries at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in the early 1890s. (Criterion 6.1) The Federation Academic Classical style of School of Mines Museum, enhanced by the use of a roof lantern and the bold and rich facade provided by the portico, is representative of the work of Hillson Beasley, Chief Architect of the Public Works Department. Statement of Significance: School of Mines Museum has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place is a fine example of the Federation Academic Classical style. The building mass, delicate detailing and bold and rich facade provided by the portico, and enhanced by a grand roof lantern, creates a pleasing visual character; - the place is aesthetically linked by the consistent use of red bricks and contrasting stucco and render work to the adjoining School of Mines (1903) and the adjacent Chamber of Mines (1899); and, - the place is representative of the work of Hillson Beasley, Chief Architect of the Public Works Department.

Physical Description

The museum is a single-storey building, built as a subdued example of the Federation Academic Classical style (Apperly et al, 1989: 100-103), that addresses Egan Street. School of Mines Museum, and is 'L'-shaped in plan with the main wing of the building orientated east-west. Attached behind the main wing (approximately 9.7 metres wide x 22 metres long) at the eastern end is a smaller wing (approximately 9 wide x 18 metres long) that extends the building southwards. The building partially wraps a paved and landscaped internal court that is terminated on the west side by a timber-framed, weatherboard clad structure (training room). The main wing (museum, Room 2) of the building is a tall rectangular structure with a ceiling height of approximately 6 metres, and with a medium-pitched, corrugated galvanised iron covered roof with hipped ends. The attached wing behind is a much lower building with a roof that is also pitched but is not attached to the main roof, and abuts the rear wall of the main building. The roof of the main wing features a continuous lantern along the apex of the roof covered in corrugated galvanised iron. The lantern contains ribbon windows with fixed sashes. The roof of the main wing overhangs the exterior walls by approximately 500 mm and has exposed eaves gutters. The building facade is symmetrical about the entrance portico. The portico, with painted stucco work, is a dominant element of the facade in size and detail. The portico contains a slightly elevated porch with an archway forming the opening which is supported on painted stucco piers. The piers are treated to resemble banded rusticated stonework. The top of the piers and walls of the portico are carried up in brickwork and is crowned with a narrow, entablature with a triangular pediment above. The piers either side of the archway have delicate mouldings at the springing points of the arch. The arch is also defined with mouldings. The pediment bares the name of the building, 'Museum', in painted relief work set against a rendered background. The interior of the porch is in matching brickwork with painted stucco that mimics the piers. The exterior walls are in face red brick in English bond on a painted masonry plinth. The facade has a vertical proportion with the height of the walls broken by rendered string courses and two continuous, horizontal bands. Windows are narrow and tall with double-hung sashes divided into four panes with slim glazing bars. The stuccoed work gives the facade a richness and boldness. The colours and textures of the stuccoed work and the red walls with contrasting horizontal bands create visual interest. The building was designed to accommodate an addition at the rear at the west end. The addition was designed as a separate, parallel and identical wing to the existing north-south wing, approximately 3 metres apart, thereby forming an internal court. The rear (south) wall of the main building has straight joints in the exterior brickwork left for future arches and a future doorway. The fenestration on the east and west walls are shorter than those on the facade and the openings on the south wall of the main wing have semi-circular arched heads. School of Mines Museum, the adjoining School of Mines and the adjacent Chamber of Mines are aesthetically linked. The buildings are large single-storey structures with red brick walls with contrasting rendered or stuccoed treatment. Although School of Mines Museum and School of Mines are now physically linked, each building remains distinguishable by its three-dimensional form and scale. The consistent use of red bricks and contrasting stucco and render work provides a unifying theme to the campus complex and adjoining Chamber of Mines. The architectural massing of the School of Mines Museum, the delicate detailing and the bold and rich facade provided by the portico, creates a pleasing visual character and contributes to the streetscape of Egan Street. Together with Chamber of Mines and School of Mines, School of Mines Museum contributes to the aesthetic qualities of the townscape. The form and materials of School of Mines Museum are common to commercial architecture in Western Australia as the State prospered and developed following gold discoveries at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in the early 1890s (Apperly et al, 1989: 100). The interior of the building comprises a single-room display hall (main wing) and two small offices with a lecture room at the rear of the north-south wing. Access to the offices and lecture room is through the display hall, with direct access to the lecture room and Room 4 at the rear of the building. The roof of the main wing is supported on exposed timber Queen and Half Queen trusses. The roof trusses and clerestory, with a patterned embossed metal ceiling, are features of the interior. The clerestory is vented through the ceiling to the outside via circular vents with metal cone-shaped cowls. Identical geometric motifs emboss the metal ceilings to the porch and Rooms 3 and 4 that contrast with the floral motif ceiling in the display hall and lecture room. A third pattern can be seen in the ceiling of the airlock. The interior has wide timber floorboards throughout that are laid the length of the rooms. Interior walls are painted brick with decorative wall vents and simple timber skirting boards. The display hall features heavily moulded timber window and door architraves and a cement rendered dado to a height of approximately 1 500 mm. The dado is delineated in the rear wing as a wall groove. The east, west and north interior walls of the display hall are in stretcher bond, and the south interior wall is in English bond. Continuous moulded timber picture rails are around the main room at approximately 2 400 mm, 3 250 mm and 5 000 mm heights. Picture rails at two levels continue through to the rear rooms. Paired interior doors are timber panelled with original brass door furniture. Exterior doors are ledged and braced. The building features elegantly designed timber fittings comprising heavy display cases with carved timber bases and glass tops and side panels. The display cases comprise two table bases along the north wall, five wall cases along the side and rear walls, and four island cases that are evenly spaced down the centre of the main room. The fittings also included benches, shelves, a lecture table, small tables and a blackboard. Some benches, the lecture table, small tables and the blackboard are missing. Pendant lights with 'coulee' shades and metal rods are suspended from the roof trusses. Wall and table cases are illuminated by wall mounted fluorescent light fittings. The overall character and detailing of the building are largely intact. Major alterations that have been carried out to the place include the demolition of the step and removal of the original gates from the porch, the construction of a timber framed airlock to the main entrance (the timber work of the airlock is in matching style to original interior timber trims and doors), and the installation of lightweight partitions to Room 3 to create two smaller rooms.

History

Due to the increase in population during the gold rush of the 1890s, a period of prosperity was experienced in Western Australia and with it came an extensive public building program, major land settlements and increased demand for educational facilities. Many architects came to the western colony to seek work during these boom years either in the private or public sector, Hillson Beasley being amongst them. Beasley was one of the most qualified and experienced architects to join the Public Works Department of Western Australia (PWDWA) during the gold rush years, starting as a specification draftsman and becoming Chief Architect (1905-1916). During the period 1888 to 1897, chief architects of the PWDWA who were responsible for education facilities were George Temple Poole (Chief Architect 1885-1897), John Grainger (Chief Architect 1897-1905) and Hillson Beasley. School of Mines Museum was designed by the Public Works Department, under Chief Architect, Hillson Beasley. Hillson Beasley's Federation Academic Classical style, with a facade symmetrical about a well proportioned portico, can also be seen at the Midland Courthouse (1907). Although more decorative, the building is a simple, single-storey, rectangular-shape with an elaborate portico that dominates the facade in size and detail, with a wide semi-circular archway, flanked by two smaller archways supported on rectangular columns. One of the main features of Beasley's work is the use of Donnybrook stone that he incorporated into many of his public buildings, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth (1906), General Post Office, Perth (1906), Perth Police Quarters and Courts (fmr) (1905), and Parliament House (1902). The stone was a popular building material in the first half of the 20th Century; however, painted stucco was often used in lieu of the more expensive stone (Apperly, 1989: 100). Hillson Beasley used a similar style as the School of Mines Museum for the Art Gallery of Western Australia (Beaufort Street Wing, 1908). The building was designed to blend with the existing Jubilee Building (1896) and Government Geology Building (1902) on the site. This gallery also features a grand lantern which is supported by a series of timber arcades. The lanterns, which survive intact in the Art Gallery and Hackett Hall (1903), are fine examples of a new style of openness and light (Australian Heritage Commission Register Citation no. 16698). The subdued expression and large scale of School of Mines Museum is befitting a building for public access. The overall form of the main wing, and the building's original freestanding design, give the building prominence in the streetscape. The modern addition of the administration wing, diminishes the prominence of the building as the symmetrical disposition of the facade now appears confused.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Curtin University of Technology (School of Mines)

Parent Place or Precinct

01273 Chamber of Mines Building

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Assessment of Significance: School of Mines has some aesthetic significance for its contribution to the character of Kalgoorlie, as a turn of the century gold boom town. School of Mines demonstrates the very strong association of the mining industry with the history of Kalgoorlie, and the eastern goldfields. School of Mines is associated with A. E. Clarke, a prominent Victorian architect, who emigrated to WA in the late 1890s and practiced in Kalgoorlie. Equipment and exhibits in the School of Mines are likely to have scientific value, but they have yet to be fully assessed. School of Mines is identified by the community as being an integral part of Kalgoorlie and the eastern goldfields. School of Mines, an educational institution in the goldfields for ninety years, has a strong association with Kalgoorlie and the mining industry throughout Western Australia. School of Mines is representative of the establishment of the mining industry in Kalgoorlie and Western Australia. Statement of Significance: School of Mines has cultural significance for the following reasons: - the place has a strong association with the history of mining in Kalgoorlie and the eastern goldfields; - the place has a continuing educational association with Kalgoorlie and the mining industry in Western Australia; and, - the place has an association with A. E. Clarke, a prominent Victorian architect.

Physical Description

The Heritage Council of WA does not have a current assessment of the physical evidence of the buildings on site. It is known that some internal alterations have taken place, including the replacement of ceilings and light fittings. The degree to which these alterations have impinged on the heritage of the place is yet to be assessed, but there is no indication of major disruptive work.

History

In 1903, the School of Mines was completed on land adjacent to the Chamber of Mines Building. "The first week in October should see the completion of the Kalgoorlie School of Mines building, which is now being erected in Egan Street, next to the Chamber of Mines. It is a spacious structure with a frontage of 135ft. 2in. and a depth of 117ft. 4in., and when completed will be a handsome addition to the many big buildings in this city. In front there will be a verandah with a concrete floor 10ft. in depth and 76ft. in length. Then there will come the main entrance hall, close on the left of which is to be the senior laboratory, and on the right the secretary's office, lobby, lecturer', assistants', and directory rooms. The extreme right will be taken up by a class room, preparation room, lecture hall, and drawing office. These latter apartments, it is expected, will be completed and ready for use in about six weeks. On the extreme left side will be the furnace, assay, metallurgists' laboratory, laboratory assistants' and balance rooms, and at the back will be another balance room, lobby, and the caretaker's and class rooms. There is also space for central courtyard. Altogether there will be 16 fume covers, 11 melting furnaces, and six muffle and assay furnaces, and for carrying off smoke from these, a large chimney stack is to be built. A drainage scheme is provided for throughout. Mr. A.E. Clarke is the architect, and Messrs. W. and J. Park are the contractors for the work" (Western Argus, 7 July 1903: 16). According to Webb, "...there can be little doubt that the school owed its origin to the idea that the mining industry needed something more than hands-on training. Many of the school's promoters were the products of school of mines in Australia and overseas who already knew the value of a sound training. Although Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were for once united in opposing the location of a school of mines in Perth, the development of deep mining and the milling of new types of ores on the Golden Mile were making it increasingly obvious that if a school was founded it must be located in Kalgoorlie. Thus, when it was suggested that the Coolgardie exhibition building, constructed at government expense, would form an admirable place in which to house a school of mines, a controversy arose as to whether the school should be in Coolgardie, a languishing mining centre, or in Kalgoorlie, a burgeoning centre of mining with special needs for research and training in mining and milling, which was to rage for some years. Finally, as a compromise, when the School of Mines was opened in 1902 it was first housed in Coolgardie's vacated exhibition building. Two years later, the school was moved to Kalgoorlie when a new purpose-built Kalgoorlie School of Mines was formally inaugurated at an official ceremony on 25 March 1904. The Coolgardie building was used for a time as a technical school (1993, 569). The Western Australian School of Mines has been a branch of the Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University of Technology) since 1969.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Masonic Lodge

Condition

Fair to poor condition - roof requires replacement, joinery repair, stonework restoration. City advises: The Cottage (caretakers residence) at Masonic Hall, 26-28 Egan Street (corner Porter Street), Kalgoorlie was demolished sometime in the week beginning 18 April 2005, following a fire.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Masonic Lodge, a single storey Federation Academic Classical style of building of pink-coloured sandstone, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place makes a valuable contribution to the streetscape with its moulded exterior created by its central porch and classical mouldings, and its pink coloured ashlar walls; and, - the place is closely associated with the presence and activities of Masons amongst the rapidly expanding population of the eastern goldfields at the turn-of-the-century. A timber framed and ripple-iron clad, single-storey caretaker's residence situated adjacent to the lodge, and in poor condition, is considered to have low heritage significance.

Physical Description

Masonic Lodge is at the corner of Egan and Porter Streets and built in the Federation Academic Classical style (Apperly et al, 1989: 100-103). This style was used to express community wealth and prominence and is common throughout the goldfields which grew and prospered following the discovery of gold in the early 1890s. The building, rectangular in plan and sited perpendicular to Egan Street, is built on a rock-faced plinth and has a projecting facade bay. The form of the building is given as much importance as the facade and details. The building is constructed of pink-coloured ashlar stone capped with a painted stucco entablature and parapet which both extend across the facade. The parapet conceals a hipped roof covered with corrugated galvanised iron with vented gablets. The roof featured a lantern which is no longer extant (photographic evidence shows the turret existing in 1982). The building is symmetrical about a well proportioned recessed porch. This central porch dominates the facade in detail. The facade is articulated into three bays by pilasters that extend to the top of the parapet. The porch is elevated and flanked by Composite columns supported by stone pedestals. The porch is framed by pilasters that are decorated by rendered scrolls. The porch is highlighted by a decorative triangular pediment that crowns the parapet. The pediment contains a painted emblem of the masons. The emblem is set against a blue background that projects slightly forward of the pediment wall. Balls on pedestals decorate the parapet and the apex of the pediment. The height of the walls of the building are broken by string courses and two continuous, horizontal bands of stone at window sill and window head height. Window openings are heavily recessed, semi-circular arches with moulded stone reveals and surrounds. The interior of the porch is in matching pointed ashlar. Rendered bands continue from the exterior walls across the walls of the porch. The porch floor features tessellated tiles laid with a central pattern. The doorway has a timber panelled door and a high semi-circular fanlight with patterned glass. The entrance is protected by a pair of steel palisade gates. The interior of the building comprises a small hall with a metal ceiling. Much of the original detailing, fixtures, fittings and finishes remain intact, and are layered with the accumulation of Masonic paraphernalia over the last 90 years. A brick addition extends the building westwards (date of the addition is unknown). The addition is red fair-faced brickwork laid in Colonial bond. The addition is set well back from the original facade. The walls of the addition are strengthened with engaged piers. The addition conceals the openings on the west elevation of the original building. Window openings, in matching but simplified style to the original, are in between the piers. The roof of the addition is hipped with timber battened eaves, vented gablets (now boarded over), and metal roof vents. The roof covering matches the original building. A small office block further extends the west elevation. The addition covers the end bay of the elevation. The addition is in masonry blockwork, and has a lean-to roof and a sliding aluminium window. This addition does not match the style of the original building, nor the western brick addition. The brick additions have destroyed the symmetry and the massing of the building, thereby reducing its value as a fine representative example of its class. The window panes on the east elevation have been covered, the original doors on the east elevation have been replaced with metal doors, openings on the east elevation are protected by metal meshwork, and fanlights on the facade have been painted over. In 1996, the exterior of the building was inspected and the condition was considered fair to poor condition. The existing roof sheeting needs replacing, gablet vents are missing, stone and mortar have fretted at the base of the walls due to rising damp (bricks have replaced severely fretted areas), severely fretted stonework is evident on the rear wall, the joinery requires repair and repainting, and the stonework has been badly indented on the rear elevation. The caretaker's dwelling near the junction of Egan and Porter Streets, typical of modest goldfields bungalows, represents part of the housing development of the site, but is of little architectural merit in its own right.

History

Masonic Lodge is a medium-sized, single-storey rough-finished stone and iron building, constructed in 1899-1900, to provide meeting facilities for the growing number of Freemasons in the Kalgoorlie area. On 27 February 1900, the Grand Lodge of Western Australia was "regularly formed, assembled and properly dedicated to the work of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masonry ..." (Grand Lodge of Western Australia of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, 1950: 5). The formation of a Grand Lodge, local and supreme, marked the attainment of autonomous government in matters Masonic. The first Lodge in Western Australia was established in 1843. Growth was slow, until the 1880s when progress started to became more rapid. The increase in the number of lodges reflects the more prosperous conditions prevailing in the colony. The first impact of the gold discoveries boom also hastened the movement to establish lodges in the older settled areas. By October 1899, there were 35 lodges in existence, owing allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England. Both the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Lodges were formed in 1897 (Grand Lodge of Western Australia of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, 1950: 7). In May 1899, the Western Argus reported on the soon-to-be constructed Masonic Lodge: "Building operations are to be started forthwith in connection with the Kalgoorlie Masonic Hall, to be erected for the local masonic institutions in Egan Street close to Porter Street. The building will face Egan Street and will cover in all an area of about 70ft x 52ft. A set of ante-rooms, not exceeding the whole width of the hall, will project in front. The front portion will be ornamented with Corinthian pillars, flanking the central main entrance and will be in size 35ft x 16ft. Immediately on entering the passage the visitor will find an ante-room on both the left and right sides and beyond that, a wider vestibule. Further on to the right will be a lavatory and to the left another ante-room. Next will be a large lodge room 50ft x 32ft, and the roof of which is to be 16ft high. Beyond the lodge room will be the banquet room, 40ft x 16.5ft in size with a small storeroom attached. Stone pointed is to be used throughout the building, and the elevation is to be tastefully dressed in cement. A stamped zinc ceiling will be given to the lodge room. Jarrah will be used throughout for flooring. The walls will be furnished in plaster, with cement dado. Electric light is to be supplied to all apartments. Ventilation and light have been well provided for in the plans. In all respects the building should well meet the purposes it is intended to serve" (Western Argus, 25 May 1899: 21). The architect for Masonic Lodge was Harvey G. Draper and the successful tenderers were Messrs Hartsborn and Kell. The laying of the foundation stone was recorded in the monthly magazine of the Freemasons: "The annals of Freemasonry in this country have been greatly enriched by having added unto them a record of the brilliant ceremony that was performed ...on July 5 at Kalgoorlie. The occasion was the laying of the foundation stone at the Masonic Temple that the members of the Craft in Kalgoorlie are raising to the glory of the Great Architect and the purposes of Freemasonry. The event marks with emphasis the advance the colony of Western Australia is making, and in particular the well-being of our Order in the comparatively remote corners of the earth. The Temple, which is to be a handsome edifice of stone, is situated in Egan Street. For the present, the first storey will be completed. ... The rooms will be of lofty proportions and well ventilated. All the Lodges in the immediate neighbourhood have joined hands in financing the undertaking" (WA Freemasons' Magazine, 1 August 1899: 3). A timber framed and ripple-iron clad, single storey residence, was built adjacent to the lodge, to house a resident caretaker. The building is typical of the many temporary, lightweight, residences constructed in the goldfields. In 1998, Masonic Lodge continues to be used for its original purpose, although membership is in a state of decline. Significance: Assessment of Significance: Masonic Lodge exhibits a moulded exterior created by its central porch and classical mouldings. Together with its pink-coloured ashlar walls, the building makes a valuable contribution to the streetscape. (Criterion 1.1) [The brick additions have destroyed the symmetry and the massing of the building thereby reducing its value as a fine representative example of its class.] The construction of Masonic Lodge is closely associated with the presence and activities of Masons amongst the rapidly expanding population of the eastern goldfields at the turn-of-the-century. (Criterion 2.2) From the day of its opening, the place has been held in high regard by the local Masonic fraternity. Masonic Lodge is representative of the Federation Academic Classical style built for modest sized public architecture. (Criterion 6.1)

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair - Poor

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Kalgoorlie Railway Station

Parent Place or Precinct

25501 Red Post Boxes Group

Statement of Significance

the place forms a cultural environment in Forrest Street, Kalgoorlie, and terminates the northern vista along Wilson Street from Hannan Street; the place is a landmark on the Trans Australian Railway Line and contributes to the townscape and character of Kalgoorlie-Boulder with its significant aesthetic qualities; the place, is the only remaining, and continuously operating railway station on the Trans Australia Railway Line, in Western Australia. It demonstrates changes to the railway transport system from 1896/7 to 2001; the place is an example of the transport requirements of the Eastern Goldfields during the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia when large numbers of people, heavy machinery, ore and timber had to be moved to the fields by the most efficient means. The place illustrates the importance of the railway in the development of the goldfields and the resident population; the place illustrates the growth of Kalgoorlie as the administrative and transport centre of the Eastern Goldfields. The place was the junction of a major railway system during the gold boom era; the War Memorial is central to the northern vista along Wilson Street and has aesthetic value for the local community as the recognisable commemoration of those who served Australia during World War One. The memorial is associated with sculptor Pietro Porcelli and Major-General Sir Talbot-Hobbs, and is a focal point of the Anzac Day ceremony held in Kalgoorlie each year; and, the place, with its squared rubble stone construction in a vernacular style, and its prominent position, is highly valued by the Kalgoorlie- Boulder community as an identifiable built representation of the significant railway presence in the town since 1896 and as a large building with a major impact on the townscape.

Physical Description

Kalgoorlie Railway Station, comprising a stone and corrugated iron Station Building and Parcels Office in the Federation Arts & Crafts style, and War Memorial. A 1894 cast iron post box is located to the front of the station building

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Kalgoorlie Railway Station, comprising a stone and corrugated iron Station Building and Parcels Office in the vernacular style, and War Memorial, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place, is the only remaining, and continuously operating railway station on the Trans Australia Railway Line, in Western Australia. It demonstrates changes to the railway transport system from 1896/7 to 2001; - the place forms a cultural environment in Forrest Street, Kalgoorlie, and terminates the northern vista up Wilson Street from Hannan Street. It is a landmark on the Trans Australian Railway Line and contributes to the townscape and character of Kalgoorlie-Boulder; - the place is an example of the transport requirements of the Eastern Goldfields during the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia when large numbers of people, heavy machinery, ore and timber had to be moved to the fields by the most efficient means. The place illustrates the importance of the railway in the development of the goldfields; - the place illustrates the growth of Kalgoorlie as the administrative and transport centre of the Eastern Goldfields. The place was the junction of a major railway system during the gold boom era; - the place is believed to be one of the few remaining stone railway station buildings on the Eastern Goldfields line, and certainly the only one constructed of stone from the Ashlar Quarry in Kalgoorlie; - the War Memorial is central to the northern vista along Wilson Street and has aesthetic value for the local community as the recognisable commemoration of those who served Australia during World War One. The memorial is associated with sculptor Pietro Porcelli and Major-General Sir Talbot-Hobbs, and is a focal point of the Anzac Day ceremony held in Kalgoorlie each year; and, - the place, with its Ashlar stone construction in a vernacular style, and its prominent position, is highly valued by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community as an identifiable built representation of the significant railway presence in the town since 1896.

Physical Description

Kalgoorlie Railway Station (1896+); Station Building (1896+); Parcels Office (1900); War Memorial (1923) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is located within the railway reserve, three blocks north of, and parallel to Hannan Street, in the Kalgoorlie townsite. The building is located on a bitumen platform that extends east and west along the south side of the railway track. The railway reserve runs parallel with Forrest Street in Kalgoorlie. Wilson Street is terminated by Forrest Street and the railway station at its northern end. The station building is set back a considerable distance from Forrest Street and has a bitumen carpark and one-way access road. Central within the vista north along Wilson Street, is a War Memorial, surrounded by a fence. With a minimum setback to Forrest Street, the Parcels Office is located on the east side of the railway station building. Framing the west side of the railway station is a steel pedestrian overpass, and a row of railway houses in Forrest Street, set relatively close to the road, and opposite the railway station's Railway Institute. The station building is constructed of local stone, in warm mellow gold, pink and cream tones. Referred to as ‘Ashlar stone’, it was reportedly extracted from a local quarry owned by Ashlar. The stone in the original section of the building has recently been repointed after render was removed from the face of the stone. There is evidence of several periods of construction. Extensions on the east end (refreshment rooms) are constructed of a similar stone, although differences are obvious in the texture, face finish, size, laying pattern and workmanship. The stone is regular in form, particularly in the quoining around the window and door openings, and the arched headers over the openings. A concrete rendered plinth is in place around the perimeter of the building. The roof is clad with long sheets of colorbond sheeting in a custom orb profile, and fixed with tek screws. The roof has a low-pitched gable pavilion extending the length of the building, parallel with the platform, and is gabled at the east end. The south frontage (Forrest St) features a gable each end of the west end building’s verandah, a gable portico to the entry at the east end of the building, and a gable roofed monitor window extending parallel with the building, over the east end. There are two entries into the railway station building, the main passenger entry is central within the western section of the frontage, signalled by the clock mounted on the verandah roof. The second entry is at the east end, in the 1902 extension, signalled by a dominant gable roofed portico that extends beyond the building line. The door and window openings along the north (platform) and south (Forrest Street) frontages form a regular rhythm. Most of the windows are timber framed double hung sashes in single format, except those in a central position where the timber framed windows are six paned fixed windows with a three-paned arched fanlight. On the platform side of the building (north), similar windows are in the same positions as those in the south elevation. However, on the platform side of the building from the waiting room eastwards, all the windows have a timber infill panel below the sill. The panel infill features diagonal timber boards. On the arched windows the two separate panels have the diagonals meeting at the centre on the upward slant. On the south side of the building the sills are concrete. The main entry doors into the waiting room are a set of double panelled doors with glazed panels in the top sections, and a three paned arched fanlight above, similar to the arched windows. Directly opposite, another set of similar doors opens onto the railway platform. The doors throughout have six panels. All the doors have new hardware, and it may be that some doors are new material. The interior of the station building was completely refurbished in 1993. There is no evidence of any original fitouts or furnishings. The ceilings have been replaced with plasterboard and ceiling roses are in place. It is unknown if these are replicas of the originals. The hard plaster walls have been restored and repainted. In the waiting room, MDF panelled board forms a dado around the room to sill height. The counter is panelled timber with roller shutter screens. It is difficult to tell whether the architraves and skirtings are original or replicas. The patterned ceramic tiled floor is a result of the 1993 refurbishment. The rooms west of the waiting room are a series of small rooms, providing a kiosk, kitchen for the train crew caterers (Delray), storerooms and public toilet facilities. All except the storerooms have been refurbished. The offices east of the waiting room are a series of interconnected rooms with plasterboard lined partitioned spaces with matching skirtings and semi glazed flush panel doors, or full panelled doors. The office of the standard gauge infrastructure manager, Wesnet Rail Pty Ltd, located at the east end was also restored in 1993. The open plan area has moveable partitions. The roof structure is revealed and the monitor window further highlights the structure. Airconditioning ducts and fluorescent lighting are also suspended from the roof space. The roof structure is supported on engaged columns at regular intervals along the north and south walls. The platforms are bitumen with concrete returns along the railway line edges. There is evidence of many repairs to the bitumen, but it is in good condition. The platform extends to the east and west from the station building and these extensions have the appearance of an island platform. A second platform (south) at the east end of the station building is fenced along the railway line, and provides for carparking for railway employees. The main roof of the station building extends over the platform adjacent to the station building, which is supported by columns and functional four-way timber struts, and then extends east and west forming separate gable roofs supported by series of central posts. The timber posts are rectangular and tapered to the top, above a moulded timber detail. A number of the posts have railway line reinforcement each side. Every alternate post also has an original rainhead and downpipe angled in from the roof edge. There is evidence of termite damage in some of the posts. A free standing ticket booth is extant on the west platform. It is a timber framed and clad box like construction with glazed panels above the vertical tongue and groove dado lining. The entire booth has been painted, including the glazing. The Parcels Office, a separate building located in front of the station building at the eastern end, is timber framed and clad with vertical sheets of painted corrugated iron on the external walls and on the gable roof. The gable ends each have two horizontal sets of 4 timber-slatted vents. The western wall of the building is lined with sheets of vertical profile asbestos. The underside of the cantilevered boxed canopy along that side and the series of sliding doors are clad with vertical profile metaldeck sheeting. There is a concrete apron along the west side. There is a flat roofed extension across the south frontage on Forrest Street, and the area under the cantilevered canopy along the east side has been enclosed with vertical corrugated iron sheeting. The original 12 pane windows are double hung sashes in timber frames. There are vertical metal bars fitted on the interior. The more recent enclosure at the front has aluminium sliding windows with wire mesh fitted externally. The interior has concrete floor, and the ceiling is flat lined with asbestos sheets as are the walls. The original scales are extant, central on the north wall. A row of timber columns is in place along the centre of the building, in a line beneath the roof ridge. The area to the east of the building is fenced with galvanised mesh fencing extending along the Forrest Street frontage. A World War One memorial comprising stone plinth and bronze statue is situated in a central position in the station forecourt. The statue is enclosed within a decorative iron fence. Kalgoorlie Railway Station is in good condition. It has been used continuously since 1896 as a railway station and, although change has taken place to facilitate the continued function, there has been relatively minimal intervention to the original fabric. This includes the entire reroofing of the place and the 1993 restoration. The place has retained a high degree of integrity and moderate to high degree of authenticity.

History

Kalgoorlie Railway Station, constructed in ‘Ashlar’ stone and iron, was built in 1896 by railway contractors Wilkie Brothers. The place comprises a station building, covered platforms and parcels office. It has been extended and internally altered a number of times over the years, including extensions to the Refreshment Rooms in 1902. Kalgoorlie Railway Station underwent renovation and restoration in 1993. The discovery of gold at Southern Cross and the subsequent declaration of the area as the Yilgarn goldfield in 1888, has prompted the State Government to commence construction of a railway to serve the area. The line, known as the Yilgarn Railway, began at the head of the Eastern Railway at Northam (the name “Yilgarn Railway’ was replaced with ‘Eastern Goldfields Railway’ in 1899-1900 (WAGR Annual Report, 1900: 2), and included, at that time, the lines from Northam to Kalgoorlie, the Boulder Loopline Railway, and the lines from Kalgoorlie to Kanowna and Menzies). Before the line had reached Southern Cross however, the Coolgardie, and then Kalgoorlie, gold finds were made. The line to Southern Cross was opened on 1 July 1894, and tenders were called for the construction of the line from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. The Wilkie Brothers won the contract with a price of £64,000 compared to the next closest tender of £150,000. The Wilkies gambled on finishing the line quickly and then making money operating it until it was time to hand over to the Government. Handover time was set at November 1896 (Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 206; Le Page, n.d.: 221-225; Webb, 1993: 208-211). At this point, there was no intention to extend the line to Kalgoorlie, but the Kalgoorlie Miner and local mine owners and businessmen began a campaign to have the line taken the extra 24 miles. Plans were already underway to construct a branch line to Menzies, and both Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were vying to be the junction for this line and thus become the centre of the railway system and the centre of the eastern goldfields. One argument for the extension was that it would allow the import of heavy machinery for the opening up of deep mines on the Golden Mile (Wilson, 1977: 173; Webb, 1993: 208-211 and 288-293). In September 1895, a bill was passed to extend the railway line to Kalgoorlie. The Wilkie Brothers were contracted to immediately continue on when the line reached Coolgardie, which it did on 23 March 1896. The railway line reached Kalgoorlie on 8 September 1896. Included in the contract for the Eastern Goldfields line was the construction of railway station buildings, but the Wilkies had been so busy operating the line for maximum profit that almost all the ballasting and most of the station buildings and goods sheds were still to be constructed, including Kalgoorlie Railway Station. Official handover of the railway line was affected on 31 December 1896 (or 1 January 1897) (Note: various dates are reported for this handover depending on the source. It is not always clear what is being handed over, eg. section of line, entire line, station, etc. Dates can vary by months, but these two dates appear to refer to the station (sources are local histories, and ‘A Brief History of the Western Australian Government Railways, WAGR, 1975). The Government transferred staff to Kalgoorlie on 31 December ready to take up their new duties at Kalgoorlie Railway Station, but a report in the Morning Herald of 1 January 1897 stated that ‘in regard to the accommodation of the Government staff, it will take another fortnight at least before the new railway station is completed’ (Webb, 1993: 303; Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 238). In 1897, less than twelve months after the line was opened, it was reported in the Annual Report of the Railways Department that traffic to the goldfields ‘had largely increased’, and duplication of the line from Northam to Kalgoorlie was under consideration (Railway Department Annual Report, 1897: 19). In 1900, the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie duplication was underway, and ‘the completion of these works, and of the marshalling and new Goods Yard at Kalgoorlie will alleviate the severe strain under which the traffic has been conducted in the Kalgoorlie district’ (Railway Department Annual Report, 1900: 17, 19 & 36). The work done at this time included an overbridge across the station yard, which appears to have been replaced at a later date by a steel structure (Railway Department Annual Report, 1907: 72; physical evidence). No tender for the construction of the station buildings has been located in the West Australian Government Gazette, from 1896 to 1903, and no mention of construction of station buildings has been found in the annual reports, so it is assumed that Kalgoorlie Railway Station as existing is the building constructed by the Wilkie Brothers (with later alterations). A tender was called for extensions to the Refreshment Rooms attached to Kalgoorlie Railway Station in 1902. The plans located for this latter work indicate that Kalgoorlie Railway Station, as constructed in Ashlar stone, was in existence (Railway Department Annual Report, 1900: 17 & 19; West Australian Government Gazette, 1896-1903; plans of alterations to refreshment rooms, Kalgoorlie Station, WAGR EEL 6236/1, 1902). The Refreshment Room extensions considerably enlarged the facilities at Kalgoorlie Railway Station at the time. A roof over the platform was also added, and a cellar was added to the Refreshment Room bar in 1904 (Railway Department Annual Report, 1907: 72). The stone referred to as ‘Ashlar’ is reputed to have come from a local quarry owned by man named Ashlar (information obtained by Laura Gray during her physical inspection of the place). It was reported in 1900, that 80% of the traffic on the Eastern Goldfields line passed through Kalgoorlie. In 1904, there were 161 people employed at the Kalgoorlie Railway Yards, including forty-five in the Goods section, as compared to 431 in Perth and 239 at Fremantle (Railway Department Annual Report, 1904: 82). In 1920, decentralised control and supervision was introduced, with responsibility for the Eastern Goldfields line being transferred to Kalgoorlie (Railway Department Annual Report, 1902: 24). Kalgoorlie Railway Station has been extended and altered internally a number of times over the years, but few WAGR files have survived to document these changes. The traffic through the station considerably lessened after World War One when gold mining went into a decline. Later, road transport had an adverse impact on the place as it did on all rail services. A major change to Kalgoorlie Railway Station occurred when the standard gauge line to Perth was opened in 1968. Previous to this, passengers travelling between Perth and the eastern states had changed trains at Kalgoorlie, between the standard gauge line of the eastern states and the narrower West Australian gauge line. Following the construction of a standard gauge line through to Perth, Kalgoorlie Railway Station had less use and some of its services, including the Refreshment Room, were closed. All goods services were transferred to the West Kalgoorlie station at this time. It was suggested in 1975, that Kalgoorlie Railway Station could be renovated and restored, but the place received a coat of paint instead (A Brief History of the Western Australian Government Railways, WAGR, 1975; Maunsell and Partners, 1964; West Kalgoorlie and Parkeston amalgamation of Westrail and Australian National Railways operations, Westrail and ANA, 1984; WAGR File R5729: 1967-1976, WAS 1208 CONS 4780). Restoration and renovation work was carried out to most of Kalgoorlie Railway Station in 1993 (physical evidence and information obtained during physical inspection). In 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station is little used in comparison to its heyday. Two passenger trains utilise a small section of the long platform on a regular basis. The Prospector makes a daily round trip between Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the Indian Pacific passes through twice a week. Parcels Office Tenders for a railway parcels and luggage store at Kalgoorlie were called in April 1900 and awarded to George Smith the following month, at a cost of £1,2112.12.0 (West Australian Government Gazette, 6 April 1900: 163 & 25 May 1900: 850). This price would indicate a reasonably substantial building. A parcels office or luggage store is not marked on site plans of the early 1900s, but the current Parcels Office is on the site of what is referred to as the Cloak Room on the early site plans. The Parcels Office as existing is of similar size and shape to the early Cloak Room. They would appear to be one and the same building (WAGR File R5729: 1967-1976, Plan EEL 6501, 1903). In 1970, a report on the parcels office stated that it was too small and could not handle the parcels traffic at that time. (The parcels office only handled non-perishable goods, perishable goods being loaded direct from the platform.) Extensions to the parcels office, costing $14,650 were completed in 1972 (WAGR File R5729: 1967-1976; Site plan 61593, bituminised parking around Parcels Office, 1972). In 2001, the Parcels Office is no longer part of the railway station operations. The building is used mainly for storage and a small area is occupied as an office by the OKA representative for the region. War Memorial The War Memorial statue situated in front of Kalgoorlie Railway Station is similar to that at the Boulder Railway Station. Both are World War One memorials created by sculptor Pietro (Peter) Porcelli, and are the focal point of the Anzac Day ceremonies held each year. Both memorials were privately commissioned and are claimed to have been posed for by the same returned soldier (from HCWA Heritage Assessment, 4639, Boulder Station, Subway and Loopline; Keane, n.d.: 9-28). The Kalgoorlie War Memorial was one of three which depict figures of lions, the other two being at Yarloop and West Leederville. A description of the work reads: “Shields on the four sides of the sub-base bear the words, Gallipoli, France, Belgium and Palestine, with suitable heraldic devices. Marble figures of lions, in miniature, rest upon the buttressed corners of the base. Above the cap of the pedestal is the figure of an advancing Australian soldier of heroic stature. The granite pedestal was quarried from Bulla Bulling: the figure was cast in Italian bronze” (Keane, n.d.: 9-28). Porcelli was responsible for over a dozen war memorials in the years after World War One, as well as many other works which included the bust of Sir John Forrest, the statue of C. Y. O'Connor, an effigy of Bishop Kelly of Geraldton, the Lord Forrest Mausoleum, and headstones in Perth and Fremantle Cemeteries (Keane, n.d.: 9-28). Significance: Assessment of Significance: Kalgoorlie Railway Station, with its Ashlar stone construction in a vernacular style, and its prominent position, is highly valued by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community as an identifiable built representation of the significant railway presence in the town since 1896. (Criterion 1.1) The War Memorial is central to the northern vista along Wilson Street and has aesthetic value for the local community as the recognisable commemoration of those who served Australia during World War One. (Criterion 1.3) Kalgoorlie Railway Station forms a cultural environment in Forrest Street Kalgoorlie, and terminates the northern vista up Wilson Street from Hannan Street. The railway station is a landmark on the Trans Australian Railway Line and contributes to the townscape and character of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. (Criterion 1.4) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is an example of the transport requirements of the goldfields during the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia when large numbers of people, heavy machinery, ore and timber had to be moved to the fields by the most efficient means. The place illustrates the importance of the railway in the development of the goldfields. (Criterion 2.2) Constructed in 1896, Kalgoorlie Railway Station illustrates the growth of Kalgoorlie as the administrative and transport centre of the Eastern Goldfields. The place was the junction of a major railway system during the gold boom era. (Criterion 2.2) The War Memorial is associated with sculptor Pietro Porcelli and with Major-General Sir Talbot-Hobbs who unveiled the statue, and is a focal point of the Anzac Day ceremony held in Kalgoorlie each year. (Criterion 2.2 & 2.3) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is associated with the Wilkie Brothers who were responsible for the construction of the Eastern Goldfields railway line and the station buildings from Southern Cross to Kalgoorlie. (Criterion 2.3) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is valued by the local and wider community for its ongoing railway associations, its connection with Kalgoorlie’s gold boom past, and for its aesthetic and landscape appeal. (Criterion 4.1) Kalgoorlie Railway Station contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as a significant reminder of the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes to the region. Its significance is evidenced by the interim listing on the State Register of Heritage Places. (Criterion 4.2) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is believed to be one of the few remaining stone railway station buildings on the Eastern Goldfields line, and certainly the only one constructed of stone from the Ashlar Quarry in Kalgoorlie. (Criterion 5.2) Kalgoorlie Railway Station is the only remaining, and continuously operating railway station on the Trans Australia Railway Line, in Western Australia. The place demonstrates changes to the railway transport system from 1896/7 to 2001. (Criterion 6.2)

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate to High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Station Masters House (fmr), Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

08877 Railways Houses Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The residence has historic value for its association with the development of the town's railway system and the vital role the railway played in the settlement and development of Kalgoorlie. The residence has historic value is a demonstration of the status of the station master in society at the time and the particular way of life of providing a residence for the station master. The value of the residence is enhanced as a component of an historic railway precinct comprising the adjacent chief engineer's house and the Kalgoorlie Railway Station.

Physical Description

A simple four roomed stone cottage with a central entry and corridor, stone chimney, gable roof, and a separate verandah roof across the facade. The stone walls have been painted on the exterior, the roof replaced, verandahs reconstructed, timber posts replaced with steel, timber verandah posts replaced with concrete, and new openings made in the stone walls

History

The building was the residence of Kalgoorlie's station master of the railway. A number of other buildings adjoin the cottage to provide accommodation for railway workers. General Comments on the Railway: The discovery of gold at Southern Cross and the subsequent declaration of the area as the Yilgarn goldfield in 1888, had prompted the State Government to commence construction of a railway to serve the area. The line, known as the Yilgarn Railway, began at the head of the Eastern Railway at Northam (the name “Yilgarn Railway’ was replaced with ‘Eastern Goldfields Railway’ in 1899-1900 (WAGR Annual Report, 1900: 2), and included, at that time, the lines from Northam to Kalgoorlie, the Boulder Loopline Railway, and the lines from Kalgoorlie to Kanowna and Menzies). Before the line had reached Southern Cross however, the Coolgardie, and then Kalgoorlie, gold finds were made. The line to Southern Cross was opened on 1 July 1894, and tenders were called for the construction of the line from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. The Wilkie Brothers won the contract with a price of £64,000 compared to the next closest tender of £150,000. The Wilkies gambled on finishing the line quickly and then making money operating it until it was time to hand over to the Government. Handover time was set at November 1896 (Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 206; Le Page, n.d.: 221-225; Webb, 1993: 208-211). At this point, there was no intention to extend the line to Kalgoorlie, but the Kalgoorlie Miner and local mine owners and businessmen began a campaign to have the line taken the extra 24 miles. Plans were already underway to construct a branch line to Menzies, and both Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were vying to be the junction for this line and thus become the centre of the railway system and the centre of the eastern goldfields. One argument for the extension was that it would allow the import of heavy machinery for the opening up of deep mines on the Golden Mile (Wilson, 1977: 173; Webb, 1993: 208-211 and 288-293). In September 1895, a bill was passed to extend the railway line to Kalgoorlie. The Wilkie Brothers were contracted to immediately continue on when the line reached Coolgardie, which it did on 23 March 1896. The railway line reached Kalgoorlie on 8 September 1896. Included in the contract for the Eastern Goldfields line was the construction of railway station buildings, but the Wilkies had been so busy operating the line for maximum profit that almost all the ballasting and most of the station buildings and goods sheds were still to be constructed, including Kalgoorlie Railway Station. Official handover of the railway line was affected on 31 December 1896 (or 1 January 1897) (Note: various dates are reported for this handover depending on the source. It is not always clear what is being handed over, eg. section of line, entire line, station, etc. Dates can vary by months, but these two dates appear to refer to the station (sources are local histories, and ‘A Brief History of the Western Australian Government Railways, WAGR, 1975). The Government transferred staff to Kalgoorlie on 31 December ready to take up their new duties at Kalgoorlie Railway Station, but a report in the Morning Herald of 1 January 1897 stated that ‘in regard to the accommodation of the Government staff, it will take another fortnight at least before the new railway station is completed’ (Webb, 1993: 303; Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 238). In 1897, less than twelve months after the line was opened, it was reported in the Annual Report of the Railways Department that traffic to the goldfields ‘had largely increased’, and duplication of the line from Northam to Kalgoorlie was under consideration (Railway Department Annual Report, 1897: 19). By 1900, the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie duplication was underway (Railway Department Annual Report, 1900: 17, 19 & 36). It was reported in 1900, that 80% of the traffic on the Eastern Goldfields line passed through Kalgoorlie. In 1904, there were 161 people employed at the Kalgoorlie Railway Yards, including forty-five in the Goods section, as compared to 431 in Perth and 239 at Fremantle (Railway Department Annual Report, 1904: 82). In 1920, decentralised control and supervision was introduced, with responsibility for the Eastern Goldfields line being transferred to Kalgoorlie (Railway Department Annual Report, 1902: 24). Kalgoorlie Railway Station has been extended and altered internally a number of times over the years, but few WAGR files have survived to document these changes. The traffic through the station considerably lessened after World War One when gold mining went into a decline. Later, road transport had an adverse impact on the place as it did on all rail services. A major change to Kalgoorlie Railway Station occurred when the standard gauge line to Perth was opened in 1968. Previous to this, passengers travelling between Perth and the eastern states had changed trains at Kalgoorlie, between the standard gauge line of the eastern states and the narrower West Australian gauge line. Following the construction of a standard gauge line through to Perth, Kalgoorlie Railway Station had less use and some of its services, including the Refreshment Room, were closed. All goods services were transferred to the West Kalgoorlie station at this time. In 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station is little used in comparison to its heyday. Two passenger trains utilise a small section of the long platform on a regular basis. The Prospector makes a daily round trip between Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the Indian Pacific passes through twice a week.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Low to Moderate

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

District Superintendent's House (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

08877 Railways Houses Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The residence has historic value for its important associations with the development of the State's railway system and the vital role it played in the settlement and development of Kalgoorlie. The residence has historic value is a demonstration of the status of the chief engineer in society at the time and the particular way of life of providing a residence for the chief engineer. The value of the residence is enhanced as a component of an historic railway precinct comprising the adjacent station master's house and the Kalgoorlie Railway Station.

Physical Description

A substantial single-storey building with a broken-back hipped roof. The exterior of the building features bay windows, an encircling verandah (since infilled along north side), and rendered corbelled brick chimneys.

History

Documentary Evidence: The building was the residence of Kalgoorlie's district engineer of the railway. It was specifically built to house the person in that position. The District Engineer was a very important person, in charge of the entire district. General Comments on the Railway: The discovery of gold at Southern Cross and the subsequent declaration of the area as the Yilgarn goldfield in 1888, had prompted the State Government to commence construction of a railway to serve the area. The line, known as the Yilgarn Railway, began at the head of the Eastern Railway at Northam (the name “Yilgarn Railway’ was replaced with ‘Eastern Goldfields Railway’ in 1899-1900 (WAGR Annual Report, 1900: 2), and included, at that time, the lines from Northam to Kalgoorlie, the Boulder Loopline Railway, and the lines from Kalgoorlie to Kanowna and Menzies). Before the line had reached Southern Cross however, the Coolgardie, and then Kalgoorlie, gold finds were made. The line to Southern Cross was opened on 1 July 1894, and tenders were called for the construction of the line from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. The Wilkie Brothers won the contract with a price of £64,000 compared to the next closest tender of £150,000. The Wilkies gambled on finishing the line quickly and then making money operating it until it was time to hand over to the Government. Handover time was set at November 1896 (Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 206; Le Page, n.d.: 221-225; Webb, 1993: 208-211). At this point, there was no intention to extend the line to Kalgoorlie, but the Kalgoorlie Miner and local mine owners and businessmen began a campaign to have the line taken the extra 24 miles. Plans were already underway to construct a branch line to Menzies, and both Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were vying to be the junction for this line and thus become the centre of the railway system and the centre of the eastern goldfields. One argument for the extension was that it would allow the import of heavy machinery for the opening up of deep mines on the Golden Mile (Wilson, 1977: 173; Webb, 1993: 208-211 and 288-293). In September 1895, a bill was passed to extend the railway line to Kalgoorlie. The Wilkie Brothers were contracted to immediately continue on when the line reached Coolgardie, which it did on 23 March 1896. The railway line reached Kalgoorlie on 8 September 1896. Included in the contract for the Eastern Goldfields line was the construction of railway station buildings, but the Wilkies had been so busy operating the line for maximum profit that almost all the ballasting and most of the station buildings and goods sheds were still to be constructed, including Kalgoorlie Railway Station. Official handover of the railway line was affected on 31 December 1896 (or 1 January 1897) (Note: various dates are reported for this handover depending on the source. It is not always clear what is being handed over, eg. section of line, entire line, station, etc. Dates can vary by months, but these two dates appear to refer to the station (sources are local histories, and ‘A Brief History of the Western Australian Government Railways, WAGR, 1975). The Government transferred staff to Kalgoorlie on 31 December ready to take up their new duties at Kalgoorlie Railway Station, but a report in the Morning Herald of 1 January 1897 stated that ‘in regard to the accommodation of the Government staff, it will take another fortnight at least before the new railway station is completed’ (Webb, 1993: 303; Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 238). In 1897, less than twelve months after the line was opened, it was reported in the Annual Report of the Railways Department that traffic to the goldfields ‘had largely increased’, and duplication of the line from Northam to Kalgoorlie was under consideration (Railway Department Annual Report, 1897: 19). By 1900, the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie duplication was underway (Railway Department Annual Report, 1900: 17, 19 & 36). It was reported in 1900, that 80% of the traffic on the Eastern Goldfields line passed through Kalgoorlie. In 1904, there were 161 people employed at the Kalgoorlie Railway Yards, including forty-five in the Goods section, as compared to 431 in Perth and 239 at Fremantle (Railway Department Annual Report, 1904: 82). In 1920, decentralised control and supervision was introduced, with responsibility for the Eastern Goldfields line being transferred to Kalgoorlie (Railway Department Annual Report, 1902: 24). Kalgoorlie Railway Station has been extended and altered internally a number of times over the years, but few WAGR files have survived to document these changes. The traffic through the station considerably lessened after World War One when gold mining went into a decline. Later, road transport had an adverse impact on the place as it did on all rail services. A major change to Kalgoorlie Railway Station occurred when the standard gauge line to Perth was opened in 1968. Previous to this, passengers travelling between Perth and the eastern states had changed trains at Kalgoorlie, between the standard gauge line of the eastern states and the narrower West Australian gauge line. Following the construction of a standard gauge line through to Perth, Kalgoorlie Railway Station had less use and some of its services, including the Refreshment Room, were closed. All goods services were transferred to the West Kalgoorlie station at this time. In 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station is little used in comparison to its heyday. Two passenger trains utilise a small section of the long platform on a regular basis. The Prospector makes a daily round trip between Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the Indian Pacific passes through twice a week.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate to High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Railway Worker's Cottage

Parent Place or Precinct

08877 Railways Houses Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The residence has historic value for its association with the development of the town's railway system and the vital role the railway played in the settlement and development of Kalgoorlie. The residence is the earliest remaining example of permanent railway employee housing in Kalgoorlie. The value of the residence is enhanced as a component of an historic railway precinct comprising the adjacent Station Master's House and Workman's Cottage (Forrest House) and the Kalgoorlie Railway Station.

Physical Description

: A simple two roomed stone building with a stone chimney, gable roof, and a separate verandah roof across the facade. The original building is intact. Early corrugated iron clad extensions demonstrate how the building continued to evolve and provide for railway workers. Another period of development includes the integration of a railway cabin

History

The residence was constructed for a railway worker - a perway worker. General Comments on the Railway: The discovery of gold at Southern Cross and the subsequent declaration of the area as the Yilgarn goldfield in 1888, had prompted the State Government to commence construction of a railway to serve the area. The line, known as the Yilgarn Railway, began at the head of the Eastern Railway at Northam (the name “Yilgarn Railway’ was replaced with ‘Eastern Goldfields Railway’ in 1899-1900 (WAGR Annual Report, 1900: 2), and included, at that time, the lines from Northam to Kalgoorlie, the Boulder Loopline Railway, and the lines from Kalgoorlie to Kanowna and Menzies). Before the line had reached Southern Cross however, the Coolgardie, and then Kalgoorlie, gold finds were made. The line to Southern Cross was opened on 1 July 1894, and tenders were called for the construction of the line from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. The Wilkie Brothers won the contract with a price of £64,000 compared to the next closest tender of £150,000. The Wilkies gambled on finishing the line quickly and then making money operating it until it was time to hand over to the Government. Handover time was set at November 1896 (Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 206; Le Page, n.d.: 221-225; Webb, 1993: 208-211). At this point, there was no intention to extend the line to Kalgoorlie, but the Kalgoorlie Miner and local mine owners and businessmen began a campaign to have the line taken the extra 24 miles. Plans were already underway to construct a branch line to Menzies, and both Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie were vying to be the junction for this line and thus become the centre of the railway system and the centre of the eastern goldfields. One argument for the extension was that it would allow the import of heavy machinery for the opening up of deep mines on the Golden Mile (Wilson, 1977: 173; Webb, 1993: 208-211 and 288-293). In September 1895, a bill was passed to extend the railway line to Kalgoorlie. The Wilkie Brothers were contracted to immediately continue on when the line reached Coolgardie, which it did on 23 March 1896. The railway line reached Kalgoorlie on 8 September 1896. Included in the contract for the Eastern Goldfields line was the construction of railway station buildings, but the Wilkies had been so busy operating the line for maximum profit that almost all the ballasting and most of the station buildings and goods sheds were still to be constructed, including Kalgoorlie Railway Station. Official handover of the railway line was affected on 31 December 1896 (or 1 January 1897) (Note: various dates are reported for this handover depending on the source. It is not always clear what is being handed over, eg. section of line, entire line, station, etc. Dates can vary by months, but these two dates appear to refer to the station (sources are local histories, and ‘A Brief History of the Western Australian Government Railways, WAGR, 1975). The Government transferred staff to Kalgoorlie on 31 December ready to take up their new duties at Kalgoorlie Railway Station, but a report in the Morning Herald of 1 January 1897 stated that ‘in regard to the accommodation of the Government staff, it will take another fortnight at least before the new railway station is completed’ (Webb, 1993: 303; Gunzberg and Austin, 1997: 238). In 1897, less than twelve months after the line was opened, it was reported in the Annual Report of the Railways Department that traffic to the goldfields ‘had largely increased’, and duplication of the line from Northam to Kalgoorlie was under consideration (Railway Department Annual Report, 1897: 19). By 1900, the Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie duplication was underway (Railway Department Annual Report, 1900: 17, 19 & 36). It was reported in 1900, that 80% of the traffic on the Eastern Goldfields line passed through Kalgoorlie. In 1904, there were 161 people employed at the Kalgoorlie Railway Yards, including forty-five in the Goods section, as compared to 431 in Perth and 239 at Fremantle (Railway Department Annual Report, 1904: 82). In 1920, decentralised control and supervision was introduced, with responsibility for the Eastern Goldfields line being transferred to Kalgoorlie (Railway Department Annual Report, 1902: 24). Kalgoorlie Railway Station has been extended and altered internally a number of times over the years, but few WAGR files have survived to document these changes. The traffic through the station considerably lessened after World War One when gold mining went into a decline. Later, road transport had an adverse impact on the place as it did on all rail services. A major change to Kalgoorlie Railway Station occurred when the standard gauge line to Perth was opened in 1968. Previous to this, passengers travelling between Perth and the eastern states had changed trains at Kalgoorlie, between the standard gauge line of the eastern states and the narrower West Australian gauge line. Following the construction of a standard gauge line through to Perth, Kalgoorlie Railway Station had less use and some of its services, including the Refreshment Room, were closed. All goods services were transferred to the West Kalgoorlie station at this time. In 2001, Kalgoorlie Railway Station is little used in comparison to its heyday. Two passenger trains utilise a small section of the long platform on a regular basis. The Prospector makes a daily round trip between Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the Indian Pacific passes through twice a week.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Railway Institute, Kalgoorlie

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The place has aesthetic value for its visually interesting exterior created by its central pedimented bay and engaged piers. The place is a representative example of the Inter-war Stripped Classical style built for modest size civic architecture. The place has historic value for its association with the development of the town's railway system and the vital role the railway played in the settlement and development of Kalgoorlie. The value of the place is enhanced as a component of an historic railway precinct comprising the nearby Kalgoorlie Railway Station, Station Master's House and District Engineer's House.

Physical Description

A single-storey building designed in the Inter-war Stripped Classical style, and built to the building line of Forrest Street. The exterior of the building features a stuccoed and heavily moulded parapet. The facade is divided into three bays by four engaged piers that extend beyond the height of the parapet.

History

The first Kalgoorlie Railway Institute building on the site was a timber and iron structure built in 1902-03 by the railwaymen in Kalgoorlie. In 1903, Kalgoorlie Institute amalgamated with the WA Railway Institute in Perth, which had been established in 1897. The WA Railway Institute was run from Perth by a central council with a local committee at Kalgoorlie. Other branches of the WA Railway Institute were established in various country centres over the following years, but Kalgoorlie was the first to become a branch Institute. Pooled resources and the financial assistance offered to the Institute by the Railway Department were the reasons for amalgamation. The WA Railway Institute took responsibility for the upkeep of branch Institute buildings. The Kalgoorlie Railway Institute offered training courses in railway operation for men employed on the railways, as well as providing a lending library and a social venue. A billiard table was later added to the facilities. In 1933, additions were approved to provide a larger dance floor and a new reading room, but before the work was begun, a fire destroyed the Institute and a neighbouring house in the early hours of 26 December that year. A new Institute building was designed and constructed by the Railways Department. The plans were prepared by Chief Civil Engineer, Oliver Harper; construction was in the hands of C. R. A. Stewart, District Engineer; and, the supervisor was Inspector of Works and Buildings, J. Kennedy. The building had twice the floor space of the original Institute building, and extra land for outbuildings was made available by the Kalgoorlie Council. The front section of the building was constructed in brick with an iron roof and displays has elements of Inter-war Stripped Classical style. It comprised a library, reading and billiard rooms, and two classrooms that could be opened up into one room. Behind this section was a large weatherboard and iron hall, with a clear floor space of 78ft by 50ft, and including an elevated stage, ladies and gents dressings rooms, and a kitchen and storeroom. The new Kalgoorlie Railway Institute was opened on 15 December 1934. Apart from the installation of toilet facilities in what were originally the ladies and gents dressing rooms, and the addition of patios on the east side, the building remains largely unchanged. It is currently vacant and has been subject to some vandalism. Flat steel sheets have been bolted over the doors and windows to prevent further vandalism, but this has probably done more damage to the fabric of the place than that inflicted by the vandals. (Note: the information provided above is taken from the WA Railway Institute: The Western Australian Railway Gazette (1900-1924) and The Railway and Tramway Magazine (1925-1950); WAGRC: Annual reports (1920-2000) and the current property file for Kalgoorlie Railway Institute; and Kalgoorlie Miner, 26 December 1933: 2.)

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Fair

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Western Australian Bank (fmr), Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Ministry of Housing Regional Office positively contributes to the streetscape character of Hannan Street with its classical and Italianate detailing. The building forms part of the masonry 'wall' that extends almost the length of the street block. Ministry of Housing Regional Office has historic value for its association with the rapid population growth in the eastern goldfields at the turn-of-the-century. Ministry of Housing Regional Office has prominence in Hannan Street with its arcade comprising three arches and the facade treatment of painted and cement relief work.

Physical Description

A large, two-storey brick building with an arcade of three arches, vaulting off substantial rusticated brick piers, an upper storey detailed with classical motifs, and a replacement tile roof.

History

The Western Australian Bank was Hannan Street's first bank and opened in 1894. The building was built during the gold boom and has a lavish interior (Laurie, 1995: 46). Bricks for the building were supplied by Dyke and Ridgeway of Coolgardie and the granite and local white stone were from Bulla-Bulling (Laurie, 1995: 46).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate to High Authenticity: Moderate to High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Kalgoorlie Miner Building

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Kalgoorlie Miner Building is the only three-storey structure in Hannan Street and, with its facade treatment of painted and cement relief work on the upper levels, the building has prominence in this important streetscape. The verandah roof over the pavement and parapet contribute to the visual character of Hannan Street. (Criterion 1.3) Kalgoorlie Miner Building has historic value as a commercial building designed to facilitate the publishing of goldfields newspapers providing immediate and local news to the resident population. (Criterion 2.1) The construction of Kalgoorlie Miner Building is closely associated with the rapid population growth in the eastern goldfields at the turn-of-the-century. (Criterion 2.2) Kalgoorlie Miner Building has a long association with the publication of goldfields newspapers (Kalgoorlie Miner and Western Argus), and a close association with the Hocking family (in particular Sidney Edwin Hocking), who as editors/owners of the Kalgoorlie Miner (and Western Argus), were prominent citizens of the Kalgoorlie community. (Criterion 2.3) Kalgoorlie Miner Building is representative of the ebullient architecture that was common in Kalgoorlie during the gold boom. As such it is a demonstration of the increasing prosperity and sophistication of Kalgoorlie, and Western Australia, at the turn-of-the-century. (Criterion 6.1) Statement of Significance: Kalgoorlie Miner Building, a three-storey Federation Free Classical style commercial building, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place has prominence in Hannan Street with its facade treatment of painted and cement relief work on the upper levels; - the place contributes to the visual character of Hannan Street with its verandah roof over the pavement and parapet; and, - the place has a long association with the publication of goldfields newspapers (Kalgoorlie Miner and Western Argus), and a close association with the Hocking family (in particular Sidney Edwin Hocking), who as editors/owners of the Kalgoorlie Miner (and Western Argus), were prominent citizens of the Kalgoorlie community.

Physical Description

Physical Evidence: Kalgoorlie Miner Building is a three-storey commercial building constructed in the Federation Free Classical style (Apperly, 1989: 104-105) that replaced a timber framed structure built in 1895. The style was common throughout Western Australia during the gold boom. The style expressed the confidence that accompanied the dynamic growth of settlements in Western Australia following gold discoveries in the goldfields. The building is constructed to the street alignment of Hannan Street and towers above the adjacent single-storey shops and the corner hotel. The building has prominence in the streetscape for its facade treatment of painted and cement relief work on the upper levels and is the only three storey building remaining in Kalgoorlie. The building originally comprised a single-storey, the upper storeys are additions. The walls of the building are in orange brickwork laid in English bond. The facade walls are strengthened by four rendered piers treated as pilasters. The piers divide the facade into three bays with windows between each bay. The piers are capped with a rendered entablature and a parapet above. The parapet and entablature bear the former name of the building. The building is symmetrical about a central triangular pediment that forms part of the parapet. Each window on the first floor level has double, plain double-hung sashes with semi-circular arched fanlights which are supported at their springing points by square brick pilasters. The windows on the second storey are plain, rectangular versions of the windows below with awning fanlights divided into four smaller panes by slim glazing bars. The ground floor level has a central recessed entry with a timber framed shopfront either side. The shopfronts have circular galvanised iron columns at each corner, a timber panelled dado and large panes with fanlights divided into smaller panes. A bull-nosed verandah roof with sheet metal spandrels extends across the facade over the pavement. The verandah roof was originally a lean-to supported by timber posts with decorative brackets (the date the new verandah was installed is unknown). The end piers on the ground floor level are tuck-pointed and rendered above the dado line. The interior comprises a shop, with a timber stair in the south-west corner that leads to the first and second floors. The Kalgoorlie Miner Offices are behind the shop through an archway with double-doors and a curved fanlight with glazing bars in a scallop pattern. A brick enclosed hoist well is in the corner on the rear wall. Storage, newspaper files and an accounts department are at the rear of the building, and the editorial and advertising departments are on the upper level. The top floor level, comprising two rooms, is vacant. The interior of the shop has circular engaged piers that support the perimeter beams. The walls are painted with tall timber skirting boards and the ceilings are lined with pressed metal. The timber stair is simply detailed with ripple-iron soffits. A glazed partition encloses a phone room at the rear of the ground floor offices. The partition mimics the detailing of the archway which separates the offices from the shop. The Kalgoorlie Miner Offices retain its original wide timber counter and writing desk and pressed metal ceilings. The building was extended at the rear in stonework (date of the addition is unknown, but existed prior to the Second World War). In the 1940s, a second storey was added to the stone addition, and the building was further extended eastward behind the adjacent building (conversation with Mr J Laws, 1 March 1996; and conversation with Mr J Gibbs, Executive Director of Kalgoorlie Miner, 30 April 1996). The additions are in brickwork laid in Colonial bond. The eastern addition is two-storey with a gable roof. The additions were unlikely to have been constructed at the same time, as their style and the brickwork colour are different. An old printing press and store room is on the ground floor level, and a caretaker's room, linotype room, now general printing section, is on the upper level. The additions have concrete floors, and a timber trussed roof covered with corrugated iron. Windows on the first floor of the east elevation comprise openings of 16 small panes with pivoting sashes to the centre panes. A new hoist has been added to the rear wall. A laneway between Kalgoorlie Miner Building and the adjacent shop on the east side has been enclosed at the street with a doorway to form a passage which extends the length of the building. An enclosed staircase is at the end of the passage which leads to the upper floor level. The stair landing features an arched window with replacement etched and coloured glass. Halfway down the passage is evidence of an archway, now enclosed with a doorway. From the doorway to the far end of the passage, the floor has been covered in concrete. The laneway has been covered with a concrete slab which forms a passageway on the upper level. The slab comprises glass blocks to light the laneway below. In 1977, sections of the stone and brick walls of the passage were strengthened to prevent collapse. In 1993/94, the second floor offices were remodelled. New suspended ceilings, light-weight partitions and lighting were installed, and the floors were covered in carpet. A new access to the passage has been created and the previous access bricked-up. In 1995, the office at the street elevation on the second floor was remodelled in matching style to the others. New suspended fluorescent lights and spotlights have been installed in the shop, window display boxes have been created with panelling behind the shopfronts, the floor at the entrance has been covered in linoleum, the entrance doors have been replaced, and the verandah has been paved. Air-conditioning units have been installed throughout the building. On the third floor, a large archway dividing the two rooms has been bricked-up and a doorway installed, fireplaces have been partially brick-up, and suspended ceilings and exposed air conditioning ducts have been installed. The suspended ceilings partially conceal rollers that remain from an original press.

History

Kalgoorlie Miner Building is a three-storey brick building constructed in 1900, to provide more spacious office/factory accommodation for the expanding goldfields newspaper, the Kalgoorlie Miner. Sidney Edwin Hocking, born in Adelaide had a long association with newspapers. Arriving in Coolgardie in 1893, he sent articles to the Adelaide Advertiser and Register and the Melbourne Age and Argus. With James MacCallum Smith and later joined by his brother Percy, he floated a company to publish the weekly Goldfields Courier and the daily Golden Age. When the new Kalgoorlie goldfields began to drain the life from Coolgardie, Hocking inspected the 'Golden Mile' and decided that its future was assured. He and his partners sols the Coolgardie company and in August 1895 bought the weekly Kalgoorlie Western Argus founded by the Mott Bros. On 14 September 1895, they published the first issue of the Kalgoorlie Miner, a daily publication of four pages costing two pence (Webb, 1993: 423). Early in 1896, Hocking launched Hocking & Co. Ltd. with himself, Percy, another brother Ernest, Kirwin (editor) and their printer W.W. Willcock as shareholders (Nairn and Serle, 1983: 318. When Percy died in 1900, Hocking took over the commercial side). For many years Hocking was chairman of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club and President of the Kalgoorlie Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council and was mayor in 1909-10. Quickly outgrowing the premises, plans for a new building (on the same site as the existing building) were drawn up by architect Harvey E. Draper. In 1900, tenders were called for the erection of a permanent brick structure. The successful tenderers were Messrs Garrick and Ford, who began work at the end of July 1900 (King, 1995: 64). The newspaper announced its intention to construct a new building a few days before work began: "Owing to the steady increase of trade in all Departments, our premises, which were erected when Kalgoorlie was in its infancy, have been, for some months past, quite unsuitable for the volume of business. To overcome this difficulty the proprietors have recently accepted a tender ... for the erection of a magnificent three storey building which will be started without delay". When the Hockings began planning their new business premises they discovered they had a problem. Their adjoining shop, originally rented by Kapp and Co., was then leased to a barber who refused to relinquish his lease. As the lease was a long-term one, Hocking and Co. had no alternative but to leave the barber's shop as it was (King, 1995: 64). This caused difficulties for the architect and added to the cost of the building, which in that first stage extended half-way down the length of the block. In order to take the weight of the new building it was necessary to use big steel posts and girders to reinforce the inside wall of the passageway dividing the two buildings. Kalgoorlie Miner Building was completed before the end of 1900, and by March of the following year the first copies of the Kalgoorlie Miner were produced on the new printing equipment. In 1906, there were further additions to the premises. This time the work was carried out by contractor Mr C. J. Anstey under the supervision of architect Harvey Draper. An article in the newspaper provided details of the additions: "The ground floor, laid down with granolithic paving, contains a storeroom 40 feet in length, 16ft 6in in width and 14ft in height, and a publisher's room 29ft in length, 16ft 6ins in width and of similar height. Both places are flanked to the westward by a long passageway 6ft wide which communicates with the lift in the three-storey building. The publisher's room is side by side with the machine room in the old structure". When this work was completed, Kalgoorlie Miner Building ran the entire length of the lot, from Hannan Street to the laneway dividing Hannan and Egan Streets. Following the death of Mr Sidney Hocking in 1935 the running of the Kalgoorlie Miner was taken over by his four sons, Sidney, Ernest, Percy and Joe. In April 1970, the ownership passed from the hands of the Hocking family to West Australian Newspapers Pty. Ltd. The rotary press and some of the linotypes remained in use until 1976, when the Kalgoorlie Miner was printed in Perth. In 1996, the Kalgoorlie Miner Building is used as the headquarters for the Kalgoorlie Miner, the only daily newspaper on the goldfields.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate to High Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Exchange Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The building was established as a hotel and continues to be used as a hotel. "The original building on this site was a timber and iron construction and, with the Club (Cohn's Buildings), was one of the first two hotels in town. The site has been home to the hotel ever since. The building was built for the Wilkie Brothers, contractors for the Southern Cross-Kalgoorlie railway line. The contract value was approximately £8,000 pounds. The decorative motifs and elements that adorn the building's facade are drawn from a variety of styles and give the building its ornate appearance. The hotel was saved from damage during the 1934 race riots when Bill Trythall took over the licence from the licensee whose foreign name made him vulnerable to assault" (Laurie, 1995: 15). General Comments: "The 1934 riots resulted from bitterness between Australians and immigrants over alleged preference given to the immigrants by shift bosses. Approximately 7,700 unskilled Southern Europeans had arrived in Western Australia between 1923 and 1929 and many had found their way to the Goldfields. On the 29 and 30 January 1934, mobs roamed the streets and outlying camps, shooting at foreigners and setting fire to foreign owned businesses. A special trainload of police and volunteers from Perth came to help with the disturbances but by the time they had arrived, the situation had died down (Laurie, 1995: 15). The role of hotels was crucial to the social and economic life on the goldfields. If mines were the sources of the miner's wages, the hotels were the sinks into which a lot of it was poured. Hotels not only provided alcoholic drinks, food and accommodation, but provided men with comfortable surroundings quite beyond their normal experience. Hotels were also vital social centres for travellers and residents alike (Webb, 1993: 543-544).

Physical Description

Physical Evidence: A two-storey brick and iron building with a timber balustrade, built to the pavement line of Hannan and Maritana Streets and truncated on the corner. The building has a corner tower and corrugated galvanised iron gabled roof. Verandahs and balconies extend over the pavement and wrap the facades. The Exchange Hotel is built in the Federation Filigree style, c. 1890 - c. 1915 (Apperly et al, 1989: 108-111). The detailing of the building exhibits all the Federation exuberance of the hotel industry at the time. The Exchange Hotel is one of four hotels arrayed around the four corners of the intersection of Hannan Street and Maritana Street, arguably the business heart of the City of Kalgoorlie. These buildings, in returning around the corner, effectively give a deepened dimension to the heritage ambience in Hannan Street provided by the buildings, and particularly, the facades. The Exchange Hotel accumulates important streetscape values for the cityscape. The roof elements of the Exchange Hotel are also of significance. These include a tower, chimney stacks and most importantly, gables in the place of the parapet, as a more common feature of the design style. The gently rising nature of the building elements from the pedestrian scale in the street, to the maximum height of the roof at the ridge and tower massing, together with the associated buildings at both ends of the structure, contribute to the urban design qualities of the streetscape at this point. The horizontal emphasis of the two-storey verandahs is interrupted by a sequence of projecting two-storey high porticos. A semi-circular sign depicted on the lower verandah over the truncation appears to have been relocated on the upper floor roof directly above.

History

The building was established as a hotel and continues to be used as a hotel. "The original building on this site was a timber and iron construction and, with the Club (Cohn's Buildings), was one of the first two hotels in town. The site has been home to the hotel ever since. The building was built for the Wilkie Brothers, contractors for the Southern Cross-Kalgoorlie railway line. The contract value was approximately £8,000 pounds. The decorative motifs and elements that adorn the building's facade are drawn from a variety of styles and give the building its ornate appearance. The hotel was saved from damage during the 1934 race riots when Bill Trythall took over the licence from the licensee whose foreign name made him vulnerable to assault" (Laurie, 1995: 15). General Comments: "The 1934 riots resulted from bitterness between Australians and immigrants over alleged preference given to the immigrants by shift bosses. Approximately 7,700 unskilled Southern Europeans had arrived in Western Australia between 1923 and 1929 and many had found their way to the Goldfields. On the 29 and 30 January 1934, mobs roamed the streets and outlying camps, shooting at foreigners and setting fire to foreign owned businesses. A special trainload of police and volunteers from Perth came to help with the disturbances but by the time they had arrived, the situation had died down (Laurie, 1995: 15). The role of hotels was crucial to the social and economic life on the goldfields. If mines were the sources of the miner's wages, the hotels were the sinks into which a lot of it was poured. Hotels not only provided alcoholic drinks, food and accommodation, but provided men with comfortable surroundings quite beyond their normal experience. Hotels were also vital social centres for travellers and residents alike (Webb, 1993: 543-544).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Park Buildings

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Assessment of Significance: Park Buildings is a good example of a commercial building constructed in the Federation Free style. (Criterion 1.1) Park Buildings is a major element of the Hannan Street streetscape which, spanning four blocks, is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia. (Criterion 1.4) The construction of Park Buildings was a result of the successful exploitation of the Eastern Goldfields and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s. (Criterion 2.1) Park Buildings, combining commercial premises and a boarding house, represents the development of the goldfields where men on their own significantly outnumbered families in the early years. (Criterion 2.2) Park Buildings is representative of the third phase of construction on Hannan Street between about 1898 and 1908, when the timber and iron buildings were replaced with brick structures. (Criterion 2.2) Park Buildings is associated with photographer John Joseph Dwyer, who designed the upper floor photographic studio in the Park Building, and whose work provides the most significant documentation of life in Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields from 1900 to 1917. (Criterion 2.3) Park Buildings is a characteristic element of the Hannan Street streetscape which is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia and as such is valued by the Western Australian community. Spanning four blocks, the Hannan Street precinct identified by the National Trust, and listed on the Register of the National Estate, as a significant turn of the century goldfields’ town streetscape which extends over three street blocks and comprises one and two storey buildings of various styles of the period. (Criterion 4.1) Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, including Park Buildings, contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as a substantial reminder of the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia. (Criterion 4.2) Park Buildings is a typical commercial building in the Hannan Street streetscape. The shopfronts at Park Buildings are typical of those located at Hannan and Burt Streets, with a display window, recessed entrance, and features such as timber and glass panel doors and rendered dado masonry. (Criterion 6.1) Statement of Significance: Park Buildings, comprising: the Park Building (1904), a two-storey, brick and iron commercial building, in the Federation Free Classical style, and Windsor House (1904), a two-storey brick and iron building constructed as a boarding house in a functional design, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place is a major element of the Hannan Street streetscape which, spanning four blocks, is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia; - the place is associated with photographer John Joseph Dwyer, who designed the upper floor photographic studio in the Park Building, and whose work provides the most significant documentation of life in Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields from 1900 to 1917; - as a part of Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, the place contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as a substantial reminder of the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia; - the place is a typical commercial building in the Hannan Street streetscape. Its shopfronts are typical of those located in the street, with a display window, recessed entrance, and features such as timber and glass panel doors and rendered dado masonry; and, - the construction of the place was a result of the successful exploitation of the Eastern Goldfields and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s.

Physical Description

Park Buildings is located at the north-east end of central Hannan Street in Kalgoorlie, immediately next to the Palace Hotel. The complex comprises the Park Building, made up of four ground floor tenancies and a separate residence upstairs, and Windsor House, a detached backpackers hostel at the rear of the Park Building. The Park Building displays some characteristics of the Federation Free Classical style (Apperly et al, 1989: 104-107). The street frontage is double height with a series of double classical column pilasters at equal distances across the front, forming four bays. The two outermost bays have a pediment detailed into the otherwise plain parapet. A set of two vertical orientated double hung sash windows feature central within each bay. A skillion verandah extends to the kerbside along the front of the shops at ground floor level. At the ground floor level, the shop on the left is vacant. It has the original shop frontage, with double doors, shop front glazing and transom windows with sign writing still in place. There are only a few remaining original tessellated tiles in the entry. The interior of the shop has had recent repairs to the wall adjoining the Palace Hotel. The original pressed metal ceiling is in place. The next tenancy is entered via a timber framed glass door, opening into a corridor which leads to Windsor House at the rear. Immediately next to that door, is a zincalume roller door which opens into a similar corridor with the barber shop at the rear. An aluminium framed glazed wall separates the two corridors, over the original tessellated tiled floor. The floor tiling and the wall finishes indicate that these two corridors were originally one. On the right hand side of the corridor are a series of original timber framed glass display boards. Central at the ground floor level on the frontage, is the double entry doors to the residence upstairs, marked with the number '143'. The panelled doors are recessed, and accessed by a set of five steps. Above the double doors the original arched fanlight is in place. The next tenancy on the right is Kalgoorlie Diamonds, and the shop is a total refit. The last shop is the Hot Spot burger bar. The shop is also a total refit although it has retained the pressed metal ceiling. There is a brick lean-to along the south west boundary at the rear of the place. It demonstrates the same brick detailing as Windsor House adjacent to it. The central staircase which accesses the upstairs residential unit forms a ‘T’ and the left side accesses two front bedrooms on the left (front), a store room ahead, and a short corridor to the bathroom and kitchen on the right. The kitchen and bathroom are new fitouts. The kitchen, at the rear, opens onto a rear deck which is also accessed from the adjacent living room which is as wide as the remainder of the site. The living room shows no evidence of original material. The ceiling is gyprock, the windows and doors along the rear are recent timber framed installations. MDF skirtings, architraves and other detailing have been installed. To the right of the central staircase, at the ‘T’, the hallway accesses three rooms across the frontage. They were not available for inspection. The one front room that was available shows a fireplace with the original mantelpiece in place. Windsor House is located behind the Park Building. The building runs along the length of the site, and the central ‘front’ entry door is at the rear of the Park Building, accessed by the corridor through from Hannan Street. Windsor House is a two-storey brick building with a corrugated iron roof. The exterior of the place is face brick laid in an English bond, with a small section near the front door that has been painted. The window openings are at regular intervals along each side of the building, with the ground and first floor windows in vertical alignment. The ‘front’ door and window above each have curved canvas canopies and the window has louvered timber shutters on each side. A lean-to verandah and garage with a first floor deck have been added at the rear of the building, adjoining the right of way. The entry door opens into a corridor which terminates with a door at the other end. On the right side, immediately inside the door, is the return staircase with the original newel post and balustrades intact. A cupboard has been built in under the stairs, and a counter aligns with the corridor. On the left side of the corridor on the ground floor, there are a series of rooms with matching rooms on the right side. Only two rooms still have the original four panel doors, the remainder have flush panel doors. All the fanlights are in place, but are either painted out or covered. The corridor has a gyprock ceiling. On the left hand side, a wall has been removed between rooms 1 and 2, and similarly a dining room has been formed by removing walls between rooms 4, 5, 6 and quarry tiles have been laid on the floor. A kitchen addition is at the rear of room 6. The rooms run along the corridor, with toilet facilities at the end, and a laundry under the rear lean to verandah clad with hardiplank. The ground floor layout is repeated on the first floor. There is minimal evidence of original fabric throughout the interior, with walls removed and floors concreted. The kitchen on the ground floor has been refurbished. On both floors, doors have been replaced, gyprock ceilings installed, bathrooms refurbished, and some windows replaced with aluminium framed windows. Original windows are timber framed double hung sashes with soldier course brick headers. All the ground floor windows have steel mesh fixed to the exterior. The rear of the building faces the right of way and a cement block garage with zincalume roller door faces directly onto the right of way.

History

Park Buildings, comprising the Park Building (1904), a two-storey, brick and iron structure constructed in a simple Federation Free Classical style as commercial premises fronting Hannan Street, and Windsor House (1904), a two-storey brick building constructed as a boarding house and situated behind the Park Building (Apperly et al, 1989: 104-107). In 1999, the upper floor of the Park Building is occupied as a residence by the manager of the Palace Hotel, while the lower floor continues to be used as commercial premises, although only partly occupied. Windsor House is occupied as a backpackers’ hostel. In June 1893, Paddy Hannan and his partners discovered alluvial gold thirty miles (48 kms) north-east of Coolgardie. A camp, known as Hannan's Find, quickly developed at the site, with bough huts and hessian and canvas structures erected along the edge of the track from Coolgardie. Many of these structures housed businesses to serve the prospectors who flocked to the area. Later that year, George Brookman and Sid Pearce located gold reefs three miles south of Hannan's Find, at what was to become Boulder. On 4 September 1894, Hannan's Find was declared the townsite of Kalgoorlie. The track from Coolgardie became the main street and was named Hannan Street (Webb, 1993: 91; King, 1995: 15; Laurie, 1995: 2-4). With the establishment of the townsite, the second phase of building along Hannan Street began. This was facilitated by the arrival of the Eastern Goldfields railway line in September 1896, which made the transport of more substantial building materials much easier. The original structures were replaced with timber-framed buildings clad in galvanised iron, and usually lined internally with hessian or canvas. The early buildings presented a very real fire hazard, and there were a number of fires in Hannan Street over the ensuing years. Between 1898 and 1908, substantial brick buildings replaced the timber and iron and hessian structures in the town centre, although many timber and iron residences remained in the town (Webb, 1993: 430-432, 540). Lot 39 on Hannan Street, on which Park Buildings is situated, was purchased at the second land auction in Kalgoorlie, on 25 October 1894, by mine managers Charles Henry De Rose and William Gordon Brookman (C/T Vol. 68, Fol. 28, 21 March 1895). They paid £170 for the land that had no improvements on it at time of purchase (Webb, 1993: 419-421). In 1901, titles were issued to each of them for one undivided moiety in Lot 39 (C/T Vol. 221, Fol. 20 & 21, 21 May 1901). The titles record a lease of one third of the land to Mrs Margaret Thomas for a period of three years and seven months from 6 December 1898 (C/T Vol. 68, Fol. 28, 6 December 1898). Margaret Thomas operated a restaurant on the site housed, most probably, in a corrugated iron building (Wise's Post Office Directory, 1899). In 1903, Lot 39 was purchased by mine owner, Joseph Vincent Kearney (C/T Vol. 275, Fol. 25, 28 May 1903). At that time, the restaurant was known as Maison Doree, and Sol Saunders, auctioneer, also occupied the site, which was situated between the Palace Hotel and the Exchange Buildings. Kearney employed builders W. & J. Park to construct Park Buildings on Lot 39. The buildings are supposed to have been named for Kearney's fiancee (rather than for the builders) (Laurie, 1995: 18-19). On the front of the site the Park Building, a two storey commercial premise, was constructed. On the ground floor, left hand side, between the first shop space and the entrance to the upper floor, a wide, tiled passageway led through to the two-storey boarding house at the back. The boarding house could also be accessed from the right-of-way at the rear (map of Kalgoorlie townsite). Early occupants of Park Buildings included the London Art Tailoring Co., Bannerman Bros tobacconists and barbers, who boasted a 'wall-to-wall mirror and four fine lavatory basins with nickel fittings', a restaurant, two barristers and solicitors, and photographer J. J. Dwyer (Wise's Post Office Directory, 1905; Laurie, 1995: 18-19). A section of the upper floor was specifically designed by Dwyer for use as his photographic studio. It had a glazed section in the roof and a glazed wall to allow daylight for indoor work, and dressing rooms where patrons could change into their costumes (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989: 5-7). John Joseph Dwyer was born in 1869, at Gaffney's Creek, a mining town in Victoria. He worked as a blacksmith at the Mount Bischoff tin mines in Tasmania and became a hobby photographer at the age of twenty-one. In 1896, he joined the rush to the West Australian goldfields as a prospector and, in 1899, he became the special photographer for Coolgardie's Goldfields Courier newspaper. The following year he moved to Kalgoorlie where he set up his own studio at 146 Hannan Street, next door to the McKenzie Building and directly opposite the Park Buildings site. When Park Buildings was completed he moved across the street to his new studio at 145 Hannan Street and his new place of residence in the boarding house at the back (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989; Wise's Post Office Directories, 1900-1905). As well as portraits and weddings, Dwyer was commissioned by mining companies to record their mine's progress, by photographing the installation of new machinery, and the visits of VIPs, etc. His work also appeared regularly in Kalgoorlie's weekly newspaper, the Western Argus. At the height of his practice, Dwyer employed fourteen assistants, mostly women who were involved in 'touching up' photos by hand. This was common practice, as it was necessary (then as now) to provide as flattering a photograph of a client as possible. From 1915 to 1917, Dwyer served on the Municipal Council. He was also a director of the Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Company. In 1917 he moved to Perth, and travelled overseas. He died in 1928. A collection of his photographs has been published under the title 'In Old Kalgoorlie' (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989). John Dwyer had a large neon sign above the left-hand side of the Park Building advertising 'Dwyer's Studio' (photograph in Laurie, 1995: 16). During his occupancy, Park Buildings changed ownership when, in 1909, Michael O'Reilly, who owned a men's outfitters at 88 Hannan Street, purchased the place (C/T Vol. 275, Fol. 25, 5 February 1909). For the first ten years or so, tenancies in the Park Building remained relatively constant. The restaurant changed hands and Bartlett & Co, clothiers, moved into the building, but the rest of the original tenants remained, indicative of the flourishing and stable Kalgoorlie economy (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989). In 1917, Dwyer's photographic studio was taken over by Thomas F. Mackay, who had previously worked at Rembrandt Studios in Boulder. By 1920 the boarding house was listed in Wise's Post Office Directories as Hannan's Chambers. That year it was occupied by Mrs M. Miller's dining rooms, Miss N. Reid's lodging house, and a confectioner and tearooms. By 1930, H. A. Skepper had taken over Bannerman Bros tobacconist and hairdresser shop. Two dressmakers, an accountant, a music teacher and J. M. Butcher, the butcher, had moved into the Park Building, which was still also occupied by Keith Burton, solicitor, and Thomas Mackay, photographer. The boarding house in Hannan's Chambers was being run by Mrs Darcy (Wise's Post Office Directories, 1930-1935). The owner of Park Buildings, Michael O'Reilly, died in 1932, and title passed to the control of Patrick Joseph Russell, hatter and outfitter, of 189 Hannan Street (C/T Vol. 275, Fol. 25, 19 January 1932; Wise's Post Office Directories, 1930s). By 1941, the dressmakers, accountant and music teacher had moved out of the Park Building, and Perpetual Trustees & Agency Co. had moved in. A grocery store, the Australian Flag Store, occupied the space that had previously been used by the restaurant. The boarding house was now called Windsor Chambers and at least one of the Park Building tenants, Keith Burton, the solicitor, appears to have been living there at this time (Wise's Post Office Directories, 1941-42). In 1945, Thomas Mackay vacated the photographic studio and it was taken over by Fremantle photographer, Stuart Gore. John Dwyer's original photographic equipment is supposed to have still been there at that time (Wise's Post Office Directories, 1930s and 1940s; Pascoe and Thomson, 1989). Ownership of Park Buildings changed hands in 1949, when Patrick Russell vested his estate in Mary Margaret Lefebvre, of Victoria (C/T Vol. 275, Fol. 25, 9 March 1949). Tenancies had changed a little by this year also. The solicitors had been replaced by a dentist and a dancing academy. Mrs J. Hayes ran the 'lodging house' (Wise's Post Office Directories, 1949). The photographic studio in the Park Building was occupied by E. Morgan from 1948 to 1962 (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989; Wise's Post Office Directories). The studio closed in the latter year and the space was put to other uses. In 1979, title to Park Buildings transferred to Mary Lefebvre's three sons. The building changed hands twice again before being purchased in 1996, by Kalgoorlie companies Palace Securities (9/10) and Insofaras Pty Ltd (1/10) (C/T Vol. 1528, Fol. 792, 26 March 1979, 4 June 1985, 20 September 1996 & 31 October 1996). Park Buildings have not been well maintained in recent years, and there have been a number of changes to the fabric. A staircase, which gave direct access to the photographic studio on the upper floor of the Park Building, appears to have been removed. Photographs show that it was of the same design as the staircase in Windsor House. It is not clear from the physical evidence exactly where this staircase was situated, but it may have led up from the shop space at the back of the Park Building, which opens off the right hand side of the corridor leading from Hannan Street to Windsor House. The glass fronted display cases that line the right hand side of the corridor would have displayed the photographer's work. The corridor has been divided along its length, providing a private passage to the shop space in question. Whether this alteration was done before or after the photographic studio closed in 1962 is not clear (Pascoe and Thomson, 1989: 10). Other changes have resulted in the removal of the roof and wall glazing in the photographic studio. This room is now the living room of the upper floor residence occupied by the manager of the Palace Hotel. The Hannan Street facade appears to be largely unaltered (photographs, 1905 & 1970s). In 1999, Windsor House was occupied as a backpacker's hostel and has undergone some alterations to the ground floor rooms (West Australian Country Telephone Directory, Central and Eastern Division, 1998).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate Authenticity: Moderate to

Condition

Fair

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

McKenzie's Buildings

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

McKenzie's Buildings is a fine example of a functional commercial building in the Federation Free style, and includes the innovative construction of a water tank on the tower corner of the building. (Criterion 1.2) McKenzie's Buildings, with its substantial presence on the street corner, is an integral element of the prominent intersection of Hannan and Maritana Streets in Kalgoorlie. Collectively the buildings on the corners of the Hannan and Maritana Street intersection, including the McKenzie's Buildings, form a significant cultural environment in the town of Kalgoorlie. (Criteria 1.3 & 1.4) McKenzie's Buildings forms part of the Hannan Street streetscape which, spanning four blocks, is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia. (Criterion 1.4) McKenzie’s Buildings is representative of the successful exploitation of the Eastern Goldfields and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the early 1900s. (Criterion 2.1) McKenzie's Buildings is representative of the third phase of construction on Hannan Street between 1898 and 1908, when the timber and iron buildings were replaced with brick structures. (Criterion 2.2) McKenzie's Buildings is closely associated with Robert D. McKenzie, who constructed the building to house his growing merchandising business, The McKenzie family were associated with the site from 1895 to 1979. (Criterion 2.3) McKenzie's Buildings forms part of the Hannan Street streetscape which is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street in the Eastern Goldfields representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia and as such is significant to the Western Australian community. Spanning four blocks, the Hannan Street precinct has been identified by the National Trust, and listed on the Register of the National Estate, as a significant turn of the century goldfields' town streetscape which extends over three street blocks and comprises one and two storey buildings of various styles of the period. (Criterion 4.1) McKenzie's Buildings, with its substantial presence on the street corner, is an integral element of the prominent intersection of Hannan and Maritana Streets which form a significant cultural environment in the townscape of Kalgoorlie. This prominent intersection contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as a reminder of the 1880s and 1890s Western Australian goldrushes and, as such, has become an easily identifiable icon of this period. (Criteria 4.1 & 4.2) McKenzie's Buildings is an uncommon commercial corner premise in the Kalgoorlie town centre, where most corners are occupied by hotels constructed in the Federation style. (Criterion 5.1) McKenzie's Buildings, is a fine representative example of the Federation Free style of architecture. (Criterion 6.1) McKenzie's Buildings is important in representing a way of life associated with commercial and retail businesses, and the changes which have taken place to continue those functions. (Criterion 6.2) Statement of Significance: McKenzie's Buildings, a three level brick and iron commercial building constructed in 1904, in the Federation Free style, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place, with its substantial presence on the street corner, is an integral element of the prominent intersection of Hannan and Maritana Streets which forms a significant cultural environment in the town of Kalgoorlie. The prominent intersection contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as a reminder of the 1880s and 1890s Western Australian goldrushes and, as such, has become an easily identifiable icon of this period; - the place forms part of the Hannan Street streetscape which, spanning four blocks, is the most extensive, intact and significant commercial street in the Eastern Goldfields representing the 1880s and 1890s goldrushes in Western Australia; - the place is a fine example of a functional commercial building in the Federation Free style, and includes the innovative construction of a water tank on the tower corner; - the construction of the place was a result of the successful exploitation of the Eastern Goldfields and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s; and, - the place is closely associated with Robert D. McKenzie, who constructed the building to house his growing merchandising business. McKenzie and his family were associated with the site from 1895 to 1979.

Physical Description

McKenzie's Buildings is located on the north west corner of Hannan and Maritana Streets, the most significant intersection in Kalgoorlie. The building occupies the entire site and comprises three levels. There are a series of shops at street level, office tenancies in the McKenzie Chambers at the first floor level, and several tenancies in the basement, including retail, storage, studios and offices. McKenzie's Buildings delineates the corner in a distinctive manner as do the Palace Hotel, Exchange Hotel and Australia Building on the other three corners. The building is central within the commercial heart of Kalgoorlie which is essentially two storey buildings, and is integral within the streetscape of Hannan Street. McKenzie's Buildings displays some characteristics of the Federation Free style. The street frontages evidence an eclectic combination of details. The red face brick facade above street level remains intact with the rendered and stucco details contrasting in cream. The flat arched rendered window heads and pediment elements are asymmetrically balanced on each street frontage. A decorative stucco detail runs across the gable tops of the pediments and along the cornice of the parapets. The central arched recessed rendered feature is flanked each side by tourelles, and the arched detail has a stepped rendered border. The infill detail of the Hannan Street pediment has the words ‘McKenzie's Buildings’ in relief. A similar pediment off centre on the Maritana Street frontage states ‘McKenzie and Co. Limited’, and the pediment at the end of the Maritana Street frontage is detailed in a similar manner but with no signage. The fanlights above the windows on the Hannan Street facade show the word ‘Dentist’ painted onto the glass. The corner tower, which no longer has the water tank in place, anchors the corner and emphasises the verticality with tourelle details and vertical windows. The ground floor verandahs along the street frontages show decorative timber balustrading. There is no evidence of there having been a first floor verandah, suggesting a balcony at the upper level instead. Steel posts and token bracket detailing form a verandah colonnade at ground floor level, with boxed canopies along the perimeter. The northwest and southwest face brick walls form the property boundary along both side boundaries. The roof of the place is complex and has four monitor roofs along the building, and one above the chambers entry. Without exception, tenancies on the ground floor have retained the original structural walls, but show no evidence of any original shop fronts, with each tenancy displaying a different style. The corner chemist shop tenancy demonstrates considerable change with a truncated corner and ramped ceramic tile entries into the shop, as well as tiled panels across the top of the shop front glazing. The McKenzie Chambers entrance on Hannan Street evidences a recent refurbishment with pilasters each side of the timber lined pillars. The three steps and entry have been laid with quarry tiles which continue through the double timber framed glazed doorway, with sidelights and fanlights above, to the original staircase. The interiors of the shop tenancies are for the most part modern fitouts, except for the northern most shop on Maritana Street which has retained evidence of all original doors and windows, ceilings and floors. The tenancy central along the Maritana Street facade has retained the pressed metal ceiling which has a central recessed panel. All the tenancies have basements, although only the north tenancy and the chemist shop directly access or use their basement tenancy. The front perimeter of the Maritana Street shops still have the glass block prism pavement tiles in place, providing light to the basement. The basement on the corner frontage is accessed from the McKenzie Chambers entry in Hannan Street. Some of the basement spaces along the Maritana Street frontage are connected to the chamber’s entry. There is another staircase central along the south west wall of the building. It opens onto a covered corridor along that wall which accesses the right of way at the north end. The basement walls are lime washed face brick showing considerable evidence of moisture ingress. Brick piers approximately one metre square provide a structural grid support within the basement spaces. The floors are concrete except for the lobby of the central staircase where there is evidence of clay bricks laid in a circular pattern at the foot of the stairs. The return staircase is timber with vertical timber balustrading. Immediately inside the entry doors of McKenzie Chambers, on the right, is the main staircase to the first floor tenancies, and the basement staircase is on the left. The original turned timber newel post and balusters of the double flight staircase, which leads directly up to the first floor are still in place. The double flight stairwell has a monitor window above. Halfway up the staircase is a small stairway leading to a tenancy on the left. The top of the stairs opens into a large foyer which is part of a wider corridor along the length of the building, accessing all the first floor tenancies. The most striking feature of the upper level is the decorative pressed metal ceilings which are in place throughout with decorative cornices and a series of four monitor windows similarly lined with pressed metal. The monitor windows and extent of the ceilings can only be viewed from within the tenancies. Tenancy fitouts for the entire first floor are quality jarrah doors and window panels, with glazed partitioning above the solid partitioning to door height. The position of the wall partitioning does not correspond to the ceiling patterns which indicate the original room configurations. There are two other sets of stairs between the ground floor and first floor besides the main public entry staircase. Both return staircases are timber detailed with simple vertical balusters. The row of four tenancies on the right each have a large monitor window lined with decorative pressed metal. The tenancy on the immediate right at the top of the main staircase shows evidence of the original plaster moulded circular air vents on the external walls, and the steel support structure for the original water tower which was above the east corner of the building. There is no evidence of stair access to the former tower. Further on the right are two office tenancies with partitioning into smaller office spaces within the tenancies. On the left is a staircase and toilet facilities before two small interconnected offices. A safe is still in place in one of the offices. Further on the left are two more toilets and a small kitchen. An arch across the foyer corridor is one of a series in the wall through to the Maritana Street frontage. The arches have been infilled but defined by a small recess. The next tenancy on the right has a mezzanine floor. On the left, in the west corner of the building, a residential unit has been established with a kitchen and bathroom fitout and a mezzanine bedroom accessed by a simple timber staircase. At the end of the corridor, on the right is the second internal staircase, detailed the same as the other staircase.

History

McKenzie's Buildings is a two-storey plus basement, brick and iron commercial premise constructed in 1904. The place was designed by architects Hawkins and Sprigg in the Federation Free style, and was constructed by W. & J. Park. McKenzie's Buildings was built for R. D. McKenzie & Co to replace their existing timber and iron premises (1894) (Apperly et al, 1989: 136-139). McKenzie's Buildings was refurbished c. 1979 and has continuously functioned as commercial premises since its construction. In June 1893, Paddy Hannan and his partners discovered alluvial gold thirty miles (48 kms) north-east of Coolgardie. A camp, known as Hannan's Find, quickly developed at the site, with bough huts and hessian and canvas structures erected along the edge of the track from Coolgardie. Many of these structures housed businesses to serve the prospectors who flocked to the area. Later that year, George Brookman and Sid Pearce located gold reefs three miles south of Hannan's Find, at what was to become Boulder. On 4 September 1894, Hannan's Find was declared the townsite of Kalgoorlie. The track from Coolgardie became the main street and was named Hannan Street (Webb, 1993: 91; King, 1995: 15; Laurie, 1995: 2-4). With the establishment of the townsite, the second phase of building along Hannan Street began. This was facilitated by the arrival of the Eastern Goldfields railway line in September 1896, which made the transport of more substantial building materials much easier. The original structures were replaced with timber-framed buildings clad in galvanised iron, and usually lined internally with hessian or canvas. The early buildings presented a very real fire hazard, and there were a number of fires in Hannan Street over the ensuing years. Between 1898 and 1908, substantial brick buildings replaced the timber and iron and hessian structures in the town centre, although many timber and iron residences remained in the town (Webb, 1993: 430-432, 540). Lot 59, on the corner of Hannan and Maritana Streets, was first offered for sale by auction in December 1894 (West Australian Government Gazette, 23 November 1894: 1165). It was purchased by John Maxwell Ferguson (C/T Vol. 68, Fol. 144, 19 June 1895). At the time of his purchase there was a small iron building on the site from which Courthorpe & Sullivan were operating as ironmongers, clothiers and general storekeepers (Thiel, 1901: 642; Advertisement, Western Argus, 22 December 1894: 4). In January 1896, title was transferred to Robert Donald McKenzie and Frederick William Strother (C/T Vol. 68, Fol. 144, 9 January 1896). They traded under the name of McKenzie, Strother & Co. The business grew quickly, in keeping with general developments on the Kalgoorlie goldfields, and the building was enlarged. General merchandise was soon abandoned in favour of hardware, timber and furniture (Thiel, 1901: 642). Later in 1896, William Strother retired. McKenzie bought out his share of the business and traded as McKenzie & Co. In 1897, the company was incorporated (Thiel, 1901; C/T Vol. 68, Fol. 144, 29 August 1896). The building continued to be enlarged until it covered the entire lot and a bulk store was built on McDonald Street. When bricks and mortar replaced timber and iron as the major building material in Kalgoorlie, McKenzie & Co gave up the timber trade and concentrated on the hardware and furnishing business. In 1901, the company had: "a London office… and also a branch at Fremantle… McKenzie & Co carry an immense stock of hardware and furniture of all kinds at their establishment, also mining material of every description, the value of the stock on hand being upward of £20,000… The extent of the business necessitates the employment of a staff of twenty permanent hands" (Thiel, 1901: 642-3). Kalgoorlie-Boulder had a combined population at this time of approximately 30,000, with an extensive electric tramline system providing public transportation around the two towns. The Hannan-Maritana street corner was a major intersection, with tramlines running along both streets (Webb, 1993: 553, 771). In 1904, Robert McKenzie engaged architects Hawkins and Sprigg to design a new building for the McKenzie & Co corner site. McKenzie & Co held a 're-building' sale over December 1903 and January 1904, 'to make room for the builders' (Kalgoorlie Miner, Saturday's issues, December 1903: 2). The contractors, W. & J. Park, were supposed to be taking possession of the site at the end of January (Kalgoorlie Miner, 9 January 1904: 2; King, 1976: 5). A drawing of McKenzie's Buildings was published in the Western Argus' Christmas issue of 29 November 1904, with the statement that the place was almost completed. The drawing showed the Maritana Street frontage, which extended the length of the lot (Western Argus, Christmas Issue, 29 November 1904: 55). McKenzie's Buildings was completed the following month, in time for Christmas trading. The place was advertised as 'The Big Store' and signage to that effect was painted on the corner frontage of the building (Kalgoorlie Miner, 23 December 1904: 9). Information received at the time of the physical inspection of the place indicates that a water tank was fitted on top of the corner tower (Information provided to Laura Gray by Bill Robinson, who occupies the Goldfields Business Enterprise Centre in McKenzie's Buildings). No documentary evidence has been located to confirm this however. Early photographs of McKenzie's Buildings show that the section above the tower was covered in large neon signs which may or may not have been attached over a water tank (Webb, 1993: 771; Laurie, 1995: 39). Hawkins & Sprigg had included water storage 'features' in the Semaphore Chambers which they had previously constructed on Hannan Street in 1899, but no details of these features was given (Western Argus, 28 September 1899: 12). Robert Donald McKenzie was born at Maldon, Victoria in 1865. His father was a merchant and mining investor. After being educated at St Paul's Grammar School, Melbourne, he was apprenticed to Briscoe & Co, hardware merchants, and later managed a firm in the Goulburn Valley. In 1892, he moved to Western Australia, first working for Symon, Hubble & Co and then for J. M. Ferguson. McKenzie is claimed to be the first commercial traveller to visit Hannan's Find (Battye, 1915: 330). It may have been on his suggestion that J. M. Ferguson purchased Courthorpe & Sullivan's store, or perhaps Ferguson financed McKenzie's entry into his own business. Robert McKenzie was elected to the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council in the first election in 1895, topping the poll, and was elected Mayor in 1897. He served on two Royal Commissions relating to the mining industry and, in 1898, was elected the first president of the Kalgoorlie Chamber of Commerce, a position he held for many years. In 1904 he was elected to the Legislative Council for the North-East province. He was Chairman of Directors of the Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Company, and had pastoral interests on the Blackwood River (Battye, 1915: 330; Western Argus, 4 May 1895: 2). Title to McKenzie's Buildings was transferred to McKenzie & Co Ltd in 1923 (C/T Vol. 827, Fol. 171, 5 April 1923). Robert McKenzie died on 14 May 1928, but McKenzie & Co continued to trade until about 1940. In July that year, title passed to Robert's widow, Emma Mary McKenzie (C/T Vol. 827, Fol. 171, 31 July 1940; Wise's Post Office Directories, 1920-1941). In 1941, the ground floor corner shop space in McKenzie's Buildings was occupied by J. Bailey's grocers. Other tenants who occupied the building at this time, included a fruiterer and confectioner, dentist, music teacher, solicitor, furniture dealer, Musgroves music wholesalers, and Nestle's Ltd (Wise's Post Office Directories, 1941-1949). Since at least 1970, the street corner shop space has been occupied as a chemist shop (West Australian Telephone Directories, 1970-1998). Following Emma McKenzie's death in 1955, title passed to her children and, later, to some of her grandchildren among others. By 1970, title to McKenzie's Buildings had been divided into fourteen shares (C/T Vol. 827, Fol. 171, 15 September 1955, 22 September 1958, 24 October 1962, 16 October 1964; Vol. 320, Fol. 5A, 23 January 1970; Vol. 475, Fol. 5A, 19 February 1971). McKenzie family interests in the place ended in 1979, when Graeme John Crisp, pharmacist, Kenneth Joseph Hall, electrician, and Trevor Dudley Kent, builder, purchased McKenzie's Buildings (C/T Vol. 1537, Fol. 595, 27 July 1979). Graeme Crisp, Chemist occupied the shop space on the street corner of the building at this time (West Australian Telephone Directories, 1980-1994). McKenzie’s Buildings was extensively refurbished by the new owners. The refurbishment included the addition of partitions on the upper floor. In March 1994, McKenzie's Buildings changed hands for a reputed one million dollars and is currently owned by a group of investors in East Perth (C/T Vol. 1537, Fol. 595, 2 March 1994). Net rental for the building at time of sale was put at $159,399 (Health Department File, 56 Piccadilly Street, 05-03-41, 1994). One change to the facade of McKenzie's Buildings concerns access to the upper floor balcony, above the ground floor verandah. The balcony on the upper level was accessed by a doorway in the Maritana Street corner frontage, but this doorway has since been converted to a window with an arched top to match the rest of the windows (Webb, 1993: 771). This appears to have been done prior to the c. 1979 refurbishment. In September 1994, approval was granted by Kalgoorlie Town Council for the truncation of the ground floor corner elevation and the addition of a new doorway at the truncation, affecting entry into the chemist shop (Minutes of Kalgoorlie Town Council, 12 September 1994: 1290, HCWA File 1295). In 2001, McKenzie's Buildings continues to function as retail and office premises.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair - Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Mechanics' Institute (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Mechanics Institute (fmr) with its Federation Filigree style, in common with the two-storeyed hotels that line Hannan Street, together with the verandah and balcony over the pavement, continues the visual character of Hannan Street. (Criterion 1.3) Mechanics Institute (fmr) is a representative example of the purpose built buildings erected by progressive social organisations, that played an important role in the early education and cultural development of communities in newly settled centres. (Criterion 2.1) The construction of Mechanics Institute (fmr) is closely associated with the rapid population growth in the eastern goldfields at the turn-of-the-century. (Criterion 2.2) Mechanics Institute (fmr) is a representative example of the Federation Filigree style popular in Kalgoorlie at the turn of the century. The style of the building is evidence of the wealth, civic pride and communal confidence generated by the goldfields community at the turn of the century. (Criterion 6.1) Statement of Significance: Mechanics Institute (fmr), a two-storey Federation Filigree style commercial building, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - it is a representative example of the purpose built buildings erected by progressive social organisations, that played an important role in the early education and cultural development of communities in newly settled centres; - the place contributes strongly to the visual character of Hannan Street; and, - the place is closely associated with the rapid population growth in the Eastern Goldfields at the turn-of-the century.

Physical Description

Mechanics Institute (fmr) is a two-storey commercial building built to the street alignment of Hannan Street in the Federation Filigree style (Apperly et al, 1989: 108-111). The building was originally constructed as single-storey, a basement and a second floor was added in 1902 (National Trust of Australia (WA) files). The style of the building is evidence of the wealth, civic pride and communal confidence generated by the goldfields community at the turn of the century. The style is common in Kalgoorlie, in particular with the two-storeyed hotels that line Hannan Street. The walls of the building are in red brickwork laid in English bond and the building has a steeply-pitched hipped roof covered with corrugated iron. An iron palisade decorates the roof summit. An Italianate balustraded parapet surrounds the roof, partially concealing it. A verandah and balcony extend across the facade over the pavement. The balcony is supported on tall, slender Tuscan columns on rendered pedestals. The corner supports are arranged in a group of three, and the two centre supports are paired. The balcony floor framing is concealed behind a fascia with decorative timber brackets that appear as if they support the rendered pedestals on the balcony above. The balcony is covered with a lean-to roof clad in corrugated iron supported by short Corinthian columns surmounted by turned posts. The posts are decorated by an elliptical arched frieze. The bracketed fascia is repeated below the balcony roof line. The balcony columns follow the arrangement of the columns below. The balcony is protected by an Italianate balustrade similar to the parapet detailing but in a smaller profile. Windows are flat arched, double-hung sashes. The ground floor facade was remodelled in 1976, when the building underwent restoration works. The facade has glazed shopfronts in aluminium frames either side of a semi-circular arched raised entrance. The bricks walls of the ground floor have been faced in stone. The interior comprises a wide entrance passage which extends to a hall approached under a corbelled archway. The hall spanned the width of the building with a smaller archway on the rear wall for egress. The character of the hall has been changed through the additions and alterations of 1902, which partially enclose the space. A carved timber staircase is on the west side which leads to the upper floor offices, and a timber stair on the east side leads to a basement. The basement stair partially conceals a doorway on what was originally the rear wall of the building. Shops were created along the west wall of the former hall with timber panelling enclosures, and a ticket office with double-hung sash windows, was created on the rear elevation opposite the passage. The walls of the passage are strengthened with regularly spaced engaged piers and the ceiling is lined with ripple-iron. While the hall was being used as a billiards room, the ceiling was lined with timber boards, the dado was lined with vertical timber boards with horizontal boards above. The billiard tables sat on tiled sections on the floor. At some stage, the ceiling was covered with embossed metal ceiling linings; much of it remains, and the timber floorboards are now covered with carpet. The shops created at the rear retain etched pane, one pane has been replaced with textured and thickened glass. The stair has ripple-iron and pressed metal soffit. Most of the original cornices are now covered by the staircase to the upper level. The first floor has pressed metal ceilings and carpet covered floorboards. Double timber panelled doors were added behind the original entrance door creating a vestibule (the doors were probably installed when the Mechanics Institute occupied the building). The doors have brass plates and glazed panels etched with "Mechanics Institute". The ceiling of the vestibule is lined with timber boards. Semi-circular arched windows have been added to the east elevation in the former hall. The small archway in the former hall has been enclosed with double-doors. In 1976, under the direction of architects, Oldham Boas Ednie-Brown, restoration works were carried out. The facade was remodelled, the shop on the west side of the passage was converted for use by the Mechanics Institute (fmr). The work included the creation of a second entrance off Hannan Street, the glazing of the west wall of the passage, an additional internal doorway from the bank to the rear of the building, installation of suspended ceilings and new lighting, the division of the upper level offices into smaller offices including a tea room with timber and glass partitions, the installation of new suspended ceilings and light fittings upstairs, and the addition of kitchen and toilets to the north-west corner extending the rear of the building. The additions are in brickwork with a concrete floor. A lean-to roof was added across the rear of the building that abuts the adjoining building on the east side. A landing bay on the rear wall on the upper level has been bricked-up. A narrow laneway extending the length of the east elevation from Hannan Street to the carpark behind, has been brick paved. The laneway is covered and the ceiling is lined with pressed metal. Openings on the shop walls facing the laneway have been boarded over with corrugated iron (the date of these alterations is not known). In 1994, general repairs to the building were carried out.

History

: In most parts of Australia, early library services were provided by churches and Sunday schools, and through organisations variously referred to as mechanics' institutes, literary institutes etc. The emergence of mechanics' institutes in Western Australia grew in a sporadic way, following the pattern of settlement and growth, which itself was influenced by the unique circumstances of the colony's establishment (Rose et al, 1994: 126-27). The Kalgoorlie Miners' Institute was established in 1895. The objects of the Institute were, "the cultivation of Literature, Science and Art, the intellectual improvement, and the recreation of its members" (Regulations of the Kalgoorlie Mechanics Institute', 1905. Even though the name had changed, the objectives did not). In April 1896, a new building was being erected in readiness for the opening of the railway line when a banquet was to be held in the hall portion. The banquet was held on 8 September 1896, many prominent politician and government officials being present. The formal opening took place on 23 December (National Trust of Australia (WA) assessment). Decisions concerning the erection of new premises were made at the Annual General Meeting in 1901, as follows: "That a permanent design be prepared as soon as possible for a proper Institute building ...That in carrying out such new building the first consideration be given to the front, both as necessary in view of the rapidly increasing number of members, and as likely to produce a larger and more reliable venue than the hall" (Kalgoorlie Miners' Institute Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 1901). In 1902, plans were drawn up by architect Harvey G. Draper for a larger building. The foundation stone was laid on 7 May 1902, by R.D. Thompson, President of the Miners' Institute. Contractors for the job were Messrs. Ellis, Pitman and Totterdell and Mr R. Pilgrim acted as clerk of works (Kalgoorlie Miner, 21 October 1902: 20). An article in the Kalgoorlie Miner in October 1902, provided an extensive description of the progress of the building: "... Briefly described, the building is a two-storey one, the walls being of brick, and the whole covered by a Mansard roof, surrounded by [sic] ornamental cement cornice. On the ground floor, immediately opening on to the pavement are three shops; with handsome plate glass fronts and faced with handsome granite piers. Over the footway is the verandah, which is supported by artistic iron columns with pedestals, the appearance of which is substantial as well as pleasing to the eye. What is ultimately intended to be the main corridor is temporarily to be utilised as a shop or office. ... The greater part of the first floor is occupied by the main room ... which will serve the purpose of the subscribers' library. Adjoining it are three smaller rooms, intended respectively to be a ladies' room, magazine room and members' room. ... A staircase descending from the street will give access to the basement, which, as is now generally known, will be fitted up as a restaurant or dining room, although originally part of it had been intended for a billiard saloon. ... As already stated, the idea is to make additions to the building in order to fully complete the design. Provision has been made for extensions in the rear, and the walls have been built strong enough to carry a third storey, when that is considered desirable or requisite. Should this be carried into effect it is intended to surmount the building by a fine dome roof, which will furnish the finishing touch to a design of which Kalgoorlie will have cause to be proud (Kalgoorlie Miner, 21 October 1902: 20). The cost of the building in 1902, amounted to £6,000 (Kalgoorlie Miner, 21 October 1902: 20). The success of the new building is outlined in the 1903 Annual Report: "During the past year the new premises have been occupied, and the Institute has been newly furnished throughout. A large Reading Room is now available, with excellent card and games, magazine and ladies' rooms and a balcony 48 feet x 15 feet - which later proved exceedingly popular during the hot summer months. The Institute can now fairly claim to be one of the best institutes of its kind in West Australia" (Kalgoorlie Miners' Institute Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 1903). The land on which the building was erected was granted by the Government, and vested in five trustees, viz.: Messrs R. D. Tompson, T. F. Brimage, W. M. Oats and H. W. Taylor and Senator S. Smith. The Government also gave two special monetary grants of £500, and the Institute received annual grants varying from £25 to £100 (Thiel, 1901: 633-634). In 1904, the Committee decided to give up using the original 1896 hall for public entertainment and converted it to a first class billiard room. It continued to be used as a billiard room until March 1957 when it became a furniture supplier's storeroom. In 1904, the Kalgoorlie Miners' Institute became an incorporated body and changed its name to the Kalgoorlie Mechanics' Institute. The objectives of the Institute remained the same, though the Constitution, Regulations and By-Laws were revised (Kalgoorlie Mechanics' Institute Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 1904). The Mechanics' Institute maintained a healthy membership over the years, providing a free reading room to the public and a programme of educational lectures. In Kalgoorlie, it is noted that there were clear links between the mechanics' institute movement, the need for trained men in the gold-mining industry, and agitation for the establishment of schools of mines in Western Australia (Rose et al, 1994: 146). In August 1973, the Home Building Society leased a shop in the building and opened a branch there two months later. In December 1975, Home Building Society acquired the building as an additional asset (C/T 1171/871). At this time it was decided to modernise the interior to suit the requirements of modern office accommodation and renovate the exterior, endeavouring to retain as much as possible of the original design and appearance. The architectural firm of Oldham, Boas Ednie-Brown was commissioned to organise the programme which was carried out by contractors H. R. Cody Pty. Ltd. The work commenced in May 1976, at an estimated cost of $155,000 (National Trust files). In 2000 the building was sold by the Home Building Society, but continues to be used for office and commercial accommodation.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Moderate Authenticity: Moderate to Low

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Government Buildings, Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

The massive scale and grandeur of the Government Buildings is of aesthetic importance to the goldfields community. The building is a fine example of J. H. Grainger's architectural skill in handling mass, scale and detail in a large Italianate civic building. The Government Buildings, centrally located on Hannan Street, has ensured the building became an integral part of the townscape. The clock tower is a recognised Kalgoorlie landmark. The functions of the Government Buildings were directly associated with mining activities, therefore the building is a constant reminder of the history of the town's foundation. The Government Buildings was the first major public building erected in Kalgoorlie. It was an important confirmation of the permanence of the mining town. Prominent persons associated with the construction of the building include the Premier Sir John Forrest; mining warden J. M. Finnerty; and government architect J. H. Grainger. The massive scale of the Government Buildings, incorporating postal services, telecommunications and a miners court, demonstrates the State's recognition of the importance of the Kalgoorlie goldfields in the economic development of Western Australia, at the turn of the century. The building is widely recognised in Western Australia as being associated with Kalgoorlie. The social significance of the Government Buildings was nationally recognised in 1992, when Australia Post featured the building as part of a set of four stamps celebrating the centenary of the discovery of the West Australian goldfields. The Government Buildings is the largest public building constructed outside the metropolitan area. The Government Buildings is a representative example of the extensive public buildings program undertaken by the State Government in goldfields localities such as Coolgardie, Cue, Kalgoorlie and Leonora. Statement of Significance: Government Buildings has considerable cultural significance because: - the external architectural grandeur of the building is rarely found outside the metropolitan area; - the place strongly contributes to the visual character of Hannan Street; - the place is a fine example of the work of Architect, J. H. Grainger; - the place is closely associated with the early development of Kalgoorlie and the eastern goldfields, - the place is associated with prominent historic persons, including Sir John Forrest (Premier), J. M. Finnerty (Mining Warden) and J. H. Grainger (Government Architect); and, - the place has local, State and National recognition as a landmark associated with Kalgoorlie and the eastern goldfields.

Physical Description

: A building report (1969) indicates that the interior of the building has had no major structural alterations, although there has been a number of minor alteration (Department of Works, 1969). The Conservation Plan (1993) provides a more detailed statement on changes to the building fabric, and its condition. A major visual alteration concerns the cladding of the roof. The roof of the front elevation and ends of the main part of the building was originally clad with slate and the remainder being clad with corrugated iron. However, the slate roofing was replaced during the 1930s with galvanised iron. In 1958, when the building underwent maintenance, the roof originally covered by slates was re-laid with clay tiles, restoring some of the building's old character. The building was renovated again in 1965 at a cost of £20,274. During this building programme, the remainder of the main part of the building still covered with galvanised iron was laid with tiles to match those put on in 1958. Several changes which took place are set out in the Conservation Plan, and include: - 1905: Enclosing a section of the ground floor rear and erecting and modifying toilets on the rear first floor verandah; - 1911: Enlarging the front section to include a portion of the ground floor arcade to form a Banking Chamber with court access shifted to the side door. A section of the rear office was extended and a section of the ground floor walkway enclosed as for 1905; - post war: Additional facilities erected on the first floor and the ground floor area converted to toilets. Suspended ceilings to most areas and air-conditioning units installed (for additional detail, refer to the Conservation Plan). The some structural damage to the building occurred in November 1992, when a car mounted the footpath and demolished a column and two adjacent arches of the arcade. However, these elements have since been rebuilt. Apart from minor cracks, the render sections and embellishments of the facade are sound. Apart from damage caused by dropping mortar from stone patching, the tiled roof is in good condition. Internally, floors, plaster, joinery, paintwork and ceilings are in good condition. Where visible the original ripple iron ceilings appear sound with no rust or deterioration. Much of the ceiling has been overlaid with suspended plasterboard to conceal duct work above. Very few, if any, of the original fittings and furniture remain. However, despite changes in the Government Offices occupying the building the main fabric has been respected and the few changes integrated into the facade. In 1997, the face of the stonework on the facade of the Post Office was ground back approximately 10 mm in places and the stone face is now flush with the mortar joints. Other works undertaken to the stonework included: - a reconstituted stone mix was used on the building comprising crushed stone, two varieties of sands (beach and course grain sand from Esperance), lime (weather damaged plasterers lime), and Danish white cement; - the decision to use reconstituted stone rather than indenting with matching stone was believed to have made by the Contractors; - cement mortars were used to pack behind the reconstituted stone, in some cases 4:1 and others 6:1. In some areas, in particular the north wall, a heavy grey cement was used to give a 'structural boost' to the walling as deterioration of stone was approximately 300 mm deep (pers. comm., Mr Willis-Jones, stonemason, 1997); - galvanised nails and trimmings from reinforcement mesh were used as dowels, as experimental; - 'Bondcrete' causing the grime appearance (which was applied to the lower half of the ground floor facade only) was not injurious to the stonework, no evidence of rising damp. The decision to remove the 'Bondcrete' was for aesthetic reasons; - the 'Bondcrete' was removed by using a scabbling tool with a needle gun attachment (causing a newly textured surface) to approximately 40-50% of the stone face for the hollow spots, and grinding disks and wheels were used to shave back flat faces, high spots and joints. Other work included: - some mortar joints re-pointed by the tradesmen are of a different colour and composition to the original mortar joints; and - some surface markings applied to imitate the original tool marks do not match. Possible causes of stone deterioration yet to be solved: - concrete air drains at the north and the north-east side of the building are water saturated. The downpipes do not connect directly to the drains. It is not known exactly to where the ducts are connected. - taps attached to the exterior walls, in particular the north wall, run-off outside the drain allowing water to freely splash over the walls. Some evidence of fretted stonework in these areas. - the stonework has been replaced at the point of entry of a service channel carrying air conditioning ducts on the north wall; - rendered bands on the lower section of the exterior walls and brick paving partially cover wall vents reducing sub-floor ventilation. - falling damp at facade (west side of the building) is causing deterioration - evidence of mould at top of wall.

History

Communication with the outside world was a very important issue for the great number of people who flocked to the Kalgoorlie area, after the discovery of gold in 1892-93. As a result there was a pressing need for a postal service. After the appointment of a temporary Postmaster, the first official mail was received on 11 February, 1894 (Department of Works, 1969). The volume of mail steadily increased, to such an extent that the postmaster refused to continue work, unless he received additional help and a temporary post office. The post office was built out of poles and filter cloth, over a weekend. Such was the growth of business that by November 1895 the postal staff had reached 14 and a new building was urgently required. With the advent of the railway to the goldfields reaching Kalgoorlie in September 1896, and consequently cheaper freight, hessian buildings rapidly gave way to buildings of corrugated iron ones, and, in some instances, stone which was quarried locally. The much needed additional Post Office was built of galvanised iron. It was commenced on 8 July 1896 and completed by 19 August of the same year by the builders Philip and Royle, at a cost of £708.5.0. However, by 1897 there was growing agitation for the provision of more suitable accommodation for the growing postal requirements of the community and the increasing number of public officers, who served Kalgoorlie and the surrounding area. Coincidentally, the Public Works Department was taking steps to establish a permanent office in Kalgoorlie. The following report on the progress of design work was included in the Architects report of the Public Works Department Annual Report. "Kalgoorlie Public Buildings: This block is proposed to face Hannan Street, and will comprise the Wardens Court and Offices, offices of the principal officials and branches of the Mines Department, the Courts of Justice, and a large Central Post and Telegraph Office. The Building, as designed, will be the largest and finest of the buildings so far erected on the Goldfields of the Colony. The working plans are approaching completion" (Department of Works, 1969: 6). It was proposed to construct the building on Lots 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66. Local newspapers reported with eager anticipation all stages of the construction of the building. 'Mr Grainger, the Architect-in-Chief, and officers of his staff have arrived in Kalgoorlie to act in connection with the work, which is to be put into hand at once. It will be a fine block of buildings... ' (Western Argus, 12 May 1898: 20). A report in the Kalgoorlie Miner, dated 7 May 1898, described the new civic buildings as follows: "Kalgoorlie's New Public Buildings - In view of the fact that work is now started on the erection of the delayed public buildings for Kalgoorlie, the tender of Messrs. Couston and Finlayson for £22,000 having been accepted a couple of days ago, some particulars of what is going to be done will be of interest. Anything like a full statement of the architectural details would require too much space, but the main features may be told of. The block of two-storey buildings is to be located on the space alongside the Miner's Institute and to the front of the present wood and iron Government offices. They will be right on the edge of the footpath line and will have a total frontage of 261 feet, with a clock tower 110 feet high to the top of the dome in the centre. The Post and Telegraph departments will occupy the right hand half. The front, along the whole length of the building, will be arcaded, the supports being round colonnades, and facing the street under the arcade of the Post Office half, will be the usual letter and parcel receiving boxes. The main entrance will terminate in a postal hall, 59ft.6in. by 25ft, and 21ft high, around which are money order clerks' and other offices. A kiosk, where stamps are to be had, will be located in the middle of the postal hall, which will be well lighted by windows at the upper part of the walls. To the left of the 10ft wide hallway will be a 53ft x 25ft sorting-room, with private letter boxes in front. The postmaster will have his quarters, or a considerable part of them, on the ground floor, also his and his clerk's offices. There will be a separate entrance from the street to the Savings Bank, which will be a separate division and comprise, besides the public business apartments, several clerks' rooms. The upstairs portion of the right half of the long building will be occupied by the telegraph and telephone divisions. The telegraph operating room will be the chief one and the Telephone Exchange will be next in importance. There will be battery, clerk's, lavatories, cloak rooms, etc ranged around the space occupied by the upper part of the postal hall, the roof of which will be of the same height as the rest of the building, in order that direct light may be given to every room... A feature of the buildings, which are to be fairly elaborate in the way of exterior appearance, will be tile roofs. It must be mentioned that there is to be a big underground tank for water, with a holding capacity of 18,000 gallons, while there will also be tanks on the roofs, with piping attached and hose ready for use in case of fire" (Kalgoorlie Miner, 7 May 1898). Soon after this report appeared, work commenced on the building. The footings were of concrete, and the external faces and colonnades in local freestone and granite quarried locally at the Ashlar Quarry (Department of Works, 1969: 11). The progress of the construction was reported in the Western Argus in September 1898: "Very good progress has been made by the contractors, Messrs Couston and Finlayson, with the Kalgoorlie Public Buildings. The brick and stone portion of the first half - the Post Office section - has been completed, and the carpenters are now working at the roof timber. It is expected that this section will be ready for occupation in four weeks hence. The foundation work has started for the other half - the Warden's Court section - and preparations are being made for the erection of the superstructure of the big clock tower. About 40 men are now engaged on the work, and under the skilful direction of Mr. Finlayson and Mr D. Fraser, the foreman, with the assistance of Mr. Cottrell, the clerk, the labor is being done to the best advantage and well. Mr Phair, the Government supervisor, is always in evidence too. All connected with the buildings seem to take a pride in their work. For the hauling of material to the upper parts of the big structure an engine is used" (Western Argus, 22 September 1898: 20). The Post Office wing was completed in January 1899 and the postal and telegraph staff were transferred into the new building in February 1899. Not long after, electric light was installed. Meanwhile, the old post office building was demolished and the east wing of the building constructed. The court chamber in the Warden's Court section of the Government Buildings was used for the first time on 25 September, 1899 (Western Argus, 28 September 1899: 20). Later, on the 9 October 1899, a group of distinguished gentlemen assembled at the new Courthouse, at the invitation of the Warden, to celebrate the official opening of the buildings (Western Argus, 12 October 1899: 20). The tower and clock are of particular note. The tower, rising 100ft above the pavement, is an excellent example of the masons' skill, and serves as a city landmark, as well as housing 8 water tanks for fighting fires. The Premier, Sir John Forrest, who attended the Coolgardie Exhibition on 30 March 1899, also paid a visit to Kalgoorlie. During this visit the Premier promised a clock for the tower. The Western Argus, of 13 April 1899, published a photograph of the laying of the last brick of the tower. The value of the tower as an observation point was quickly realised and the newspaper published a series of photographs of Kalgoorlie taken from the top of the tower (Western Argus, 27 April 1899: 12). There was a delay of several months before the clock was installed and in the meantime the four gaping faces were used by sightseers as a lookout. The town clock, provided by the State Government, was formally started on 11 August 1900, by the Resident Magistrate, J. M. Finnerty (Western Argus, 16 August 1900: 15). After a 15 months construction period and a further wait of 11 months for the clock, the Government Buildings were finally complete. The building, apart from its massive size and scale, has a civic grandeur that is rare in Western Australia. It is a fine example of Grainger's architecture. During the period of construction of the Government Buildings, Kalgoorlie was the scene of much building activity. “In addition to the speedily progressing work in connection with the Public Buildings in Hannan-street, there is much activity at the eastern end of the street... Occasional visitors to Kalgoorlie do not fail in finding cause from time to time for expressions of approval at the steadily progressive improvement of the architecture of the town” (Western Argus, 18 May 1899: 20). In March 1901, the postal service in Western Australia was officially taken over by the Commonwealth Government. Henceforth, the Post and Telegraph Office portion of the Public Building in Kalgoorlie was Commonwealth owned. During WWII, some of the rooms on the first floor west end were used by the Australian Broadcasting Commission as a wireless station, but generally the building continues to be used for the purpose for which it was built.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Child Places

• 01297 City Markets

Values

10(A) Importance in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Western Australia’s history;
The relatively modest, largely single storey narrow fronted buildings that make up Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie illustrate the unique history of its formation as a streetscape of commercial buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (historic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is an integral part of the Hannan Street precinct, which symbolises the spirit of optimism generated by the rich gold finds in the Eastern Goldfields, and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s (historic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has importance as a municipal-owned commercial precinct continuously managed by the local government and developed to encourage ongoing commercial growth and business activity in the central business district of Kalgoorlie, as well as encouraging provision of fresh foodstuffs to local residents, since the 1890s (rarity value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie illustrates the changing nature of retail trade and shopping trends in a major regional centre over time (historic value).
10(B) Importance in demonstrating rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Western Australia’s heritage;
City Markets is a rare example of an early twentieth century architecturally designed market building built in the goldrush era in Western Australia and demonstrates the efforts of the local municipality to ensure fresh provisions were available to locals in this remote regional location (rarity value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is rare as group of civic and commercial buildings comprising a complete street block owned and managed by a local government authority over a period of more than 120 years. No place similar is known to exist in Australia. Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is rare as a streetscape of commercial and retail buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (rarity value).
10(C) Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Western Australia’s history;
Kalgoorlie is an important historical city in Western Australia and is associated with the discovery of gold and the development of this important industry at a time when Australia was experiencing low-level depression.3 Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie was constructed by the lessees as a series of individual buildings, between 1898 and 1908. The extant brick buildings gradually replaced existing timber, iron, and hessian structures, originally erected on the site, as a result of the wealth amassed from Kalgoorlie being considered one of the richest gold centres in the world.4 There is low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits and features associated with earlier built structures to remain within the precinct, which has the potential to provide information on the early development of Kalgoorlie (aesthetic value).
10(D) Its importance in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of places;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is a representative example of a late nineteenth century and early twentieth century commercial streetscape in a gold rush town. The scale and expression of its architecture, the extent of its streetscape quality and its high integrity all contribute to its value. It is important in representing a way of life associated with commercial and retail businesses, and the changing nature of those functions over time (representativeness value).
10(E) Any strong or special meaning it may have for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is of value to the local community for its continuous role in the provision of retail and commercial services since c 1900s to the present, as well as being a significant and well-known landmark in Hannan Street. It continues to play a vital role in the activities of the central business district of Kalgoorlie (social value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie contributes to the local and wider community's sense of place as the centre of the gold rushes of the 1890s and of present-day gold mining. Similarly, it is valued by other Australians as a major tourist attraction that makes a significant contribution to the cultural density of Kalgoorlie-Boulder (social value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie as part of the historical Hannan Street precinct is highly valued by Western Australians, contributing to their sense of history and place. Inclusion of the place on the now defunct Register of the National Estate in October 1980, together with its classification by the National Trust of Australia (WA), in 1977, is an indication of its long standing social value (social value).
10(F)5 Its importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics valued by any group or community;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie makes an important contribution to the townscape of Kalgoorlie and Hannan Street for its aesthetic characteristics, comprising a contiguous row of connected single and two-storey Federation-era commercial buildings (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie collectively retains its original scale and configuration, distinctive shopfronts, decorative parapets, verandahs, and balconies which extend across the facades and pavement forming an almost continuous canopy along the streetscape. Many of the buildings have individual design merit and contribute to the aesthetic value of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie and Hannan Street as a whole. Although some structures have been altered, the streetscape still conveys the character and texture of a gold rush town (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie comprises fine examples of architectural styles of the Federation period with City Markets providing a centrepiece to the streetscape. It has landmark value and is an example of the Federation Anglo-Dutch style with distinctive turrets, roof forms, classical detailing, and interior open market spaces (aesthetic value).
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is highly valued by the community as a long-standing and well-known commercial precinct in the central business district of Kalgoorlie, which in its scale and architectural expression, represents the optimism of the growing gold boom town from its heyday (aesthetic value).
10(G) Any special association it may have with the life or work of a person, group or organisation of importance in Western Australia’s history;
Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie, located on Hannan Street, is closely associated with its namesake Patrick (Paddy) Hannan, who discovered alluvial gold, along with his partners Thomas Flanagan and Daniel Shea, that sparked the goldrush. This led to the development of the town which was directly associated with the longevity of the operation of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie as a commercial precinct
6 (historic value).
The following is a list of Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie tenants who contributed to the cultural heritage of Western Australia (historic value):
• Charles Joseph Totterdell (tenant of Lot 160) was the builder of 8 shops on Lot 160 and held a 21-year lease for the whole of lot 160. His son was Joseph Totterdell, MLA Liberal, Member of Parliament.
• Charles Kidman, brother of pastoralist Sidney Kidman was a co-owner of the butcher (tenant of 262). His co-owner and business partner was Wentworth D’Arcy Uhr.
• Wentworth D’Arcy Uhr (tenant of 262) was actively engaged in multiple incidents of frontier violence including several massacres of Aboriginals. He was also the subject of numerous court cases defending charges which ranged from murder and assault to race-fixing and fraud.7
• Robert D McKenzie (tennant 264–266) was chairman of Kalgoorlie Brewing and Ice Company, the first President of the Chamber of Commerce, was elected to the first Kalgoorlie Municipal Council, served as Mayor between 1897–1898 and was elected to the Legislative Council of WA for Northeast Province
• General Motor’s Holden (tenant of 282-284) in 1928
• Baird Bros (tenant 304) was the first tenant in this building in 1902 and became a major department store in Western Australia. CR William Daniel Jones who was one of the first elected Kalgoorlie Municipal Council members was the Manager of Baird Bros.

Statement of Significance

What is significant? Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie at 250–316 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, comprises a group of single and two storey buildings that include the City Markets and Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers on the north side of Hannan Street in the civic and commercial centre of Kalgoorlie. Elements that contribute to the significance of the place include (but are not limited to): • Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers1 - (c 1907–1908) a Federation Free Classical building continuously used as a civic, social and cultural centre in association with the municipality; • City Markets2 - (c 1901) architecturally designed market building owned and operated by the city council and continually used as a market. • Streetscape – buildings extending along the eastern boundary form an intact continuous streetscape, connected in row formation with shared common parapet walls, shop fronts, and deep adjacent verandahs, that retain a visual quality as represented in the early twentieth century Goldrush era; • Original fabric in the interiors of the shops from c 1890; • Materiality – brick, stone and stucco with corrugated iron roofs, together with timber or cast iron verandahs; • Shopfronts including windows and doors, upper-level facades including balconies; • Extant intact original pressed metal ceilings; • Extant intact original verandah posts; • Verandah roof structures including upper-level verandah roofs; and • Low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits associated with earlier buildings c 1898–1908. Elements that do not contribute to the State significance of the place, and include (but are not limited to): The Public Toilets located north of the east corner; • Rear carpark to the rear of shops No 282-314 Hannan Street; and • Laneway between Town Hall & Civic Centre and No 314 Hannan Street. How is it significant? Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is of aesthetic, historic, rarity, representativeness, scientific, and social value and satisfies the following factors relevant to cultural heritage significance: (A) importance in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Western Australia’s history; (B) importance in demonstrating rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Western Australia’s heritage; (C) potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Western Australia’s history; (D) importance in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of places; (E) strong or special meaning it has for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations; (F) importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics valued by any group or community; (G) special association it has with the life or work of a person, group or organisation of importance in Western Australia’s history; Why is it significant? Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has significance as a unique example of the State government’s practice of municipal endowment land grants (1890–1950s), with the intention of providing a long-term source of income for local authorities (Factor A & B); Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has historical significance as a rare group of civic and commercial buildings that have been continuously owned and managed for the purpose of municipal endowment by a local government authority for a period of more than one hundred years. No place similar is known to exist in Australia (Factor B); Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie has significance for its many individual buildings, developed over multiple periods, which are fine examples of Federation period architecture, in a variety of different styles, which convey the character and texture of a gold rush town and illustrates the unique history of its formation as a streetscape of commercial buildings constructed by the lessees of the sites rather than the owners (Factors A, C, D & F); Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is significant as a row of connected single and two-storey buildings that retain their original scale and configuration, distinctive shopfronts, decorative parapets, and verandahs which extend across the facades and pavement forming an almost continuous canopy along the streetscape (Factors D & F); City Markets is a rare example of an early twentieth century architecturally designed market building in Western Australia with high social significance representing many facets of retail trade including providing fresh provisions to a remote regional location (Factors B & E); Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is an integral part of the broader Hannan Street Precinct which contributes to the wider community's sense of place and symbolises the spirit of optimism generated by the rich gold finds in the Eastern Goldfields, and the continuing development of Kalgoorlie as the major administrative and commercial centre of the goldfields in the late 1890s and the early 1900s (Factor E &G); and the imposing and substantial Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers has landmark value within Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie (Factor F).

Physical Description

Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie comprises a contiguous commercial precinct on the northwest side of Hannan Street, including three two storey buildings in a predominantly single storey arrangement. The buildings are connected in a row formation, sharing common parapet walls continuously along the Hannan Street frontage which is characterised by Federation-era facades, shopfronts and deep continuous verandahs that overhang the footpath.

Archaeology

Archaeological Potential The original timber, iron and hessian structures along Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie were replaced between 1898 and 1908 by the existing brick buildings. Further research may investigate the low to moderate potential for archaeological deposits and features associated with earlier built structures to remain within the precinct, which has the potential to provide information on the early development of Kalgoorlie. While considerable disturbance is likely to have occurred across the majority of the area, any archaeological elements associated with this phase of the town would be of considerable archaeological interest.

Condition

Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie is generally considered to be in good condition. There is some evidence of rising damp in No. 290 Hannan Street, but most premises are well maintained and well presented.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Child Places

• 01297 City Markets

Statement of Significance

Endowment Block makes an important contribution to the townscape of Kalgoorlie. The single-storey and two-storey shops and commercial buildings retain their original configuration, parapets and verandah cover over the pavement. Although some structures have been altered, the Endowment Block still conveys the essence of a goldrush town.

Physical Description

: The Endowment Block comprises the north side of Hannan Street within one street block which extends from the Town Hall at Wilson Street to the Tourist Centre in St Barbara's Square. The single and two-storey buildings are built to the building line of Hannan Street and form a masonry 'wall' for the length of the block. The features of the exteriors of the buildings are the decorative parapets and the verandahs and balconies that extend across the facades and over the pavement and form an almost continuous canopy down the streetscape. Typical features that characterise the buildings' periods are shopfronts with recessed entrances and large display windows on the facade with stall boards below and highlight windows.

History

The name 'Endowment Block dates from a decision by Council early in Kalgoorlie's municipal history. Squatters had set up small shops in this section of town and attempts by officialdom to remove them met with resistance. Sir John Forrest advised Council that if the squatters were removed, the land would be given to the municipality as an endowment. The Council bought out the squatters. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has retained ownership of the buildings. In the 1980s, many of the building underwent improvements in period style (Laurie, 1995: 30).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate to High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

York Hotel

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Statement of Significance

Assessment of Significance: York Hotel, with its ensemble of elaborate ornamentation, is a fine example of Federation Anglo-Dutch architecture. (Criterion 1.1) York Hotel located opposite the City Markets, is a landmark building in Hannan Street, and contributes to the character of an important historic street and retail precinct. (Criterion 1.3) The verandah of York Hotel, which extends over the footpath, abuts adjacent verandahs and continues the dominant streetscape element that was typical of the period. (Criterion 1.3) Kalgoorlie's economic prosperity during the gold boom years is demonstrated in the York Hotel's opulence. (Criterion 2.1) York Hotel is significant for its close association with architect D.T. Edmunds, who designed the City Markets opposite, and with prominent local builder J. Crothers. (Criterion 2.3) York Hotel contributes to the community's sense of place in that it is an integral component of the gold boom architecture of Hannan Street. (Criterion 4.2) York Hotel is important as one of the few surviving, in this degree of intactness, examples of its style of hotel in the gold boom era. (Criterion 5.1) Statement of Significance: York Hotel has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - the place is a fine and rare example of Federation Anglo-Dutch architecture with its ensemble of elaborate ornamentation; - the place is an imposing landmark in the Hannan Street Precinct; - the place contributes to the streetscape with its verandah as a continuation of a dominant streetscape element; - the place's opulence is representative of Kalgoorlie's prosperity, resulting from the discovery of gold; and, - the place contributes to the community's sense of place.

Physical Description

York Hotel is a two-storey building built in Federation Anglo-Dutch style (Apperly et al, 1989). The building is located on the south-western side of Hannan Street and is sited at the building line. The building is constructed of brick and stone on a granite base. The hipped roof is clad in corrugated iron and features a domical vault, with an iron cresting which contributes to the elaborate facade. Symmetrically disposed about a central Flemish gabled pediment, the street facade is eclectic and fanciful, especially at the first floor level. The facade has a recessed wall plane framed by an arched arcade to the balcony and a verandah over the street pavement. The first floor features five stilted, corbelled arches with pronounced key stones (which emphasise the curved head) supported on corbelled masonry piers on brick pedestals The arches are connected at their springing points by corbelled stone capitals. They form a one aisle arcade across the length of the facade. The arcade balcony is protected by a balustrade with iron balusters with highly ornate iron infill panels. A projecting viewing platform is located in the centre of the balcony. Two faceted bays break up the facade, separated by three central arches. Stucco infill in leaf motifs complete the central panel. The bays contain narrow stilted openings with double hung sash windows and fanlights. The openings are surrounded by bold rendered reveals. A brick entablature connects the two faceted bays which are crowned by cupolas. The entablature contains two semi-circular strip openings to each of its three facets surmounted by an ornamental frieze with festoon motifs and crowned with small triangular pediments and dentils. Italianate balustrading completes the entablature. The recessed wall plane consists of seven evenly spaced openings at both levels. The lower level windows are long, recessed sashes of similar shape to the French doors on the level above. The rendered treatment of the lower level is plain in comparison to the upper level which retains its brick face. The verandah extends over the street pavement and is covered by a curving metal roof supported on paired slender cast iron posts set into iron pedestals. The verandah is decorated with a cast iron valance. The verandah roof is highlighted by a central triangular pediment. The interior comprises a public bar located on the ground floor with main entrances to the public and residential section of the hotel at the ends nearest Wilson and Cassidy Streets. From the western entrance, on the lower level, access is given firstly to the tap room of the bar, then to the parlours, located parallel to the street which are separated by the bar and central passage. The eastern entrance leads to the lounge hall from which rises the main stair to the residential area of the hotel. Offices are also located on the ground floor, off the lounge. Beyond the hall is the dining room with a storage and serving room at the rear, and with its own lobby flanked by amenities. The laundry is located at the extreme rear of the hotel. On the other side of the passage is the kitchen with its scullery and store room. Servant's hall and larder are located nearer the front of the building behind the bar. The staircase leads to the billiard room on the upper level with a lounge and saloon bar behind. The stair is built with a single flight to the first landing, two side flights and a bridge above. The stairwell is lit within a semi-circular domed roof. On the upper level there are 37 rooms comprising the former billiard room, parlours, drawing rooms and state rooms. Four bedrooms are located at the street front leading to the main balcony with a sitting room and smoking room with bay fronts intervening. At the rear of these bedrooms is room originally used as a liquor store and amenities on one side and the former billiard room on the other. There are ten further bedrooms on the western side of the building with storage cupboards and store rooms. Bathrooms are located at the rear. As with the ground floor, a central passage runs the extent of the building with a rear balcony and servants staircase from the ground floor. The internal spaces are largely intact and opulent in their decoration. The interior features a finely carved timber staircase and carved timber joinery, patterned pressed metal linings to ceilings and stair soffit, richly coffered ceilings and archways of semi-circular arches resting on Tuscan columns and pilasters some with fluted shafts to their lower sections, and decorative cornices and ceiling roses. Much of the interior is multi-coloured which is a striking contrast with a proportion of the upper level in its less ornate detailing and neutral colours. The two cupolas with their frieze and pediments, and the large central triangular pediment were removed prior to 1974 (see photograph, file P1307, Heritage Council of Western Australia) and reinstated with simplified detailing in 1989 (Smith, no date). The Italianate balustrading to the parapet, the cast iron verandah posts, curving verandah roof with its triangular pediment and valance, and iron balcony balustrade with its projecting platform have been removed. The balcony and parapet balustrading have been replaced with plain metal balusters, the verandah roof has been replaced with a skillion roof with pairs of stop-chamfered timber post supports prior to 1974, later to be replaced by single metal posts (owner recollects the date to be 1991). The building retains much of its original fabric; however, some reinstatement of the exterior fabric to the street facade has been carried out and the interior lacks some original details.

History

Documentary Evidence: York Hotel is a two-storey hotel building constructed in 1900-01, and opened on 23 February 1901, to provide modern hotel facilities to the prospering Kalgoorlie community. Following the discovery of gold in 1893, Kalgoorlie quickly developed from a makeshift mining camp to a thriving community boasting fine public buildings. The increasing number of people arriving in Kalgoorlie necessitated an increase in the various facilities that were available. The architectural style of this building boom was greatly influenced by the number of eastern states architects who came to the goldfields seeking work, due to the depressed economy in the eastern states at the time. It was in this economic climate, that the York Hotel was built. It was built for Mr. Laslett who leased it to Mr. McLachlan. The architect was Daniel T. Edmunds and the contractor J. Crothers. Edmunds was listed as in practice in Kalgoorlie between 1899-1912. While practising in Kalgoorlie it is known that he was also responsible for the City Markets, located opposite York Hotel (Kelly, 1991). The opening of the hotel was reported in detail in the local newspaper providing the reader with a comprehensive description of the building, its facilities and its interior fittings: "To-day we will see the opening of the York, one of Kalgoorlie's newest hotels, and one that must be given rank with the best. It is a top-class house, and is in very good hands. This hotel is located in that part of Hannan-street, between Wilson and Cassidy streets which has been adorned with a number of admirable buildings, planned and designed by the architect for York Hotel, Mr. D. T. Edmunds. In connection with this particular hotel the architect was given something like fair scope as regards the money available for the building, and the end result is a structure that externally and internally marks the advent of a new epoch in hotel-building, as against the primitive goldfields method of making bars the first and chief consideration. Elegance and comfort have received careful attention in the case of the York Hotel and in all departments artistic work is apparent". The eastern main entrance brings the visitor to a luxurious lounge hall, from which rises the main staircase leading to the residential portion of the hotel. The staircase is built up in a remarkably artistic way, with a single flight to the first landing, two side flights, and above that a bridge. Overall, is a handsome circular dome which admits plenty of light. In the decoration of the interior, money seems to have been lavishly spent, and to admirable effect. Among the most notable features is the wide variety of artistic design and beauty of colouring of the stamped metal ceilings. Rich-hued and finely carved wood work also calls for special mention. In no part of the hotel is there anything for simply garish display. The combination of tasteful artistic harmonies and contrasts seemed to have been arrived at. In its draperies and furniture each apartment appears to have been separately studied, with no stint of costly material. The entire furnishing has been placed in the hands of the well and favourably known Bickford's Coliseum firm, of Perth, who have paid due respect to the climatic conditions that exist here. The admirable painting work, which includes even artistic flower paintings on the panels of the decidedly luxuriant upstairs sitting room, was done by Messrs. Beeler and Marnes, while Messrs. Bircher and Tatham carried out the installation of the electric light, and of the electric bell fittings throughout the hotel. Mr John Crothers was the contractor for the erection of this fine hotel, which is, of course, built of brick and stone, while for bases granite blocks have been employed. It remains to be said that York Hotel has been placed under the management of a well experienced gentleman, who should command success in business - Mr Peter McLachlan, for a considerable time manager of Phair's Hotel, Collins-street, Melbourne. He has engaged as Chef M. Binaghi, so the culinary department should be without fault" (Kalgoorlie Miner, 23 February 1901: 2). The hotel was well-appointed, providing numerous facilities for its patrons, including: a public bar, lounge hall, saloon bar, open air lounge, parlours, office space, a large kitchen, large dining room with its own lobby and associated serving and storage rooms. The first floor was designed to house a billiards room, entered via a separate stairway, four bedrooms with associated sitting rooms, smoking room and nearby liquor closet, and bathroom. There were also another ten bedrooms and the necessary store rooms and linen closets. York Hotel has functioned continuously as a hotel. Work to the exterior having been carried out in 1974 and 1985, and internal restoration work likely to be carried out in the near future.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Shop

Parent Place or Precinct

01297 City Markets

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

City Markets

Parent Place or Precinct

01302 Endowment Block, Kalgoorlie

Child Places

• 01301 Shop

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Child Places

• 01301 Shop

Statement of Significance

Assessment of Significance: Although a low key building, City Markets is located in a central part of Hannan Street and makes a distinctive and important contribution to the visual character of this important streetscape. (Criterion 1.3) City Markets is identified as being an integral part of Kalgoorlie's rapid growth during the gold boom (1893-1910). It was a period in which much of the infrastructure of the city was built. (Criterion 2.2) City Markets, a public building built to service the needs of the local community, is a demonstration of the progressive attitude of the Kalgoorlie municipal council in the early 1900s. (Criterion 2.2) City Markets is widely held in public esteem as being an integral part of Kalgoorlie. It contributes to the city's strong sense of place. (Criterion 4.2) Although market buildings were built in several towns in Western Australia, few have survived and few continued to used for their original purpose; the most notable being the city markets in Fremantle and Kalgoorlie. (Criterion 5.1) City Markets is representative of a way of life, in which fresh produce, particularly foodstuff, was sold directly by the producer to the public, rather than by way of the retailer and the supermarket. (Criterion 6.2) Statement of Significance: City Markets has considerable historical and social significance, being a rare example of an architecturally designed market building in Western Australia. Owned and operated by the city council, it demonstrates the range of services a progressive local government expected to provide its ratepayers. Prominently located in Hannan Street, the market building is a strong reminder of Kalgoorlie's rapid growth during the turn of the century gold boom. The continued use of the building as a markets adds to its significance as a reminder of a time when the buying and selling of fresh produce was not solely the province of the retail store.

Physical Description

The markets is a large single-storey building with a central covered courtyard surrounded by shops. Four shops open onto the street with verandahs supported on cast-iron Corinthian columns. At the centre of these front shops is a triple arched gateway to the internal courtyard, flanked by twin turrets. The internal space is covered with a steel-trussed roof supported on brick walls and arches, and is enclosed on two sides for shops. The space is lit all round by highlight windows. The main gates led to a cobbled yard, now tiled (National Trust Assessment Exposition). It should be noted that there is a similarity in functional components with Fremantle Markets. The full extent of additions and alterations to City Markets that have occurred over the years, have yet to be assessed. When the large supermarket was built on a site behind City Markets it was specifically designed to utilise the City Market buildings as one of its entry points from Hannan Street. This has ensured pedestrian flow through City Markets and the building continues to be used for retail purposes.

History

Following a call from the Mayor of Kalgoorlie for designs to be submitted for the construction of City Markets, five responses had been received by 9 March 1900 (Kalgoorlie Miner, 9 March 1900: 4). It was proposed the markets be built on the council's endowment land on Hannan-street. The plans that were chosen were submitted by architect D. Edmunds. The contractor was Mr. J. Crothers. The official opening of the City Markets was carried out on 3 April 1901. The Mayor, Mr. Staniforth Smith, addressed a gathering of Town Council members and a number of leading citizens. In the course of his speech he remarked that, 'these markets were only one feature in the program of municipal socialism that the Municipality of Kalgoorlie had been pursuing for some time. They had gone in more for socialistic action in Kalgoorlie than in any other municipality in W.A. For himself he believed in the application of the principles of socialism wherever they could be reasonably applied' (Kalgoorlie Miner, 4 April 1901: 7). He continued, explaining the anticipated benefits of the markets to the community: "He believed the markets would prove a very great benefit to the people of the town and district, and in making the conditions of living more tolerable here, and would tend to break down monopoly, from which they had suffered so much in the past. ... By means of these markets they could bring the producers and consumers into closer touch, to the advantage of both" (Kalgoorlie Miner, 4 April 1901: 7). The official ceremony was commemorated by the handing over of a golden key. The key, handed to the mayor by the architect, bore an inscription noting the date of the opening. The official proceedings closed with the unveiling of a marble tablet affixed to one of the main pillars at the front of the building recorded the names of the people involved in the design, construction and opening of the building (Kalgoorlie Miner, 4 April 1901: 7). Another contemporary report illustrates the function and importance of the Markets: "At a cost of £5,000 the Council has erected municipal markets at the south end of Hannan-street. The building is a fine and capacious one, being constructed of brick, and its appearance is imposing. On the street front there are four large shops, divided by an arched roadway leading to the market place, where ample provision exists for vendors to display their wares. Auction sales are conducted every morning if necessary. The stalls are let for the purpose of retailing meat, vegetables, poultry, and other marketable commodities; in the basement there are ten cool-storage chambers, 18ft x 10ft and 10ft x 18ft., for storing perishable provisions in the hot weather. Around the market there are huge calico posters, lent by the Agricultural Department, setting forth the quantities and values of articles imported into Western Australia, and which could be produced in the State. Although only opened on March 15, 1901, the markets have already realised a handsome profit, which is steadily increasing" (Theil, 1901: 633). It should be noted that a 1916 Municipal report noted that the cool-rooms had been removed as they were unsuitable (Kalgoorlie Municipal Council Report, 1916, RWAHS, 1980/25, Box 36). It also mentioned that, 'the building was extended by the addition of a large brick sale room, costing £800, thus allowing poultry, fruit and vegetable sales to be conducted at one time in the separate places provided for each' (Kalgoorlie Municipal Council Report, 1916, RWAHS, 1980/25, Box 36). The same report makes specific mention of the purpose of the Markets and the degree of success achieved, 'Generally speaking the markets fulfil their object in making it possible for householders and others to buy in small lots at wholesale rates, …' (Kalgoorlie Municipal Council Report, 1916, RWAHS, 1980/25, Box 36). It should be noted that additions and alterations have occurred over the years and today, the City Markets building does not perform the same function as when first built. In line with modern retail practices a large supermarket has been built behind the City Markets. However, the newer building has been integrated in such a way that the markets are now form an entry point into the supermarket. The continued success of the Markets has been ensured by the integration of the supermarket behind it.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: Moderate to High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Kalgoorlie Town Hall & Council Chambers

Parent Place or Precinct

01281 Hannan Street Precinct

Child Places

• 01282 Paddy Hannan's Statue, Town Hall

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Child Places

• 01282 Paddy Hannan's Statue, Town Hall

Statement of Significance

Assessment of Significance: Kalgoorlie Town Hall and Council Chambers is an impressive Federation Free Classical building, in a city possessing many fine examples of exuberant 'gold boom' architecture. The building is a significant component within the Hannan Street precinct and strongly contributes to this famous streetscape. The Council Chamber and Mayoral Office form an impressive suite of municipal rooms. They display a wide range of decorative details, particularly the pressed metal ceilings. The interior of the Town Hall is a grand civic space. The proscenium arch is of particular interest due to its size, shape and scale. An imposing and substantial municipal building, Kalgoorlie Town Hall and Council Chambers is a demonstration of the wealth and civic pride of a community thriving on the gold boom in the early 1900s. For over eighty years the place has continuously been associated with the major municipal, civic, social and cultural activities of Kalgoorlie. The place is held in high esteem by the Kalgoorlie community as the venue of all major civic, social and cultural activities in Kalgoorlie. The building, located prominently at the corner of Wilson and Hannan Streets, has over the past 80 years acquired social value as a city landmark. Statement of Significance: Kalgoorlie Town Hall and Council Chambers has cultural significance for the following reasons: - the design and detail of the Federation Free Classical exterior, the space and interior details of the Hall and, in particular, the ebullient details of the Council and Lord Mayor's Chambers, establish the building as having considerable aesthetic value, - for over eighty years the place has been continuously associated with the major municipal, civic, social and cultural activities and events in Kalgoorlie, - the building is evidence of the wealth, civic pride and communal confidence generated by the Kalgoorlie goldfields community at the turn of the century, and - the building is both a familiar physical landmark in Hannan Street and a social landmark in the Goldfields community.

Physical Description

The design and layout of the town hall and council chambers, by Mr C. W. James and Mr Tom Roberts, are described in detail in an article in the Western Argus. Particular features are described below: "The entrance to the theatre, or rather principal hall of the building, is made the main feature of the front. Piers of Ionic capitals are conspicuous on the ground floor, with piers of Corinthian capitals on the second, the whole terminating in one large pediment. The main hall is 77ft. (23.6 m) in length, 56ft. (17.2m) in width, and 34ft. (10.4m) from floor to ceiling. The walls are picked out in wood mock panels, with plaster cornices and other ornamental designs. The ceiling is "coved" at the sides, with a centre cove in the ceiling to afford ample ventilation during the hot months of the year, the latter being the movable portion of the roof. The ceiling is of stamped steel. The opening for the proscenium is no less than 28ft. (8.6m) in width and 24ft. (7.35m) in height. It is in finished steel. At the corner of the building, on the top floor is the Council Chamber, 36ft.8in. (11.25) by 21ft.7in. (6.6m) by 18ft. (5.5m), with a "coved" ceiling for ornamental effect. The main vestibule, crush lobby, and corridors' flooring is laid down with granolithic, whilst the major portion of the rest of the building is in jarrah. The yard and escape passages and the conveniences at the rear of the hall are also laid down in jarrah. Kalgoorlie-made bricks will be mostly employed in the construction of the edifice. Coolgardie bricks only being used in special parts" (Western Miner, quoted in WAMBEJ, 7 September 1907: 19. Further details of the construction are to be found in this article). The biograph box, introduced at the back of the dress circle, intrudes into the space of the upper foyer, but generally the interior of the building remains largely intact.

History

The construction of Kalgoorlie Town Hall and Council Chambers had an uncertain and controversial beginning. Tenders were first called for the proposed new town hall at a special meeting of the Kalgoorlie Council in July 1907. The tender of a Mr Fairweather was found to be the lowest, the price being £15,989. However, as the limit for the project was £12,500 no tender was accepted and plans for a new town hall and council chambers were deferred (WAMBEJ, 6 July 1907: 19). "The collapse of the endeavours of the Kalgoorlie Council to obtain the building of a town hall and municipal offices from either a first (remarks a Kalgoorlie paper), second or third prize designs, has induced some members to turn their attentions to another scheme for the erection of a substantial edifice at the corner of Hannan and Wilson streets. It will probably come before the Council in the form of a suggestion that the town surveyor (Mr. C. W. James) should be entrusted with the task of preparing plans for the construction of a town hall, without municipal offices, upon the site in question, and that the cost of the projected building should not entail an expenditure of £8,000 or £10,000" (WAMBEJ, 6 July 1907: 19). In the weeks that followed there were various submissions and complaints by architects asking either for amendments to their plans to be reconsidered or their plans returned (WAMBEJ, 13 July 1907: 20 and WAMBEJ, 3 August 1907: 19). The problems that plagued plans for the town hall led to discontent within the community. "A number of the residents of Kalgoorlie do not appear to want the hall built and with the general unsatisfactory way in which the whole matter has been conducted, and the uncertainty of any tender being accepted, it is doubtful if contractors will trouble themselves to send in prices unless they have a definite assurance that the lowest tender will be accepted" (WAMBEJ, 31 August 1907: 19). James engaged Mr. Tom Roberts, an architect, as his assistant and proceeded in the preparation of new plans for the town hall. In an article in the Western Argus, details are given of Mr James' plans for the town hall and council chambers. Economic considerations played heavily on the design of the building and for this reason there was little embellishment. 'The plans show that the Hannan-street front will be of the classic style of architecture, whilst the side elevation to Wilson-street will be of ordinary brick, worked with cement bands with the exception of a 'return' in Wilson-street, just round the corner from Hannan-street' (WAMBEJ, 7 September 1907: 19). Tenders for the work closed on 9 September 1907. In the second round of tenders for the construction of the hall, four quotes were received (WAMBEJ, 14 September 1907: 19). The successful tenderer was Messrs. Williams, O'Donnell and Co., of Kalgoorlie, who agreed to complete the work in twelve months at a price of £12,296. This decision also controversial, as the tender price was not the lowest received. Mr Fairweather, of Subiaco, tendered a price of £12,227, to be completed in eleven months. The result being, 'a strong protest is to be made about the action of the council and unless a very satisfactory reply is given the contractors on the coast will be very wary indeed of tendering for goldfields work' (WAMBEJ, 14 September 1907: 19). Even the decision about which bricks to use in the construction caused division. The Kalgoorlie Municipal Council decided to utilise local labour and products wherever possible. This incurred the displeasure of the Builders and Contractors' Association of Perth and other people who had been pleased with the original decision (WAMBEJ, 28 September 1907: 20). However, it was decided to go ahead using Kalgoorlie bricks, thus supporting local industry. The foundation stone of the Town Hall was laid on 6 November 1907, by the mayor Mr Cummins in the presence of His Excellency the Governor. The steady progress of the construction of the Hall was interrupted by damage caused by a severe storm, which hit Kalgoorlie around the 24 February, 1908. By this time, 80,000 bricks had been laid and the focus of attention was construction of the stage. The walls of the stage had been brought up to a height 60 feet (18.5m) and the girders were in position. However, the storm caused the collapse of this back wall. The wall had to be rebuilt and the additional cost forced the contractor to seek financial assistance from Kalgoorlie Municipal Council in completing the contract. The contractor and the council could not come to terms over the cost over-run and subsequently, the council resolved to complete the contract. The council engaged Mr. W. Park to act as supervisor (Kalgoorlie Miner, 9 September 1908: 6). Tenders accepted for the furnishing of the building included Messrs. McKenzie and Co. for linoleum at £83.15s., Messrs. J. W. Fimister and Co. for hair carpet for the hall at 8s.6d., per yard, and Messrs Montgomery Bros for the dress circle carpets at £45.19.8 were accepted (WAMBEJ, 22 August 1908: 20). Kalgoorlie Town Hall and Council Chambers was officially opened on 8 September, 1908 (WAMBEJ, 9 November 1907: 19; WAMBEJ, 12 September 1908: 20). As with the Boulder Town Hall, the opening ceremony of the Kalgoorlie Town hall was attended by a large section of the community. His Excellency Governor, Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, again officiated at the opening of the Hall, an indication of the economic and political status of the Goldfields. As a commemorative gesture, the mayor presented the Governor with a specially finished gold key. A newspaper reported the opening as being a spectacular event. "At a given signal the electric lights, which flood the building with their brilliant rays, were turned on and the plush stage curtain was raised, revealing a splendid scene. The handsomely decorated interior was thronged with spectators. The stage was set as a drawing-room. Just as the curtain rose West's Orchestral Band struck up the National Anthem and everyone present stood up until the strains had died away" (Kalgoorlie Miner, 9 September 1908: 6). The Governor, in his speech, made mention of the benefits of the newly erected facilities: "I am sure the councillors and officials will reap the advantages of comfort in the transaction of business in their new offices, while the general public will be enabled to enjoy the conveniences for viewing the entertainments to be provided by the artists visiting here, who will also have facilities to assist them in their work" (Kalgoorlie Miner, 9 September 1908). At the conclusion of the formal speeches afternoon tea was served and a musical program enjoyed. Over the years the Kalgoorlie Town Hall has been the venue for all manner of musical, vaudeville, and variety performances. Dame Nellie Melba and Percy Grainger played to Goldfields audiences in the Town Hall. Theatrical productions of the Melbourne based J. C. Williamson company, travelling to Perth by rail, stopped over at Kalgoorlie to entertain the Goldfields population. The Town Hall was the home of the Goldfields Musical Society from 1927 to 1953, and in the fifties Edgley and Dawes regularly toured theatrical companies in Kalgoorlie and Boulder (information provided by theatrical archivist at HMT, Ivan King, fax, 27 August 1993). Throughout its existence the Town Hall has continuously hosted important Goldfields civic and social events. Although staff of City of Boulder-Kalgoorlie now work in a different municipal office, the Town Hall continues to be used for Council meetings and the Mayor maintains the mayoral chambers, thus continuing the municipal function of the building.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High

Condition

Good

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update