{{Short description|Town hall in Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox building | name = Petersham Town Hall | image = PetershamTH.JPG | image_alt = | image_caption = Petersham Town Hall in 2006. | former_names = | alternate_names = | status = | building_type = Government town hall | architectural_style = Inter-War Stripped Classical | address = 107 Crystal Street | location_town = Petersham, New South Wales | location_country = Australia | current_tenants = | construction_start_date = 1937 | completion_date = 1938 | renovation_date = | client = Petersham Municipal Council | owner = Inner West Council (current) | other_dimensions = | architect = | architecture_firm = Rudder & Grout | main_contractor = Hutcherson Bros<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17483444 |title=PETERSHAM TOWN HALL. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=31,383 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 August 1938 |access-date=2 October 2017 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> | coordinates = {{coord|-33.8949|151.1574|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline,title}} }} The '''Petersham Town Hall''' is a heritage-listed town hall located at 107 Crystal Street in Petersham, a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, Australia. It was built in 1937–38 in the Inter-War Stripped Classical architectural style by architects Rudder & Grout, and replaced the first Petersham Town Hall on the site, which was designed in the Victorian Renaissance Revival style by Thomas Rowe in 1880–1882. The Town Hall was the seat of Petersham Municipal Council from 1938 to 1948 and from 1948 to 1974 was the seat of the Municipality of Marrickville, which absorbed Petersham. When the council moved to new offices across the street in 1974, the town hall has primarily been used as a meeting hall, community centre, filming location and archival office.
==First Town Hall, 1880–1937== The foundation stone for the town hall was laid by mayor M. McMahon on 18 December 1880, with W. H. Pigott MLA opening proceedings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70951012 |title=Petersham Town Hall |newspaper=Australian Town and Country Journal |volume=XXII |issue=572 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 December 1880 |access-date=4 October 2017 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The Italianate structure<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71012467 |title=Suburban Sydney — Petersham |newspaper=Australian Town and Country Journal |volume=XXIX |issue=750 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 May 1884 |access-date=4 October 2017 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> was designed by Thomas Rowe, and the completed building was officially opened by the mayor, John Gelding, on 19 April 1882. The building, of brick on stone foundations, was completed in eighteen months, and included a library, masonic meeting room, caretaker's residence and on the upper floor a hall capable of seating 700 people, with a large stage and various ante-rooms, approached by three staircases. Its cost was estimated at £4000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28379898 |title=Opening of Petersham Town Hall |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=13,746 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 April 1882 |access-date=4 October 2017 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The hall was demolished in 1937<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237752899 |title=Old Landmark's Last Days |newspaper=The Labor Daily |issue=4336 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=28 October 1937 |access-date=10 September 2022 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> as a cheaper alternative to remodelling.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17293649 |title=Town Halls |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=30,874 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 December 1936 |access-date=10 September 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
The hall is of interest to aficionados of Gilbert and Sullivan, as the site of Australia's first production of ''Ruddigore'', by the Petersham Choral Society, on 4–7 August 1908.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114752297 |title="Ruddigore" at Petersham |newspaper=The Evening News (Sydney) |issue=12,841 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=5 August 1908 |access-date=10 September 2022 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> It was not until 23 June 1927 that it was staged professionally, at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide by James Hay for J. C. Williamson's.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54266091 |title="Ruddigore" |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=XCII |issue=26,787 |location=South Australia |date=24 June 1927 |access-date=10 September 2022 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==Second Petersham Town Hall== {{Expand section|date=October 2017}} The town hall's distinctive architecture and largely intact Art Deco interiors has made it a popular filming location for film and television, including Baz Luhrmann's ''Strictly Ballroom'' (1992), ''A Place to Call Home'', ''60 Minutes'' and ''Paper Giants''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Petersham Town Hall / Old Council Chambers/ Marrickville Council|url=http://www.productionbook.com.au/Locations/Details.aspx?id=33|website=The Production Book|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Venues details for hirers – Petersham Town Hall|url=https://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/Global/Out%20and%20About/Facilities/Venues%20details%20for%20hirers%2010.07.2014.pdf|publisher=Marrickville Council|access-date=2 October 2017|year=2014}}</ref>
==Heritage listing and conservation== The Town Hall was first listed in 2001 under the Marrickville Local Environment Plan (updated 2011) as "a good example of Art Deco civic architecture of the late 1930s. The strong vertical elements and exposed brickwork make it a dominant element within the area which developed as the municipal centre of Petersham from the 1880s. The Town Hall has been associated with a stream of influential people and continues to be an actively used and recognised resource to the local community. It is considered by the NSW RAIA to be an important twentieth century civic building. [...] Its stately Art Deco design, its location opposite the Marrickville Council administration building and Council Chambers make the Petersham Town Hall building an identifiable and actively used landmark within the municipality."<ref name=LEP>{{cite web|title= Petersham Town Hall|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=2030016|website=NSW Heritage Database|publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Town Hall, Petersham c. 1890.jpg|The first Town Hall c. 1890 prior to southern addition. File:Petersham Town Hall, by Milton Kent (11 September 1921).jpg|The first Town Hall showing trophy gun and 1892 Frederick St side addition, 11 September 1921. </gallery>
==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Architecture}}}} * List of town halls in Sydney * Architecture of Sydney
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/places-spaces/community-facilities-and-town-halls/petersham-town-hall Petersham Town Hall] – Inner West Council
{{Town halls in Sydney}}
Category:Government buildings completed in 1882 Category:1882 establishments in Australia Category:Former seats of local government Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in Australia Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1937 Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Sydney Category:Government buildings completed in 1938 Category:1938 establishments in Australia Category:Town halls in Sydney Category:Art Deco architecture in Sydney Category:Inner West Category:Thomas Rowe buildings