As the centenary of its magnificent ballroom approaches, Williamstown Town Hall will be opened to the public to experience what makes it such a local icon.
The town hall will be one of several Hobsons Bay locations joining the Open House Melbourne program, which celebrates the interesting, quirky and historic places and spaces around the city.
On Sunday 26 July, Williamstown Town Hall will be open for a day featuring guided and self-guided tours, and performances from the Inner West Symphony Orchestra in the round.
Taking part in flagship Victorian festivals like Open House Melbourne positions Hobsons Bay on the state's events calendar, attracting visitation, spotlighting the unique characteristics of the city, and giving locals a marquee cultural experience on their doorstep.
History of Williamstown Town Hall
Municipal offices and council chambers, designed by Plottel and Bennett, were first built on the site on Ferguson Street in 1919 by R. L. Phillips, followed by the landmark ballroom designed by Gibbs, Finlay and Morsby, with construction by Weavell & Keast commencing in 1926.
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the ballroom became a centre of community morale building and practical relief. Community singing helped to raise funds and lift the spirits of unemployed residents.
In the 1940s, with war raging in Europe and New Guinea, Williamstown locals raised funds to support soldiers and prisoners of war through dance events and fetes.
Williamstown was proclaimed a borough in 1856 and a town in 1886. The town hall remains a rare, intact example of interwar public architecture that reflects Williamstown's growth and evolving civic identity, including its transition towards amalgamation with the City of Altona in 1994.
Having recently undergone a partial restoration, the town hall continues to be an important part of Williamstown's identity while demonstrating the development of one of Melbourne's earliest colonial settlements.
Open House Melbourne:
The opening of the town hall is part of a local program of free events as part of Open House Melbourne. They include:
Friday 24 July
The Substation in Newport
Williamstown historic public houses
Saturday 25 July
Greater Western Water: A Forest for Australia and Altona Treatment Plant
Monomeith (formerly Williamstown Grammar School)
The Substation in Newport
Sunday 26 July
Williamstown Town Hall
Greater Western Water: A Forest for Australia and Altona Treatment Plant
Monomeith (formerly Williamstown Grammar School)
Williamstown's historic public houses
