Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society: Athenaeum Hall, Doncaster

In 1800 a Scot, George Birbech, held a class for journeymen mechanics in Glasgow. Birbech's class was a success and by 1824 he was running a full institute for mechanics in London. A "Mechanics Institute for Men" was formed in Melbourne in 1839 and by the end of the century, no country town was complete without its Mechanics Institute. By this time, the original idea had changed to that of general adult education, or often general culture in the form of lectures and a library. In the 1930's these had become recreation halls and many were fitted out as picture theatres.

Picture of Doncaster Athenaeum Hall in 1910 from http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/doncaster/doncaster/16512.html

Source: Irvine Green writing in 1968 08 DTHS Newsletter

View of the Athenaeum Hall, Doncaster, Victoria, before the supper room was added in 1914, taken from the corner of Church Road. Shows the side wall of the original 1870 hall, as well as the timber additions at the rear containing the Library and Lodge Room. The adjoining paddock, belonging to the Church of England, is bounded by a post and 3-rail fence. DTHS DP0049

Historic Markers and Monuments (Excerpt)

In the 1920’s, War Memorials were being erected to the soldiers who had given their lives during the First World War. At Doncaster, sculptured panels with an honor roll were attached to the front of the Athenaeum Hall. When a public meeting was held at Templestowe in 1922, Mrs. Carl Aumann suggested that both a Memorial Hall and a Monument be erected. The machine gun that was part of the memorial at Doncaster was confiscated by the army on the outbreak of the 1939/1945 War. When Doncaster Road was rebuilt and widened, the front of the Athenaeum Hall, including the old entrance and projection room, had to be removed. The panels were replaced on a newly-built front wall with steps leading up to them.

Irvine Green writing in 1978 02 DTHS Newsletter

Athenaeum Hall Conservation Analysis and Plan

802-806 Doncaster Road Doncaster April 1996

CONSERVATION ANALYSIS

Introduction: This report was commissioned by Manningham City Council, in December, 1995. It was undertaken by Richard Peterson, conservation architect, and Timothy Millar, architectural technologist.

Statement of Cultural Significance

The Athenaeum Hall at Doncaster is a former Mechanics' Institute (a community institution for the promotion of literacy and scientific learning) established in 1870 and the present building erected in 1897. It has been used for most of its life as a public hall.
It is historically significant locally for its association with educational and later social developments in community life. It demonstrates an association with the influential and effective Mechanics' Institute movement in the late nineteenth century and subsequent changing sequence of usage and development. It was pioneering to the district as the earliest public hall in Doncaster, the first post-primary educational institution, and the first public library. It may also be the earliest use of the name "Athenaeum" in Victoria, preceding that of the Melbourne Athenaeum, in Collins Street.
It is socially significant locally as a traditional community focus and meeting place.
Its potential architectural value has been lost through various additions and alterations.

Physical Description

The building today is the result of a number of significant alterations (see Historic Development, below), and its physical form is best described in terms of this context.
The main hall (c1897 Reference 1) is a single storey pressed red brick building with a corrugated steel gable roof (possibly corrugated iron originally) running north-south (north elevation to Doncaster Road). A large circular vent is installed in the north gable end.
In 1914 a supper-room was built along the entire west side of the main hall (Reference 2); this is in painted brick and has a corrugated steel roof of similar pitch to the main hall roof. It has a gable to the south and a hip to the north. At the rear (south) of the supper room is a brick kitchen with a corrugated steel skillion roof. A stage was also added to the hall at this time. (Reference 3);
A later addition to the north east side of the main hall included a porch, foyer, and male and female toilets with associated cloak-rooms. This block of rooms is in painted concrete block, and has a flat roof. A series of highlight windows is fitted to the north and south elevations of the block
In 1969 an articulated painted concrete-block wall was built on the north side of the building, replacing the earlier (1914), more decorative facade, which was removed to cater to the widening of Doncaster Road. (Reference 4); A war memorial is fixed to the east side of this concrete wall. The concrete block wall is set back 3.8m from the footpath, with a garden planted in the space between the hall and the footpath. A random-coursed concrete block garden wall, about 400mm high in the east to about 900mm high in the west runs along about half the length of the north boundary of the site.
In the early 1970s major additions were made to the south east corner of the hall, replacing store-rooms and auxiliary rooms. (Reference 5); (These were the remnants of the original 1871 hall -see Historic Development, below.) This block, consisting of a new entry, toilets, office, storeroom, kitchen, and reception and meeting rooms is cavity brickwork with a flat roof over the service rooms and a higher, flat (7 degree pitch) gable over the reception and meeting rooms. Highlight louvres and fixed glazing, matching in form the pattern of the glazing on the extension at the north-east corner of the hall, is fitted to the north and south elevations of the block. The projection of the walls of the reception and meeting rooms above the line of the rest of the roof of the building is clad in timber.
Alterations were also made to the interior of the hall at this time, adding a chair rail, Western Red Cedar lining boards to the uppermost section of the internal walls, and a sprayed vermiculite ceiling, suspended in part below the original ceiling.

Historic Development

George Birbeck originated the concept of Mechanics' Institutes in England in 1823, as a library of practical books for artisans, with a lecture hall where technical, scientific and "morally circumspect" knowledge could be imparted. They were products of the age of improvement, and stood for the diffusion of knowledge among all classes, particularly the skilled artisans. Bradford opened in 1839 and Middleborough in 1840. (Reference 6); The movement was extremely popular in Australia ≠between 1870 and 1890 over 300 Mechanics' Institutes were established. in Victoria. (Reference 7); The form of the buildings constructed to house them varied widely, and was determined mainly by the wealth and size of the community each was intended to serve. They varied from small gable-roofed timber halls to very large and grand brick buildings.
“In 1866 a branch of the Band of Hope formed in Doncaster, leading, eventually, to the construction of the first public hall in the district. The site was purchased from the government by local residents in 1870, with an additional acre being donated by Alfred Hummel. The building was reportedly designed by Thomas Serpell (Reference 8); and was opened in 1871; it contained the first public library in the district. In 1897 the present hall was built in front of the original building.” (Reference 9);
Drawings (from National Trust file number 2514) showing the development of the hall indicate that in 1897, when the existing main hall was built, the original 1871 hall remained essentially unchanged (Reference 10);. The changes of 1914 or 15, however, subsumed about half the area of the original hall. This remnant is shown as "store rooms" behind the stage on the working drawings for the alterations of 1969 (see below), and was finally demolished to make way for the major addition to the south≠east of the building in 1972. The only physical evidence remaining is some markings on the south gable end of the main hall indicating where the gable roof of the old hall joined the larger 1897 hall. (See illustrations.)
The name "Athenaeum", and refers to the Athension, or Temple of Athena (goddess of wisdom) at Athens -the Macquarie dictionary defines it as "An institution for the promotion of literacy or scientific learning [or J a library or reading room." The temple of Athena was a place "frequented by poets and men of learning." The first Athenaeum, in the Roman Forum in 134 AD, was Roman Emperor Hadrian's famous institute for lectures and recitations by literary men and promotion of the liberal arts generally, a predecessor of universities. Note that though the word Athenaeum refers to Athena's temple in Greece, the term itself is Roman (Latin). Nothing in Greece was called an Athenaeum.
The lettering on the hall maintains Latin ligature "AE" in the name (i.e. ATHENAEUM) - in line with current usage this has been changed to "ae" in this report.
The first hall on the site was 20 feet by 30 feet (6.lm x 9.1m), classically styled with rendered brickwork and arched window and door openings. It was built by William Finger to Thomas Serpell’s design at a cost of £259/19/- . A ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone was held on September 29, 1871, so it is safe to assume that the hall was not finished until 1872. (Reference 11)
Shortly after the hall was opened, a government grant of £20, and a donation of books and funds by the Doncaster Juvenile Library, were given to the Athenaeum in order to establish a free library. (Reference 12). The distinction between Athenaeum Halls, Mechanics' Institutes, and Free Libraries is somewhat indistinct, and there is a significant degree of overlap between the three. In Australia the original aims of the British Mechanics' Institute movement tended to break down: libraries held periodicals and fiction as well as scientific texts, and the buildings were host to a wider range of social activities than lectures and technical reading. Many of the institutes were eventually transformed into public halls.
The Doncaster Athenaeum followed this pattern, with activities such as microscope demonstrations and literature readings eventually giving way to dancing classes and roller skating. (Reference 13)
In 1882 the president of the Athenaeum, Max Schramm, lent £125 to the hall in order that two weatherboard rooms could be built at the rear of the hall -one intended as a committee room and the other, with a separate entrance, as a library. (Reference 14) (See historical development sketches.) These rooms were eventually demolished in 1972 to make way for the major additions of that year.
In 1886 a caretaker's house was built nearby -this was still extant in 1971, but has since been demolished. (Reference 15)
In 1897, after a growth in the membership of the hall fuelled by the depression of the nineties, a new hall (the existing main hall) was built directly in front of the very much smaller 1871 building. (See illustrations.) The new hall was of a cavity brickwork with a simple gable roof. It had arched windows and doors and a small gable-roofed foyer opening onto Doncaster Road to the north. The hall was 40' x 80'6" (12.19m x 24.58 m), with the foyer to the north elevation adding an additional 4m to the length of the building.
After the death of Pastor Schramm in 1908, Tom Petty became president of the hall, and helped create major plans for redevelopment. These alterations were made in 1914 (Reference 16), with a long, narrow (21.12m x 8.l6m) supper room added to the west side of the hall. To the north side of the supper room was an additional room (Reference 17) extending to be flush with the north wall of the main hall. An decorative facade was built (see illustrations), with a rendered parapet and arched windows. This extended across the front of both the hall and the supper-room, replacing the earlier gable-roofed foyer. The supper-room was given a corrugated steel roof of similar pitch to the main hall. It had a gable to the south, and a hip to the north.
At the rear (south) of the new supper room a small kitchen was built. This extended beyond the line of the south wall of the main hall, and this extension was given a corrugated steel skiIlion roof.
A separate addition of a complex of rooms was also added to the north-east side of the hall, comprising, foyer, male and female toilets and associated cloak-rooms, and possibly a porch. The date of construction of these changes is not clear: it may have been at the same time as the supper-room and kitchen, or it may have been somewhat later. (Reference 18). The porch now existing almost certainly dates from the early 1970s, and it is not clear whether an earlier porch built at the same time as the foyer was replaced by this or not. The foyer opens into a vestibule off the main hall -it is not clear whether or not this vestibule was originally a side entrance and foyer to the main hall, or if it was built at the same time as the rest of the rooms.
In 1921 a World War I memorial was added to the main entrance of the Doncaster Road facade. This included two large plaques containing the names of Doncaster men killed in the war. The plaques and associated brass lettering had to be moved to make way for the widening of Doncaster Road in 1969, and are now fixed to the north wall of the remodelled supper-room.
The next documentary evidence regarding the hall is a set of drawings by A. K. Lines, MacFarlane & Marshall, Architects, (designers of the Municipal Offices) done in January 1969, detailing a major and aesthetically devastating alteration to the building -the removal of the entire north facade and foyer back to the level of the main gable over the hall. A plain, symmetrically articulated concrete masonry wall was specified as a replacement. The demolition was required due to widening of Doncaster Road, (Reference 19) though it is hard to understand the reasoning behind the design of the wall that replaced it - it is particularly ugly and entirely inappropriate for the street facade of a major public hall. Apart from the total transformation of the appearance of the building, the front doors were not replaced, leaving the side foyer built in 1914 as the main entrance. Other changes made at this time included the replacement of the timber floors in both the hall and the supper room (including new stumps) and the removal of a very large section of the west wall of the main hall (10.5m x 2.7m high, with a central concrete column halving the span), opening it into the supper room. Four sections of multi-fold doors were installed to enable the two rooms to be closed off if required. A new servery through to the kitchen was added to the south wall of the supper room, and the kitchen itself was fitted with new cupboards, sink, grease trap, and vinyl floor.
In 1971, A.K. Lines, MacFarlane & Marshall were again employed to midify the building - this time for an even more extensive alteration consisting of a new complex of rooms to the south-east corner of the hall. This consisted primarily of new reception and meeting rooms (divided by folding doors), but also were new male and female toilets, a new kitchen, cleaner's room, office, and a large store room opening onto the existing hall stage. The reception room has a slightly curved ceiling springing from a height of 4.5m, while the rest of the rooms have ceilings that spring from about 3m -this provides an articulation in the roof-line typical of the period, and not particularly sympathetic to the existing building. These changes, while undoubtedly improving the usefulness of the building to the community, significantly changed the appearance and pattern of use of the hall and its service rooms. In particular, the last remnant of the original 1872 hall -half of which had been demolished in 1914 -was removed to make way for the alterations.
A porch extending from the main foyer seems to have been built at the same time as the large extension of the 1972 (though it's not detailed in the drawings); the roof over these rooms also seems to have been at least re-clad, if not rebuilt at this time, and the soffits of the eaves match the 1970s extension. It's possible that the later extension was intended to match the earlier, but seems more likely that they too were rebuilt in the 70s.
Despite the destruction of the architectural integrity of the building, it seems to have remained a popular and well-used facility -some of the uses of the hall over recent years are as follows (Reference 20):

Callisthenics college
Marraige guidance lectures
Youth dance
Musical Society function
Ladies fitness classes
Rotary Club
Boxing tournament
Yoga classes
Art display
School of Ballroom Dancing
Teenage dances
Church services
Trade nights
Antique Fair
Judo club
Melbourne Historical Bottle Society function

Comparative Analysis

There were three other Mechanics' Institutes in the district: Templestowe (1883, later the Templestowe Memorial Hall, 1922), Wonga Park (1908), and Warrandyte (1927). The Templestowe Mechanics' Institute was typical of the smaller and more modest timber buildings, though it seems to have been pleasantly detailed.
The 1883 building is now fragmented and highly altered. The Wonga Park Hall was also a simple gable-roofed timber building which was greatly modified over the years. The Warrandyte Mechanics Institute was built c.1927 on the site of the Warrandyte Hotel, which burnt down in 1925. It is a simple timber gable-roofed hall.(Reference 21). In architectural style it is similar to the Bairnsdale Mechanics' Institute (1889) and the Lilydale Mechanics' Institute.
When compared to other halls in the district, the Doncaster Athenaeum is clearly larger and more widely used. There are some parallels with the Templestowe Memorial Hall in regard to the large number of significant alterations that have been made since the earliest building was constructed last century. Local halls that the Athenaeum might be compared to -other than the Mechanics' Institute buildings listed above -are the Former Shire Offices (brick, 1892), and the East Doncaster Hall (brick, 1932), and the South Warrandyte Hall (timber, rebuilt after the 1939 bushfires) .
The Doncaster Athenaeum was the only post-primary educational institution and library in the district until the mid-twentieth century (Doncaster High School was opened in 1969).
Other Athenaeums include: Melbourne (opened in 1841 and called Mechanics' Institute and School of Arts, its name was changed to Athenaeum in 1872, two years after Doncaster); Elmore (1885), Stanley (1874), and Yackandandah (1878). An Athenaeum was proposed for St Kilda in 1856 -it is not known if this was built. Doncaster may have been the first community to have used the name Athenaeum in Victoria.
A large number of Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria were converted to Memorial Halls after the First World War. (Reference 22) The Doncaster Athenaeum seems not to have had any structural changes related to the addition of the war memorial, and the name of the hall was not changed, in contrast to the Templestowe Memorial Hall.
There are two local war memorials listed in the City of Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study that might also be referred to in comparison to the Doncaster Athenaeum War Memorial: one in Services Memorial Park, Ruffey Street, Templestowe, and another in YalTa Street, Warrandyte. Both are noted as being of local interest. .(Reference 23)

Illustrations:

6. Athenaeum Hall, February 1996. North-east corner.
Roof, looking north between main hall and supper room .
12. Damaged vent outlet on roof
Note discoloration indicating junction of earlier hall with this gable end ..
14, 15, 16: Corrosion of steel roof cladding of skillion to north-east corner.
The growth of the Athenaeum Hall
1871
from 1871 .to 1915
1882_
21. Historical development ofAthenaeum Hall.
23 Floor plan from working drawings for extension of1969. (Doncaster Road, north ofthe building, is to the top ofthe page.)
24. Existing and proposed elevations for modification of1969 .
25. area to the south
of
1972
26. Elevations from drawings done for alterations 72
27. Elevations and sectionfrom drawings done for alterations of1972

Bibliography

Australia ICOMOS. The Burra Charter. August 1979, revised February 1981 & April 1988.
Asa Briggs. Victorian Cities. Pelican, London, 1963.
City of Doncaster and Templestowe. Planning Scheme. March 1994
Eric Collyer. Doncaster -A Short History. Doncaster, 1994.
Context Pty Ltd, in association with Richard Peterson and Brian Stafford. City of Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study, General Report, August 1991. City of Doncaster and Templestowe. August 1991.
City of Doncaster and Templestowe. Ten Year Program for Major Maintenance on Council Buildings. January 1992.
Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society. Doncaster, Templestowe and Warrandyte since 1837. A Short HistOlY. Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society. [no date 1
Firth, Pam. "Study of Mechanics Institutes in Victoria." (Held at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.)
Irvine Green. "Athenaeum Hall-Doncaster", Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter. Volume 2, Number 1, August 1968.
Irvine Green. "The Doncaster Athenaeum," Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter. Volume 5, Number 2, November 1971.
Paul Jones. Education, Enlightenment, and Entertainment -A History of the Mechanics' Institute Movement in Victoria. Master of Arts in Public History, Monash University, 1994. (Held at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.)
National Trust ofAustralia, Victoria. File Number 2514.

llustrations:

1, 3-16: Photos by Timothy Millar.
2, 17-22 Illustrations from National Trust File No. 2514
23-26: Drawings by A.K. Lines MacFarlane, Architects, copied from City of Doncaster & Templestowe files.

Appendix

The following is the text from the entry for Athenaeum Hall (213 .23) in "City of Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study, General Report, August 1991" (pages 113 & 114)

Built in c 1897, this single-storey gable-roofed brick hall has had major alterations.
In 1866 a branch of the Band of Hope formed in Doncaster, leading, eventually, to the construction of the first public hall in the district. The site was purchased from the government by local residents in 1870, with an additional acre being donated by Alfred Hummel. The building was reportedly designed by Thomas Serpell (Reference 24). and was opened in 1871; it contained the first public library in the district. In 1897 the present hall was built in front of the original bUilding. In 1914 the hall was remodelled, adding a stage, ante-room, lodge room, cloak and supper rooms and kitchen. (Reference 25)
A World War I memorial was added to the Doncaster Road facade in 1921. Subsequent c.1970s additions have obscured the eastern facade, and the demolition of the parapet roofed foyer in recent times (presumably for road widening) has severely damaged the building and required relocation of the memorial.
It can be compared to Warrandyte Mechanics Institute, Lilydale Mechanics Institute, and the Bairnsdale Mechanics Institute.
Of local historical significance as the earliest public hall in the district; the significance of the building has been severely damaged by the additions and alterations.

CONSERVATION PLAN
Statement of Conservation Policy

The building is currently well used by the community and it is desirable that this continue in the future. This may require significant alterations and additions to the building, as has occurred on a number of occasions in the past. Other options, such as a commercial development, may be considered on the basis of better financial return (or reduced loss), but this should be allowed only if it can be shown that the community service offered by the hall can be provided by another facility which could be renamed "Athenaeum".
Though the building is no longer of architectural interest, it has strong local historical and social significance, and it is desirable that certain remaining fragments of the 1897 hall and later additions (such as the brick gable ends and vents, the war memorial, and the brass lettering) be preserved and maintained.
The historical development of the hall and the site will be explained and interpreted for the future users of the building and to the community generally.
A regular maintenance program will be developed and implemented.
This policy will be regularly reviewed and updated to meet changing needs and circumstances.

Proposed Use

It is proposed that the hall will continue to be used as a community hall and that its use will be coordinated with all other public buildings in the vicinity. Its availability for community use should be actively promoted and marketed.

Property Inspection & Report
Condition Summary

The condition of the building overall is fair to poor -there seem to be relatively few important or urgent structural faults, but the heavy use of the building has meant that fittings and finishes have deteriorated, and are generally in need or revitalisation or updating.

Building Integrity

Major alterations to the building have resulted in a very poor level of architectural integrity of the original hall. In particular, the original 1872 hall itself, and the 1915 facade and parapet have gone, and the additions have obscured the simple form of the 1897 building.

Significant Fabric

There are very few elements of the building that are of particular cultural significance. The brick gable ends and vents on the 1897 hall are of interest as the strongest remaining element of the earlier form of the building. The brass lettering fixed to the north-east corner of the building has some significance due to its age and prominence, and the war memorial has strong local social and historical significance. The continuous historical pattern of community use of the hall is also significant.

Site Context

The site slopes from the south east (rear) corner to the north-west (front) corner, falling perhaps 2 Y:z or 3 metres. The west wall of the supper room is set back approximately four metres from the west boundary (in contradiction to what's shown on the available drawings, which seem to have run out of room on the paper). All of the area to the east of the hall is taken up with a bitumen-paved car-park. At the rear of the site is the Doncaster Tennis Club and associated courts.

Inspection Report
Interior

Floors Polished timber in the main hall. Carpet through most of the 1970s extension. Masonite overlay on the stage is beginning to deteriorate. The floor is springy and has dropped and pulled away from the wall at the south-west corner of the supper room.
Floor is very springy in the store-room A. The foyer has a concrete floor. Subfloor ventilation to the main hall floor is very limited. No problems noted for the floors to the 1970s extension.
Walls
Painted brick walls to the main hall. There is some cracking in the east wall of the store-room on the north end of the supper room.
There is an unusual form of blistering moisture damage (possibly related to a chemical reaction in the plaster or concrete blocks) in the male toilets at the north-east comer of the building. The moisture seems to be falling, not rising. Examination of the roof found no obvious leaks, despite some deterioration of the steel roof cladding over the area. The problem may be related to plumbing rather than the roof -possibly a concealed pipe is leaking.
Doors & Windows

Operation of windows and doors was generally not checked. No problems were noted by the resident cleaner.

Ceilings

There are cast-iron vents in the timber ceiling over the stage and the supper room. There is some damage to the ceiling of the kitchen B (off reception room) caused by water-vapour from a large hot water um.
There is some water damage to the raked ceiling of the office in tbe south-east comer. Again, despite various problems noted on the roof, no obvious leak was detected.

Kitchen

Kitchen A (behind supper room) needs refurbishment. There are some cracked wall tiles at floor level; benches, cupboards, fittings, and fixtures all look very tired.

Bathrooms & Toilets

Services not checked. No problems were reported.

Exterior

Walls

There is some arch-shaped cracking over the exit door to kitchen A, which seems to be related to lintel failure. The cracks have been fitted with glass slides previously in order to monitor progression: though a number of the slides have fractured, there seems to be no significant deterioration (ie the two halves of the slides are not misaligned).
There is some cracking to the west wall ofthe kitchen behind the supper room.
There is minor vertical cracking to an external corner of the entrance to the reception room -this possibly relates to brick growth -if so it is unlikely to deteriorate much further, or to cause structural problems.
A wall panel below the highlight windows of the upper reception-room walls (ie that section which projects above the surrounding flat roof) has become detached, exposing the stud work and interior plaster lining. The panel is lying on the roof.

Doors & Windows

Windows and door generally are in fair to good condition.

Eaves & Fascias

No problems noted.

Guttering & Downpipes

There is some rust damage to the downpipe from the box gutter (at the centre of a butterfly skillion) at the south-west corner. The box gutter itself is much narrower than the 300mm that a box gutter should be, and is clogged with leaf litter.
There is a box gutter at the north-west corner of the building, picking up drainage from the hipped north elevation of the supper room. The downpipe is on the far north-west corner of the building, but the gutter falls to both the east and west corners of this section of roof (as evidenced by a thick and well rotted mat of leaf litter). This could be leading to water penetration of the walls below -the gutter needs to be cleaned out to confirm this.
The eaves gutter to the east side of the main hall is ponding in the centre. There is significant rusting to the box gutter to the south-east corner of the building -(over the meeting room)

Roof

The corrugated galvanised and zincalume steel roofing to the main hall and supper room is in good condition, as is the box gutter which runs between them.
The large roof vent over store B has been severely damaged. (See photos.) Many of the flashings to the roof of the 1970s extension have begun to rust. Minor rust staining of the flat roof over the meeting room is associated with a spreader from the raised roof over the reception room.
The flat roof over the foyer and toilets at the north-east corner of the building, and associated flashing of the box gutter, has many small rust spats (see photos). None of these seem to have yet led to failure of the water-tightness of the roof, but its life is becoming limited. The unusual pattern of the deterioration is of same concern -its cause is not known.

Subfloor

Not checked. See Site-Specific Limitations, under Constraints, below.

Roof Space

Not checked. See Site-Specific Limitations, under Constraints, below.

Constraints

Site-Specific Limitations

Subfloor

Access ta the subfloor is available through twa trapdoors in the floor of the hall. One in the stage was nailed shut; access to the other -in one of the small store-rooms at the front of the building -was .obscured by several hundred chairs, stacked high.

Roofspace

Access was not available.

Size of Building

The Athenaeum is a large and complex building, and a detailed survey of all its elements and sections is outside the scape of this report due to time constraints. Although the whole building was viewed internally and externally, parts .of it received no more than a cursory inspection.

General Limitations

This is a visual inspection of the accessible components and systems .of the building. Its purpose is to identify observable major defects which require repairs at the time .of the inspection. It is not a technically exhaustive search for all possible faults and defects.

Concealed Elements

Many building elements are concealed or cannot be viewed without special equipment, or removal .of claddings, .or excavation, or other intrusive .or destructive means. This includes wall ties, mast services, footings, framing timbers in flat roofed construction, and subfloor timbers where there is restricted subfloor access. These elements can be assumed not to have been inspected. Where the consultant has particular cause ta suspect the need for repair of such items, a recommendation far further investigation may be made.

Asymptomatic, Latent, & Intermittent Faults

Since the inspection is visual, if there is no evidence of a fault existing at the time of the inspection, it won't be detected.

Seasonal & Weather-Dependent Faults

Certain faults are dependant upon the prevailing weather conditions or the time of the year to be visible. Even though rain-water penetration usually leaves signs such as staining which can be seen after the rain has gone, this is not always the case. Problems in the storm-water drainage system might become apparent only during or just after a particularly heavy downpour.

Expertise of the Consultant

The complete and proper assessment of certain systems in a building is outside the range of expertise of the consultant. This includes electrical installations, security systems, pest inspection, and mechanical systems such as the hot water system, ducted heating, and air conditioning. Although the consultant will have noted any indications of faults in these systems, the lack of such notation should not be taken to mean that no fault exists. Plumbing will have received only a cursory check for obvious problems. The existence of illegal or unauthorised work may not have been detected, and any faults noted will generally require a plumber for proper diagnosis. Where other faults noted require a specialist for proper diagnosis or recommendations for appropriate repairs, this is noted under Further Recommendations, below.

Summary of Major Faults & Work Required

Urgent Faults

The loose cladding panel detached from the upper wall over the south-east entry should be reattached -leaving it could result in water penetration and subsequent damage. The panel itself could blow off the roof, possibly causing injury.
Significant Faults requiring Repair
Box gutters need to be cleaned out.
The box gutter to the north-east corner of the supper room needs to be repaired so that it falls for its entire length to its downpipe.
Fall of the box gutter to the south-east corner of the building needs to be checked -its higher degree of rusting could be caused by ponding.
The damaged large vent over the store beside the reception room should be repaired.

Further Recommendations

Given the springiness of the floor to the north-west comer of the building and to the supper room floor in its south-west comer, and given the lack of sub-floor ventilation generally, there is a strong possibly that repairs to the sub-floor will be required. An inspection is recommended.
Consideration might be given to refurbishment of the kitchen behind the supper room.
The cause of the moisture damage to the walls of the male toilets at the north-east comer of the building could not be determined by the consultant. It is suggested that either further investigation be undertaken, or that the damage be monitored for 12 months to determine whether it is progressing. If its not, the damage might simply be patched and repainted. It is recommended that no corrective action be taken before a cause is determined or until it has been shown that the damage is not progressing.
The cause of the moisture-damage to the ceiling of the office was not determined. Further investigation should be undertaken, and the spot should be monitored for twelve months to determine whether damage is progressing.
Monitor the cracks the external wall of the kitchen behind the supper room for 12 months.
Replace the flat steel roofing over the foyer and toilets at the north-east comer of the building within five years.

Implementation Strategy

Interpretation

The historic development and cultural significance of the site should be explained for future users of the building and the community. This should be a permanent display case or panel in the foyer, showing photographs and other illustrations from different periods in the building's history, using this Conservation Analysis as a source.
Advertise the availability of the hall and the services and facilities that it provides more openly, possibly with a sign facing Doncaster Road, and with relevant information displayed in the foyer to maximise use of the hall.

Management

The building and the rest of the site should continue to be centrally managed by the Manningham City Council, with responsibility for minor maintenance and reporting of problems delegated wherever possible to the clubs, committees, and organisations that will be using the site and the facilities.

Controls

The building is listed in table 124B-3 of the City of Doncaster and Templestowe planning scheme, page 90 F. Section 124B, "Heritage Buildings and Places" states that its purpose is to:
To conserve and enhance buildings and places of aesthetic, architectural, historic, scientific and social importance or of special cultural value.
To ensure that development is compatible with the importance, character and appearance of the building or place.
To encourage sympathetic restoration, renovation, maintenance and repair of buildings or places identified which contribute to this heritage character.
To this end, any significant change to the building (section 124B-1) will require a planning permit, which will be issued or refused according to guidelines (section 124B-2). These take into consideration such matters as the purpose of the clause (listed above); the effect of the proposed changes on the significance of the building; whether or not the changes are in keeping with the area, and the views of other organisations. Note that if any changes to the building's structure are proposed, a planning permit will be required.
The building was considered for classification by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), but rejected as "unclassifiable". The Trust does, however, hold a file (number 2514) on the building. The hall is not included on either the Historic Buildings Council Register or the Australian Heritage Commission's Register of the National Estate.

Adoption & Review

It is recommended that this Report should be adopted as their policy by Manningham City Council in regard to future developments for the Doncaster Athenaeum Hall. It should be reviewed, and a maintenance survey performed at five≠yearly intervals, beginning with the year 2001.

References

Ref1: Context Pty Ltd, in association with Richard Peterson and Brian Stafford, City of Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study, General Report, August 1991, P 113.
Ref2: Ibid, citing Irvine Green, Doncaster: a short history; Keogh, p. 48-50
Ref3: Ibid
Ref4: Notes on working drawings (by A. K. Lines, MacFarlane & Marshall, Architects) from City of Doncaster and Templestowe files A/88/8 & A/88/3
Ref 5: Ibid. Note that these are almost certainly the same rooms as those referred to in the heritage study as ante-rooms and lodge rooms,
Ref 6: Asa Briggs, Victorian Cities, p. 47.
Ref 7: Paul Jones, Education, Enlightenment, and Entertainment - A History of the Mechanics' Institute Movement in Victoria, p. 58.
Ref 8: Minutes of the Athenaeum Building Committee referred to in National Trust of Australia (Victoria) file. Excerpt from citation in Doncaster & Templestowe Heritage Study.
Ref 9: The principal source of the dates used in this report is the National Trust file (no. 2514) -much of the information within this file was compiled by Irvine Green, but sources and references are not provided.
Ref 11: Green, "Athenaeum Hall, Doncaster," Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society Newsletter, August 1968. Green's later article on the hall (1971 -see below) gives the cost of the hall as £259/19/-; the 1968 article gives it as £210.
Ref 12: 0reen, "The Doncaster Athenaeum," Doncaster and Temples/owe Historical Society Newsletter, November 1971.
Ref 14: Ibid
Ref 15: Ibid
Ref 16: Ibid.
Ref 17: The ante-room mentioned in the heritage study?
Ref 18: In 1914 the hall was remodelled, adding a stage, ante-room, lodge room, cloak and supper rooms and kitchen." (Context, op. cit., citing Green and Keogh). The mention of the cloak-room as having been built in 1914 implies that all rooms of the addition were done at this time, but the Heritage Study doesn't mention the toilets, foyer, or vestibule, so some doubt remains.
Ref 19: Note on sectional drawing: "Garden wall footing taken down to lower level for new future [sic] roadworks." Road widening was completed in this area around 1971 Schramm's cottage was another historically significant building affected by the works.
Ref 20: City of Doncaster & Templestowe files A/88/3 & A/88/8
Ref 21: Context, op. cit., p. 114
Ref 22: 11are listed by Jones in his database as being modified in this way -though Templestowe, incidentally, is not so listed.
Ref 23: Context, op. cit., p. 117.
Ref 24: Minutes of the Athenaeum Building Committee referred to in National Trust of Australia (Victoria) file.
Ref 25: Irvine Green, Doncaster: a short history: Keogh, p.48-50.

RICHARD PETERSON ARCHITECT & CONSERVATION CONSULTANT B.Arch. (Mel b.), Dip.Ed. (Melb.), ICCROM Arch. Cons. (Rome), ARAIA, RIBA - 20 RUSSELL STREET, IVANHOE, 3079, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Phone (03) 9499 1518 Fax (03) 9639 1868

Photographic Survey 2000

The Manningham Council copy of a photographic survey prepared for the site in 2000, prepared prior to the site being sold in 2001 by Mr Richard Peterson was probably lost in the 2009 fire as were a number of photographic surveys.

Saturday Night at the Athenaeum Hall

After a gap of twenty-five years, pictures are being shown in Doncaster again. A Twin Cinema has been built at Doncaster Shoppingtown.

From the 1920s till the advent of Television in the middle 1950s, pictures were shown at the Athenaeum Hall in Doncaster.

When the Athenaeum Hall was enlarged in 1914, the committee had the foresight to build a Bio-box over the Doncaster Road Entrance. The charge for hiring the hall and Bio-box was one pound. In September 1922, the first regular Saturday Night Film Shows started. A big feature of these silent films was the background music by a skilled pianist. The music matched the mood of the film - soft and romantic for the love scenes and fast and dramatic for the chase that came at the end.

During the first year Laurie Larsen, 3 hair-dresser from Box Hill was the pianist. He would come by cab. While he was playing the piano, the cab driver would spend the evening playing cards at the Doncaster Hotel. Laurie Larsen made many friends while playing the piano. There were boys who went to Box Hill for haircuts and girls who gave him lollies and soft-drinks during the interval. Many of these friendships have lasted to the present time.

After Laurie Larsen left, Connie Tully was often the pianist and sometimes Cliff Tully played the cornet or violin.
Boys and young men often rode to the pictures on horseback leaving the horses in the stables at the rear. At first, the audience sat on wooden forms and in winter wrapped themselves in blankets to keep warm. Later, old theatre seats were put in.

Soon after the Athenaeum Hall was built in 1870, people of Doncaster saw, for the first time, the marvel of big pictures projected onto a screen by a magic lantern. In 1898, just three years after the invention of moving pictures, Mr Gunn gave a cinematograph entertainment at the Athenaeum Hall. It is interesting to note that the first full length film was made at Box Hill.

Films were also shown in the Memorial Hall at Templestowe and the Mechanics Ball at Warrandyte. The first program at Warrandyte in 1928 was "Devil's Island" with Pauline Frederick and ìMillionaires" starring Louisa Fayenda.

1982 02 DTHS Newsletter

Athenaeum Hall - 802-806 Doncaster Road, Doncaster Earliest public hall in the district; the significance of the building has been severely damaged by the additions and alterations. Built in c1897, this single-storey gable-roofed brick hall. It has had major alterations. Demolished. VHD-22390

1883

The two new rooms for the Lodge and the library were ready for use at the Athenaeum Hall. Ninety years later they were demolished when the Reception Room was built.

At an Athenaeum Hall committee meeting in February 1883, Mr. Williams proposed, and Mr. Clay seconded, that in future socials commence with Music and Literature and that they conclude with dancing.

1983 06 DTHS Newsletter

The Doncaster Athenaeum

The Athenaeum began in 1871 as a little one room hall 20 feet by 30 feet. Since then there have been almost continuous additions and improvements.

In 1870, hotels were the only diversion from long hours of work. There was a need for a place where entertainment recreation and cultural activities could be held. A group of public spirited Doncaster men decided that a hall should be built. Infectious enthusiasm carried the idea to reality. Alfred Hummel donated the land. He bought three acres of a government reserve and gave two acres to the Anglican Church, and the other to the Athenaeum. Richard Serpells eldest brother, Thomas, designed the building, and William Finger carried out the construction. The Fingers came from Hawthorn. Christian and Henry had settled in Doncaster. The Templestowe Roads Board provided sand and W. S. Williams had a water hole dug.

Robert Wilson from Wilsons Road supplied good quality red bricks for 33/-d. per thousand. The total cost of the hall was £259/19/-. Robert Wilson was the son of John Robert Wilson, the builder of the Doncaster Hotel. Bob Wilson lived in a hut on, Ruffey’s Creek in the vicinity of Dehnert Street. The Shire of Bulleen rate books show that he had a brick-yard at that time.

Following. the fashion of the times, Thomas Serpell designed the building on classical lines. The 14 inch brick walls were rendered with grey cement as imitation stone; and doorway and window heads were rounded.

As a fund raising function, a tea meeting was held on .the occasion of laying the foundation stone. Wives of the building committee each provided for a table. The bachelors sat at a separate table and paid 3/-d., married men paid 2/6d each.

To open the hall a concert was held. They chose a night when the moon was full as an aid for travelling. Artistes were brought from Melbourne. After the long trip they were entertained for dinner, and supper afterwards by Max Schramm.

The next year, the Doncaster Juvenile Library handed over their books and funds to the Athenaeum. With this and a government grant of £20, a free library was opened. It was the policy of the State Government to make grants to local bodies for free libraries. This was an age with a new awareness of manís possibilities. No longer was a man, born in poverty, expected to remain poor all his life. Education was the key to a better life. Mechanics institutes and Athenaeums were being established to bring learning to the people. Australian nationalism and a strong desire for an Australian culture was growing.

The library, starting with 210 books, was of a high standard. The leaders of the Athenaeum were mainly men of learning. The President, Max Schramm, was a scholar with a wide reputation. Edwin Lawford, the librarian, had been educated at Scotch College. Oswald Thiele, who was secretary for 15 years, was a Headmaster and later Messrs. Goodson, Craig and Jack, librarians, were headmasters at Doncaster and East Doncaster Schools.

Members of the Athenaeum could borrow books, but reading in the library was free. Conditions for reading were unsatisfactory, the library being just a bookcase in the corner of a hall with only forms for seating. For several years, the Trustees tried to raise money to add a separate room.

In 1882, Pastor Schramm agreed to lend £125 and Henry Thiele, who later became Secretary, was commissioned to build two weatherboard rooms at the rear. One was to open off the hall as a committee room and the other with a separate entrance as the library. These are the present lodge rooms. Also two small rooms were added at the rear as caretaker's quarters. Four years later the present house was built for the caretaker. It cost £98/15/-.
During the excitement of the land boom in the late 1880's, interest in the Athenaeum lagged. Membership dropped and entertainment was difficult to arrange.

After the depression of 1892, the reverse took place. Membership grew and people looked for community entertainment. The little hall became inadequate.

A new hall was built in front of the old. It was wider and higher with a parapet brick gable wall in the front and a small entrance porch. F. H. Garrett built the hall for £400 and Mr. H. Reynolds financed the work.

The Honorable E.H. Cameron, the local member for Evelyn presided at the opening concert which followed a traditional tea meeting. The next Friday a more gala celebration took place when an all night ball was held,

A change was taking place in the functions held in the hall. At first culture dominated. Socials started with a concert and literature readings and finished with dancing. A Dramatic Club was formed in 1886. Evenings such as microscope demonstrations and educational lectures were held. By 1900, entertainment had become popular. In the new hall, a quadrille club was formed, and soon afterwards Messrs. Street and Tolley started dancing classes. Mr. Gunn gave a cinamatagraph entertainment in 1898.

The most popular entertainment ever held in the hall commenced in 1911 when the Talbot brothers opened a roller skating rink. It soon grew to four packed sessions a week. The noise of the skates caused quite a problem for Miss Davey who was trying to give piano lessons in the old hall.

Lighting had always been a problem. Hanging kerosene lamps lit the small hall but were inadequate in the larger hall. Once a clockwork light was inspected. In 1910, an acetylene plant was installed. Gas pipes were connected to lights in all the rooms even to an outside lantern. Six years later the arrival of electricity ended lighting problems.

By 1912, although the building was in constant use for entertainment, the library had ceased to be an attraction. As a means of boosting membership of the Athenaeum, a billiard table was installed in one of the back rooms. Immediately 40 new members joined up, more than doubling the membership.

After the death of Pastor Schramm, Tom Petty who had been the first Secretary became President. Under his leadership, ambitious plans were formed in 1914 to enlarge the building. The hall was lengthened with a new improved stage and dressing rooms. A new entrance with cloak rooms, a new library and a supper room with a small kitchen were added. The Athenaeum was almost doubled in size. To pay for the additions, Mr. Robert Wilson lent £1000 and Mr. May carried out the work on a cost plus basis. In May, 1915, the work was completed. By this time the Great war had commenced, so no opening celebration was held.

Throughout the years many small additions and alterations were made. Now the City of Doncaster and Templestowe owns the hall and improvements continue to take place.

Additions changed Thomas Serpellës little bit of renaissance architecture into a typical mechanics institute. Modern alterations have again changed the appearance of the hall, but after 100 years the Athenaeum Hall still remains the rendezvous for community activities in Doncaster.

Source: Irvine Green A.I.A.P. writing in 1971 11 DTHS Newsletter

Correction:
The original article said that Edwin Wilson supplied bricks for the first, Athenaeum Hall.

"Coming-of-age"

"A very enjoyable "coming-of-age" was given in honour of Miss Ida Sell at the Athenaeum Hall on Saturday evening, when her grandparents Mr. & Mrs Lauer were the host and hostess. The hall was beautifully arranged by Mrs. W. Sell with decorations of gum saplings, fern, wattle and arum lilies in a striking bush setting.

The guests listened to a recitation by Miss Stephens and danced to the strains of music supplied by Mr. Dick Smithís orchestra. The gifts were numerous and generous, noticeable among them a piano by Uncle George and a key presented by her father. An excellent supper was provided by Mr. Fred Lauer.

Source: Box Hill Gazette July 24, 1931 quoted in 1990 09 DTHS Newsletter

Fancy dress ball 1920s held in the Athenaeum Hall, Doncaster. The hall is decorated for the occasion and there are two Union Jacks draped on the back wall. DP0996

The Doncaster Athenaeum

Perhaps it is fitting that in light of the news that we are eventually to lose the Athenaeum Hall to make way for a larger community building on another site we should look at the history of the old building.

The Athenaeum began in 1871 as a little one room, hall 20 feet by 30 feet. Since then, there have been almost continuous additions and improvements.

In 1870, hotels were only diversion from long hours of work. There was the need for a place where entertainment recreation and cultural activities could be held. A group of public spirited Doncaster men decided that a hall should be built.

Alfred Hummel donated the land. He bought three acres of a Government reserve and gave two acres to the Anglican church and the other to the Athenaeum. Richard Serpell's eldest brother, Thomas, designed the building and William Finger carried out the construction. The Templestowe Roads Board provided sand and W.S. Williams had a water hole dug. Edwin Wilson supplied good quality red bricks for 33 shillings per thousand. The total cost of the hall was 259 pounds and 19 shillings.

Following the fashion of the times, Thomas Serpell designed the building on classical lines. The 14 inch brick walls were rendered with grey cement as imitation stone and doorway and window heads were rounded.

As a fund raising function, a tea meeting was held on the occasion of laying the foundation stone. Wives of the building committee each provided for a table. The bachelors sat at a separate table and paid 3 shillings each and married men paid 2 and 6 pence.

To open the hall a concert was held. They chose a night when the moon was full as an aid for travelling. Artistes were brought from Melbourne, After the long trip, they were entertained for dinner and supper afterwards by Max Schramm,

The next year, the Doncaster Juvenile Library handed over their books and funds to the Athenaeum. With this and a Government grant of 20 pounds, a free library was opened. It was the policy of the State Government to make grants available to local bodies for free libraries, this was an age with a new awareness of man's possibilities. No longer was a person, born in poverty, expected to remain poor all his life. Education was the key to a better life. Mechanics Institutes and Athenaeums were being established to bring learning to the people. Australian nationalism and a strong desire for an Australian culture was growing.

Source: 1999 03 DTHS Newsletter

The Doncaster Athenaeum

The library, starting with 210 books, was of a high standard. The leaders of the Athenaeum were mainly men of learning. The President, Max Schramm, was a scholar with a wide reputation. Edwin Lawford, the librarian, had been educated at Scotch College. Oswald Thiele, who was secretary for 15 years, was a Headmaster and later Messrs Goodson, Craig and Jack were Headmasters at Doncaster and East Doncaster schools.

Members of the Athenaeum could borrow books, but reading in the library was free. Conditions for reading were unsatisfactory, the library being just a bookcase in the comer of a hall with only forms for seating. For several years the Trustees tried to raise money to add a separate room.

In 1882, Pastor Schramm agreed to lend 125 pounds and Henry Thiele, who later became Secretary, was commissioned to build two weatherboard rooms at the rear. One was to open off the hall as a committee room and the other with a separate entrance as the library. These are the present lodge rooms. Also two small rooms were added at the rear as caretaker's quarters. Four years later a house was built for the caretaker at a cost of 98 pounds.

During the excitement of the land boom in the late 1880's, interest in the Athenaeum lagged. Membership dropped and entertainment was difficult to arrange. After the depression of 1892, the reverse took place. Membership grew and people looked for community entertainment. The little hall became inadequate.

A new hall was built in front of the old. It was wider and higher with a parapet brick gable wall in the front and a small entrance porch. F.H. Garrett built the hall for 400 pounds and Mr. H. Reynolds financed the work. The honourable E.H. Cameron, the local member for Evelyn, presided at the opening concert which followed a traditional tea meeting. The next Friday a more gala celebration took place when an all night ball was held.

A change was taking place in the functions held in the hall. At first culture dominated. Socials started with a concert and literature readings and finished with dancing. A dramatic Club was formed in 1886. Evenings such as microscope demonstrations and educational lectures were held. By 1900 entertainment had become popular. In the new hall, a quadrille club was formed and soon afterwards Messrs Street and Tolley started dancing classes. Mr Gunn gave a cinematograph entertainment in 1898.

Source: 1999 06 DTHS Newsletter

Atheneaum Hall Doncaster

For 125 years the Doncaster Athenaeum Hall has been the meeting place for the community of the district. The hall opened as a small building in 1871, at that time the only places of recreation or public assembly were hotels. A group of public spirited men formed the Band of Hope with the aim of reducing the excssive drinking prevalent in the district. At first they held meetings in the Methodist Church on the corner of Blackburn Road then under the leadership of Max Schramm, decided to build a public hall. Infectious enthusiasm carried the idea to reality; Alfred Hummell purchased three acres of a Government land. for the Church of England with the request that the Church give one acre for the Athenaeum Hall. Thomas Serpell designed a building and William Finger constructed the hall. Work started, by W. S. Williams diging a water hole, Templestowe Roads Board supplied sand and Edwin Wilson carted the bricks that cost thirty-three shillings per thousand. The completed building cost 259 pounds nineteen shillings, Thomas Serpell, the elder brother of Richard Serpell, designed the Hall on classical lines. The fourteen inches brick walls were rendered with grey cement and scribed with ashlar lines on the sides, and quoins at the corners, to give the appearance of stone.. The doorway and window headings had half round tops. The Athenaeum Hall was a nice neat building, twenty by thirty feet, the only hall for a population of one thousand and five hundred people.

The building committee held a "Tea Meeting" to raise funds for the hall, their wives each provided food for a table. The cost was two shillings and sixpence for married men but batchelors had to pay three shillings. For the opening, the committee organised a concert. They chose a moonlight night, so that visitors could see to return home. The artistes came from Melbourne in the afternoon and Max Schramm and his wife Kate entertained them to dinner before the concert, afterward they returned to Schramm's house for supper. This was an age with a new awareness of man's possibilites. No longer was a person born in poverty expected to live all his life in poverty. Education could provide the key to a better life. In most towns leading citizens established Mechanics Institutes and Athenaeums to bring culture and education to the people The President Max Schramm was a scholar with a wide reputation, Edwin Lawford, the librarian, had been educated at Scotch College and Oswald Thiele, who later became secretary, was headteacher of Doncaster School. . The Athenaeum committee obtained a government grant of twenty pounds to start a free library. People could read in the library but there was a charge to borrow books. Ten years later the committee added two weather-boards rooms at the rear. One as a committee room the other for the library. During the following years the Athenaeum Hall continued to change and grow. Four years later the hall needed a caretaker, so a house was built for hint.

Changes in the life of the district affected the hall. During the excitement of the land boom interest in the Athenaeum lagged, membership dropped and entertainment was difficult to arrange but after the depression of the 1890s people looked for support from the community. The little hall became inadequate. The population of the district had grown to nearly 2000. In 1897 the trustees built a larger brick hall infront of the old. This is now the present hall. They made it wider, longer and higher, with a parapet front and a small entrance porch. The Honorable P.H.Carneron presided at the opening concert that followed a traditional ". meeting". The next week a more gala celebration was held. An all night ball. In the first years; culture dominated. Socials started with a concert, literature, or poetry readings and finished with dancing; visiting speakers gave educational lectures and microscope demonstrations, and in 1886 local enthusiasts formed a dramatic club. In the 1890s a change took place in the functions held in the hall, entertainment became popular. Ted Street and Tolly started dancing classes and formed a quadrille club. Then in 1898 Mr. Gunn gave a cinematograph exhibition, one of the first to be held in Victoria. The most popular entertainment commenced in 1910 when Talbot brothers opened a roller skating rink. It soon grew to four packed sessions each week, the hall rocked to the vibration and sound of dozens of skates rushing around the floor. Poor Miss Davy was trying to give piano lessons alongside in the old hall. Kerosine lamps, hanging from the ceiling lit the first hall and being small these lamps were adequate but when the large hall was opened, lighting became a problem. One time a clockwork light was inspected but it was not till 1911 that the trustees installed a brighter acetylene system. Gas pipes connected gas to all the rooms and even and outside lantern. Six years later the arrival of electricity solved the lighting problems. After the death of Pastor Max Schramm, Torn Petty, who had been the first secretary, was elected President. The active Tom Petty soon formed plans to enlarge the building. In 1914 he lengthened the hall with an improved stage and drawing-rooms, he added a new entrance with cloak rooms and library on Doncaster Road, and built a large supper room with a kitchen.. Behind the kitchen a covered porch protected coppers heated by wood fires, where water and milk coffee was boiled for suppers. In may 1915 the work was completed and the Athenaeum was almost double in size but by then the Great War had commenced so no opening ceremony was held. Over the years the Doncaster community held many functions in the Athenaeum . When the war ended they held a large peace celebration and erected a war memorial around the entrance. In 1920 Albert Miller formed the R.S.L. Club. The club hired the Athenaeum for their first Annual Ball.. They decorated it with branches of gum leaves. Every year they tried to improve the decorations and often the hall was miraculously transformed. One year they built a thatched but on the stage with a large back drop painted by L..A. Smith, another time they placed a large golden rising sun against a blue background above the cliffs of Anzac cove.

In September 1922 regular Saturday night film shows started. When the hall had been enlarged the trilstees had built a bio-box over the entrance. The background music played by a skilled pianist was always the big feature of silent films. The music matched the mood of the film, soft and romantic for love scenes, fast and dramatic for the chase that came at the end. At Doncaster, Laurie Larsen, the Box Hill hairdresser, played the piano for the pictures.. He came by cab, the driver would spend the evening playing cards in the Doncaster Hotel. In 1927 the Shire President Cr. J.A.Smith can Doncasters first Civic Ball, the forerunner of later Mayoral balls. Cr. Smith had come to Doncaster an orphan boy. He had no friends no money and only the worn out ragged cloths he was wearing. After a life of struggle he had become Shire President and with no experience of entertaining he courageously held the councils first ball with only the allowance of eighty pounds that also had to cover entertaining and supper at council meetings. At the return function it was said that never had the Athenaeum Hall looked better. In the 1960s the council took over the Athenaeum Hall. When Doncaster Road was widened the whole front, including the entry portch had to be removed, the council built anew entrance with toilets on the left side. They replaced the War Memorial on the new front and then renovated the interior. In 1974 the council carried out more work. They removed the old meeting rooms at the rear and constructed a separate reception room with its own kitchen. Additions over the years changed Thomas Serpell's little bit of Renaissance architecture to a typical mechanics institute building, then in the 70s alterations once more changed the appearance of the Hall. For one hundred years the Doncaster Athenaeum was the centre for community activities but now the hall takes second place to other facilities in the district.

Source: Irvine Green writing in 1996 06 DTHS Newsletter

Pages

Athenaeum Hall, Doncaster

Historic Markers and Monuments (Excerpt)

Athenaeum Hall Conservation Analysis and Plan

Photographic Survey 2000

Saturday Night at the Athenaeum Hall

1883

The Doncaster Athenaeum

"Coming-of-age"

The Doncaster Athenaeum

The Doncaster Athenaeum

Atheneaum Hall Doncaster

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