26 November 1884: Victorian Trades Hall Building To Be Extended, All Unions To Meet Under One Roof
Title
26 November 1884: Victorian Trades Hall Building To Be Extended, All Unions To Meet Under One Roof
Subject
The reasoning and announcement of the New Trades Hall Building to be made as an extension to the Hall that stood to allow unions to meet under the one roof and encourage participation.
Description
Newspaper article.
Creator
Unnamed.
Source
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6062062
Publisher
National Library of Australia
Date
26 November 1884
Contributor
Mai Mitsumori-Miller
Format
PDF.
Language
English.
Type
Newspaper article.
Text
THE NEW TRADES-HALL
BUILDING.
For many months past the necessity of
making extensive additions to the existing
Trades-hall building has been daily apparent,
owing to the number of trade organisations in
the metropolis having largely increased
during the past two year, and the member-
ship of the others having been aug-
mented to a considerable extent. In
order to illustrate the urgency of the
demand for additional accommodation,
it may be stated that at the last meeting
of the council a newly formed body, repre-
senting several societies, applied to have a
room set apart for it to hold its meetings in
on Tuesday evenings but the council was
unable to comply with the application beyond
promising it the use of an apartment if one
could be found vacant, which, it may be
said, is not at all probable. With a view of
keeping the various unions together, by al
lowing thom to hold their meetings under one
roof, the Building Committee, which is com
posed of practical men held several delibera-
tions a few weeks ago, and, assisted by
Messrs. Reed, Henderson, and Smart
architects of this city, they decided upon
a plan for extending the building, and by
so doing erecting a handsome structure quite
in keeping with the other magnificent public
buildings in Melbourne. The committee also
drew up a scheme for raising the necessary
funds to carry out the undertaking and sub-
mitted both the plans and the scheme to the
council, and they were ni turn sent b) that
body to the different hock ties inteiested for
their consideration, and the result has been
that nearly the whole of the associations have
approved of them, and instructed their dele-
gates in the council to vote for their adoption.
The building is to be composed of brick and
cement, and has been designed in accordance
with the Corinthian style of architecture.
The front of the building is to be in Lygon
street, and a person on glancing at the plan
of the facade would at first imagine that he
was looking at a drawing of the Melbourne
Public Library, in fact in general appearance
and size the new Trades-hall will not be
unlike that edifice. The structure will be a
two storied one, and will have when com-
pleted a frontage of 364ft. to the thoroughfare
named, with an elevation of 40ft. to the
balustrading. In the centre of the facade
there is a large portico, with a huge pedí-
ment, supported by several fluted columns
the same as that in the building re-
ferred to. On the summit of the pedí-
ment is a statue representing Labour,
and on each side of it are two square towers
15 ft. high. The whole of the front is sur-
mounted by a parapet with open balus-
trading, and above this is a judicious place-
ment of finials and urns to add to the adorn-
ment of the edifice. The portico will be in
front of where the old Trades-hall now is,
and immediately behind it will be a large
hall 139ft. x 85 ft., which will be the second
largest in Melbourne when finished. The
want of a large hall of this description is sadly
felt, and was evident at a mass meeting
of the bootmakers which was held last
week in the old hall. On that occasion the
building could not hold all the persons de-
siring admittance, and those who were inside
had to stand closely packed together in the
midst of a hot and vitiated atmosphere,
in addition to being available for
holding meetings of that description the
new hall will be useful to the societies to
hold their musical entertainments in, which
they have from time to time, for the purpose
of augmenting their funds and it is
also expected that a considerable sum
will be derived by letting it occa-
sionally to public speakers and others.
On the ground floor, between the present
building and the proposed hall there will be
three rooms each 22ft x 18ft looking into
Lygon street and behind them, will be two
others, each 22ft. x 22ft. At the rear of these
two rooms there is an arcade or wide
corridor, which will be a continuance of the
corridor of the existing building, and will
lead from Victoria street to the fire-escape
door of the new hall. On the eastern side of
this corridor there will be an open court
and a flight of stone stairs to the
first floor and behind this will be
two additional rooms each 22ft x 22ft,
and beyond them, overlooking the right of
way will be two other rooms. There will
be a similar lot of rooms on the northern
side of the proposed hall, and beyond
these will be five larger rooms which will
form the northern wing of the structure
The first, floor will to a great extent re-
semble the ground floor with the exception
that instead of having three rooms on each
side of the portico overlooking Lygon street,
there will only be one large one and these
two rooms will be used for lodge or lecture
meetings.
BUILDING.
For many months past the necessity of
making extensive additions to the existing
Trades-hall building has been daily apparent,
owing to the number of trade organisations in
the metropolis having largely increased
during the past two year, and the member-
ship of the others having been aug-
mented to a considerable extent. In
order to illustrate the urgency of the
demand for additional accommodation,
it may be stated that at the last meeting
of the council a newly formed body, repre-
senting several societies, applied to have a
room set apart for it to hold its meetings in
on Tuesday evenings but the council was
unable to comply with the application beyond
promising it the use of an apartment if one
could be found vacant, which, it may be
said, is not at all probable. With a view of
keeping the various unions together, by al
lowing thom to hold their meetings under one
roof, the Building Committee, which is com
posed of practical men held several delibera-
tions a few weeks ago, and, assisted by
Messrs. Reed, Henderson, and Smart
architects of this city, they decided upon
a plan for extending the building, and by
so doing erecting a handsome structure quite
in keeping with the other magnificent public
buildings in Melbourne. The committee also
drew up a scheme for raising the necessary
funds to carry out the undertaking and sub-
mitted both the plans and the scheme to the
council, and they were ni turn sent b) that
body to the different hock ties inteiested for
their consideration, and the result has been
that nearly the whole of the associations have
approved of them, and instructed their dele-
gates in the council to vote for their adoption.
The building is to be composed of brick and
cement, and has been designed in accordance
with the Corinthian style of architecture.
The front of the building is to be in Lygon
street, and a person on glancing at the plan
of the facade would at first imagine that he
was looking at a drawing of the Melbourne
Public Library, in fact in general appearance
and size the new Trades-hall will not be
unlike that edifice. The structure will be a
two storied one, and will have when com-
pleted a frontage of 364ft. to the thoroughfare
named, with an elevation of 40ft. to the
balustrading. In the centre of the facade
there is a large portico, with a huge pedí-
ment, supported by several fluted columns
the same as that in the building re-
ferred to. On the summit of the pedí-
ment is a statue representing Labour,
and on each side of it are two square towers
15 ft. high. The whole of the front is sur-
mounted by a parapet with open balus-
trading, and above this is a judicious place-
ment of finials and urns to add to the adorn-
ment of the edifice. The portico will be in
front of where the old Trades-hall now is,
and immediately behind it will be a large
hall 139ft. x 85 ft., which will be the second
largest in Melbourne when finished. The
want of a large hall of this description is sadly
felt, and was evident at a mass meeting
of the bootmakers which was held last
week in the old hall. On that occasion the
building could not hold all the persons de-
siring admittance, and those who were inside
had to stand closely packed together in the
midst of a hot and vitiated atmosphere,
in addition to being available for
holding meetings of that description the
new hall will be useful to the societies to
hold their musical entertainments in, which
they have from time to time, for the purpose
of augmenting their funds and it is
also expected that a considerable sum
will be derived by letting it occa-
sionally to public speakers and others.
On the ground floor, between the present
building and the proposed hall there will be
three rooms each 22ft x 18ft looking into
Lygon street and behind them, will be two
others, each 22ft. x 22ft. At the rear of these
two rooms there is an arcade or wide
corridor, which will be a continuance of the
corridor of the existing building, and will
lead from Victoria street to the fire-escape
door of the new hall. On the eastern side of
this corridor there will be an open court
and a flight of stone stairs to the
first floor and behind this will be
two additional rooms each 22ft x 22ft,
and beyond them, overlooking the right of
way will be two other rooms. There will
be a similar lot of rooms on the northern
side of the proposed hall, and beyond
these will be five larger rooms which will
form the northern wing of the structure
The first, floor will to a great extent re-
semble the ground floor with the exception
that instead of having three rooms on each
side of the portico overlooking Lygon street,
there will only be one large one and these
two rooms will be used for lodge or lecture
meetings.
Original Format
Newspaper
Files
Collection
Citation
Unnamed. , “26 November 1884: Victorian Trades Hall Building To Be Extended, All Unions To Meet Under One Roof,” THE VICTORIAN TRADES HALL: AN ARCHIVAL HISTORY, accessed April 28, 2024, https://bpeddlesdenweds2.omeka.net/items/show/49.