When Bendigo struck gold, its city needed a building that befitted its new wealth.
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Begun in 1859 the Town Hall was originally a plain, red brick building.
In the 1870s, celebrated Bendigo architect William Vahland, was given the job of turning the town hall into a grander building.
Mr Vahland didn’t decorate by halves.
The masonry and the decoration adorning the building today dates back to his work. Inside, decorative plaster embellished by gold leaf was added.
Ornate decorations and murals were added to the inside of the council chambers during a complete renovation that took place at the same time.
The Town Hall is among several heritage buildings open this weekend for Bendigo’s first Open House weekend.
Volunteer tour guide David Castles loves sharing the history of the building, and of Bendigo more broadly, with groups.
“The decoration is really grand in both he original council chamber and the current council chamber reception room,” Mr Castles said.
“You can see the original colours of the building as they were back in the 1870s and the beautiful decorative ceilings, as well as viewing some portraits of some of the former mayors of the city of Bendigo.
“It helps you get an appreciation of the history of the place, and to appreciate how fortunate we are to have such beautiful buildings.”
Bendigo Chapel will also open for the weekend.
Built in 1873, the chapel designed by town clerk George Avery Fletcher.
It is one of the world’s few multi-denominational chapels still standing.
Its design is neo-gothic, an ornate style popular in the nineteenth century, which harked back to medieval times.
Shaped like a cross, the chapel has a high domed ceiling punctuated by stained glass windows.
Its three doors hark back to the days when cemeteries were organised strictly along denominational lines, giving people easy access to their denominational plots.
Its tower is topped by a gold covered fleche.
No one knew the fleche was covered with fold, until restoration works in recent years, which saw the material stripped back.
The chapel was built onsite after Bendigo’s cemetery moved to Carpenter Street in 1858. Originally at Sandhurst, it moved after a law passed requiring cemeteries to be at least one kilometre from town centres.
Cemetery volunteer Ruth Claridge said it always feels almost “royal” inside the chapel.
“It’s such a magnificent building and the beautiful ceilings and that, it’s very special,” Ms Claridge said.
More information at openhousebendigo.org
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