York Town Hall is a heritage listed town hall in

York, Western Australia York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated on the Avon River, east of Perth in the Wheatbelt, on Ballardong Nyoongar land,King, A and Parker, E: York, Western Australia's first inland town, Parker Print, 2003 p.3. and is ...

, located in Avon Terrace. At the time of its construction, it was claimed to be the largest public hall in Western Australia, with an interior floor space measuring . Constructed in 1911, it is an example of Edwardian opulence. Architecturally, while it may be considered to be in Federation Free Classical style, with its "spectacular potpouri of architectural styles" and its "soaring columns topped with a decorative

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

and above the main entrance, a high semi-circular window in Romanesque manner", its features are so exaggerated that it is more in Victorian Mannerist style. It was designed by Wright, Powell and Cameron (the firm headed by

James William Wright James William Wright (9 October 1854 – 3 October 1917) was an Australian architect, civil engineer, and politician. He established the first private architectural practice in Western Australia in 1884, which now operates as Cameron Chisholm Ni ...

). The lobby has a sweeping staircase constructed by local craftsmen from

jarrah ''Eucalyptus marginata'', commonly known as jarrah, djarraly in Noongar language and historically as Swan River mahogany, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tree with roug ...

timber salvaged from the Mechanics Institute building, which had been demolished to make way for the Town Hall. During construction the last of six large steel principals in the main section of the hall still had to be secured firmly but lunchtime came and the workmen took lunch. During lunch a

willy-willy A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (half a metre wide and a few metres tall) to large (more than 10 m wide and more than 1 km tall). The primary vertical motion is ...

brought down the unsecured principal and with it, the other five. All had to be completely replaced. The Town Hall was opened on 30 November 1911 by the newly elected Labor Premier

John Scaddan John Scaddan, CMG (4 August 1876 – 21 November 1934), popularly known as "Happy Jack", was Premier of Western Australia from 7 October 1911 until 27 July 1916. Early life John Scaddan was born in Moonta, South Australia, into a Cornish A ...

. Historian Tony Clack comments: "...the erection of the Town Hall was York's swan song. Two and a half year's later the world was at war and York never recovered the confidence that was expressed in the construction of the Town Hall." The cost of construction was £9,027 for which the Council borrowed £7,000, and for many years, the Council struggled to pay the debt on the loans. It was designed to be large enough to generate income from renting the hall to travelling picture-show men and was utilised as a

picture show ''Picture Show'' is the second studio album by American rock band Neon Trees. The lead single, "Everybody Talks", was released on December 20, 2011, and the album was released on April 17, 2012. The music video for "Everybody Talks" was released o ...

venue early in its history. In 1926, the Town Hall was condemned by the Public Health Department and was closed down, due to a settling of the foundations. To remedy this, expensive steel reinforcing was introduced to support the walls, and steel braces and ties were installed on the roof trusses. In 1933 at the annual St Patrick’s Ball, in the company of his young companions, at 11:30 pm, a 16 year old Terrance Rowan stood on the railing of the dress circle balcony, overbalanced and crashed to the dance floor some below. He landed head first and broke his neck, and died early next morning. The clock was installed in 1952 and the building extended up Joaquina Street in 1997, completing the architect's original vision. In the 2000s it was refurbished and renovated, and the stage was renovated in 2019. Imperial_Inn_and_Town_Hall

The building is: * permanently on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...

(21 March 1978) * classified by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

(1 November 1976) * on the Shire municipal inventory (31 December 1995) * permanently on the

State Register of Heritage Places The State Register of Heritage Places is the heritage register of historic sites in Western Australia deemed significant at the state level by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. History In the 1970s, following its establishment of the ...

(7 February 1997)

References

{{reflist, 30em Town halls in Western Australia

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

State Register of Heritage Places in the Shire of York