Gilgandra Shire Council Chambers

Item details


Name of item:	Gilgandra Shire Council Chambers
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Government and Administration
Category:	Council Chambers
Location:	Lat: S31° 42.707’ Long: E148° 39.721’
Primary address:	Warren Road, Gilgandra, NSW 2827
Local govt. area:	Gilgandra

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Warren Road	Gilgandra	Gilgandra			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	The Gilgandra Shire Council Chambers was constructed in 1958. It represents an era of growth in the shire and is indicative of the growth of local government in Gilgandra. The building has associations with Gilgandra Shire Mayors and Councillors of the past 50 years. It has local historical association significance, representativeness and a high degree of integrity.
	Date significance updated: 23 Oct 08
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Construction years:	1958-1958
Physical description:	Gilgandra Shire Council Chambers is a modernist building featuring a series of stepped gable roofs clad in corrugated iron. External walls are clad in lapped timber slats. A covered walkway protects the building entrance and links to the adjacent Shire Hall.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building appears to be well managed and in good condition. The site is considered to have low archaeological potential.
	Date condition updated:23 Oct 08


Current use:	Council Chambers and Offices
Former use:	Council Chambers and Offices

History

Historical notes:

Prior to 1906 small towns and rural localities depended on the New South Wales Government for many services. ‘The police were the custodians of law and order, and attended to matters concerning sanitation and health’. In 1906 Shire Councils were formed across New South Wales after the passage of the Local Government (Shires) Act in 1905. A Progress Association had been formed in Gilgandra in January 1903 to press for improvements in and around the town. The first elected committee consisted of prominent citizens of the town, including R.G. Hitchen, J.H. Hitchen, A.E. Smith, A.A. Mudie, E. Marriott, M. Morris, J.J. Murray and H. Mitchell. (Curran 1991:7-8)

Gilgandra Shire was proclaimed on 6 March 1906. The shire included the town of Gilgandra and the villages of Breelong, Collie, Curban, Tooraweenah and Tonderbine. (Curran 1991:7-8) From its first meeting on 8 December 1906 the elected council dealt with the minutiae of the regulation of animal slaughter, nuisances and road maintenance. Following representations from the council the NSW Government declared an urban area in Gilgandra on 8 August 1907.

With the proclamation of an Urban Area, Council assumed responsibilities in the area over land, buildings and sanitation. The powers of Council in the area were amended and extended from time to time. (Curran 1991:15)

During the middle years of the 20th century the Gilgandra Shire Council developed the local road network, arranged the construction of new bridges and presided over the development of local utilities including a reticulated water supply, power generating plant and electricity supply network and sanitation systems.

A new Council Chambers was planned in 1957 (Curran 1991:91), constructed in 1958 and opened by the Honourable J. B. Renshaw, Minister for Local Government and Highways on 24 October 1958 (Gilgandra Shire Council 1958).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	(none)-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Gilgandra Shire Council Chambers was constructed in 1958. It represents and era of growth in the shire and is indicative of the growth of local government in Gilgandra. The building has local historical significance.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	The building has associations with Gilgandra Shire Mayors and Councillors of the past 50 years. It has local historical association significance.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The building is representative of the development of Gilgandra in the period following World War II.
Integrity/Intactness:	The building has a high degree of integrity.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Gilgandra Local Environmental Plan 2011	I45	09 Dec 11
Heritage study

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Gilgandra Shire Community Based Heritage Study	2008		Ray Christison	Ray Christison	Yes
Gilgandra Shire Community Based Heritage Study	2008		Ray Christison		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	Curran, June	1991	Gilgandra Shire Council
Written	Gilgandra Shire Council	1958	Commemorating Opening of New Council Chambers at Gilgandra

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1590075

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