| |
SHR Criteria a)
[Historical significance] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo has local historical significance as evidence of the former Municipality of Waterloo and as a local
landmark of over 125 years standing.
Built in 1881, at the beginning of a period of substantial residential and
industrial development, the Town Hall was conceived, designed and
constructed to be the centre of municipal administration. Equally important
was its role as a symbol of what Waterloo had achieved and would achieve in
the future. The Town Hall was an expression of local identity: Waterloo had a
strong sense of its identity at this time, having earlier asserted its
independence from Redfern.
Waterloo Town Hall has significance for its ability to reflect the events that
shaped the development of the local area from the late nineteenth century
onwards. Increased residential and industrial development had created a
need for a purpose built town hall by 1881. Similarly, as the area expanded
during the first part of the twentieth century, a large social hall was added.
Minor alterations and additions continued to be carried out after this date as
the needs of the local community changed. The two world wars left a distinct
mark on Waterloo in terms of its contribution in men, women and industry.
This contribution is reflected in the placement of World War I honour rolls in
the building, the World War II Air Raid Shelter to the rear of the town hall and
the erection of the World War II memorial on the opposite site of Elizabeth
Street, close by the Town Hall.
Waterloo Town Hall has historic significance as part of a pattern of town hall
construction throughout the inner city Sydney municipalities during the 1880s
and early 1890s. While many of the inner city suburban municipalities had
been incorporated during the 1860-1870, most were not in a position to
construct substantial purpose-built Council chambers until the 1880s.
Collectively, the surviving nineteenth century town halls within the inner city
suburbs reflect the rise and development of local government as a result of the
Municipal Acts of 1858 and 1867. Through fabric and documentary evidence
the Waterloo Town Hall demonstrates the self image and aspirations of local
government in the 1880s. Most of the smaller municipalities of the late
nineteenth century have been amalgamated into larger local government
areas. In many instances, as at Waterloo, the former town hall is the most
important surviving physical evidence of their existence.
Waterloo Town Hall has local historic significance for the important events that
have been held within the building and the community associations that these
events embody. Like most Town Halls, the building was built, and later
expanded, to cater for community activities such as dances, meetings,
lectures and performances. A wide variety of events have been held in the
Town Hall since 1881. The Town Hall continues to be used for community
purposes, most notably, a public library.
Waterloo Town Hall has significance as a place of collective community
memory and commemoration. There are, for examples, Rolls of Honour for
World War I service in the front hall. More recently, a plaque was placed in
the hall to commemorate the naming of the suburb of Waterloo after the Battle
of Waterloo (1815). |
SHR Criteria b)
[Associative significance] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo has significance for its
association with the architect Edward Hughes, who prepared the original
design for the building. The level of significance is minor; little is known of
Hughes and no other buildings by this architect have been identified.
Waterloo Town Hall has significance for its association with the architects
John Smedley and Ambrose Thornley (Junior). Smedley and Thornley are
identified as the architects of the Town Hall by the contemporary press. While
not the source of the original design of the Town Hall, they nevertheless had a
close association with the building, overseeing its construction. Individually,
Smedley and Thornley designed a number of notable buildings in Sydney.
Smedley’s best known work is the Trades Hall, Sydney; Thornley’s is the
Glebe Town Hall.
Waterloo Town Hall has significance for its association with past members of
the Waterloo Municipal Council. Mayors, in particularly, are commemorated
by plaques within the building. |
SHR Criteria c)
[Aesthetic significance] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo has significance as a
largely intact example of a Victorian Italianate Style building with Second
Empire influences. Classically influenced Victorian architectural styles
dominated the design of town halls in Sydney during the 1880s and 1890s.
These styles were considered to lend a suitable air of respectability and
gravity to community buildings. The principal elevations of the 1881 Town Hall
are substantially intact. The only substantial loss to have occurred is the
removal of the cast iron ornamented verandah that once graced the Elizabeth
Street elevation. The loss of this verandah, while an important element of this
particular building, has had only a minor impact on the understanding that the
building provides of the Italianate Style. The Town Hall retains a high
percentage of original fabric. As a result, it demonstrates common
construction techniques and finishes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.
The Town Hall has aesthetic significance for a number of notable interiors,
including spaces and material finishes. Of particular note are the entrance hall,
original Council Chamber, original Grand Hall and Social Hall.
Waterloo Town Hall has aesthetic significance for its considerable streetscape
presence. The building occupies a prominent site within the immediate area
and is visible for some distance as approached from either direction along
Elizabeth Street. Its massing, scale and detailing set it apart from the more
modest adjoining buildings. |
SHR Criteria d)
[Social significance] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo has significance for the
local community for its past use as a place for gatherings and special events.
The building has significance for the existing local community for its use as a
public library. |
SHR Criteria e)
[Research potential] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo demonstrates the rise and
growth of Waterloo Municipality in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
century. It is representative of the type, style and standard of building
constructed as municipal chambers throughout the inner city municipalities at
this time. External and internal features and finishes are typical of the two
main periods (1881 and 1914-15) during which the building was constructed.
Waterloo Town Hall provides information pertaining to the Victorian Italianate
and Second Empire Styles. It provides an important contrast to Sydney Town
Hall, a more complex and substantial town hall in the same style and of the
same period.
The Air Raid Shelter to the rear of the site has potential to yield further
information through historic research. Understanding why and when this
structure was built could reveal a great deal about the psyche of Sydneysiders
during World War II. |
SHR Criteria f)
[Rarity] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo is not considered to be
significant under this criterion. It is one of a number of late nineteenth century
Town Halls in a classical revival Victorian styles to survive within the inner city
suburbs.
There are few known surviving examples of pillbox style World War II air raid
shelters within the City of Sydney. The example at Waterloo Town Hall,
however, has been extensively altered and can only be understood as a
former air raid shelter through documentary sources. |
SHR Criteria g)
[Representativeness] | Waterloo Town Hall, 770 Elizabeth Street, Waterloo provides a largely intact,
representative example of a late nineteenth century town hall that has been
adapted over a period of 120 years to accommodate changing community
requirements. This adaptation has generally been achieved while retaining an
understanding of the original 1881 building and the 1914-1915 Social Hall and
Caretaker’s Quarters. |
| Integrity/Intactness: | High |
| 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. |