I came across this photograph, below, of Yarra Glen and wondered what the building on the right was and discovered that it was the Victoria Hall. This post looks at the history of the Victoria Hall (later referred to as the Mechanics' Hall) and the two other Yarra Glen Halls - the Recreation Hall and the Memorial Hall.
Yarra Glen, c. 1911, showing Victoria Hall
State Library of Victoria Image H96.200/740
The Hall has an interesting history as related by the journalist, The Vagabond. John Stanley James (1843-1896) arrived in Melbourne in 1876 after a mixed career in England and America and he started writing for The Argus, under the name of The Vagabond. (1). He visited Lilydale and Yarra Glen towards the end of 1893 and his observations were published in The Leader in December 1893 and January 1894. This is what The Vagabond wrote about Victoria Hall -
Opposite the railway station is the most prominent public building in Yarra Glen. The Victoria Hall is architecturally a feature of the place. Built on a point of land at a junction of four roads, it could not be on a better site. It is as good a building of its kind as there is outside of Melbourne, containing stage, scenery and sitting accommodation for 400 persons. Balls and "socials " at the Victoria Hall are always crowded........This Victoria Hall, it may be mentioned, has a history. Ten years ago a cheese factory was erected near the banks of the river, and an American manager was imported to make cheese and dividends for the shareholders. He failed to do the latter. The benefits to be derived from creameries were not understood by farmers in those days. In these times a butter and cheese factory at Yarra Glen would perhaps pay. This American was one of the most obnoxious Yankees I ever met. Outside dairy management he was very ignorant. To this day they tell with glee of his nailing wire netting on all the windows of the two-story factory to keep out the snakes which he believed crawled up the sides of houses. This would do good, however, in keeping out the flies. Like all ignorant Americans, this Yankee was perpetually blowing about the country of his birth. Once only did he say a good word for Australia. A snow storm came down from the hills on to Yarra Glen. The Yank took off his hat and stood in the centre of the road. " Great Scott !" he shouted, " this is the only thing I've met in this allfired desolate land which reminds me of God's own country, America! " He was not regretted when he left the district. The factory stood empty for years, till someone persuaded Mr. Robert Kilpatrick to buy it and remove it to a central site for a public hall. It cost him an additional £500 to build the Victoria Hall as it is, and there is no chance for years of obtaining a return for the outlay. But Mr. Robert Kilpatrick is a local patriot. "If it doesn't benefit me it will benefit the district," says he. The chairman of the New Mariner can afford this. (2).
Robert Kilpatrick (1839-1903), of Lilydale, was involved with both the New Mariner Gold Mining Company Steiglitz, which was registered in February 1891; and the New Mariner No. 1 Quartz Mining Company, which was registered in July 1893 (3).
Victoria Hall, Yarra Glen.
This photo and others were published in The Leader of January 6, 1894, in conjunction with The Vagabond's article (see here)
It is also at the State Library of Victoria, from the Illustrated Australian News of February 1, 1894 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/437092
The Vagabond's report of January 1894 is the first reference I can find to it being called the Victoria Hall. When it was opened on June 30, 1893 it was referred to as the New Hall. The Evelyn Observer, of July 7, had this report of the opening -
The new hall built by Dr. Wm. Kilpatrick at Yarra Glen was opened last Friday evening, when the Yarra Glen Amateur Dramatic Club staged the play. "Our Days" and the comedietta " Hook and Eye." There was a large audience present, and the amateur theatricals acquitted themselves creditably and were warmly applauded (4).
It is interesting that they credit Dr William Kilpatrick with the building of the hall. The Vagabond had referred to the musical skills and dedication of Doctor Kilpatrick in his report -
Yarra Glen rivals Lilyday [sic] in musical and histrionic talent. The "leading lady" of the district is Miss Murphy, who is the school mistress at Dixon's Creek. I have been often fairly startled at Miss Murphy's powers. As an amateur she is in the front rank, and delights the audiences to whom she plays throughout the year on behalf of local charities. In comedy and tableaux Dr. Kilpatrick is Miss Murphy's great support. It is nothing for the doctor to spend a day in the saddle around the district, play at Yarra Glen for some "benefit," visit a few more patients, and then drive back to Lilydale, arriving there in the middle of the night, to be up fresh as paint in the morning (5).
Doctor Kilpatrick was the only child of Robert Kilpatrick, so whether it was Robert or William who donated the Hall to the community, they were the same family (6).
An early function held at this new hall was reported in Lilydale Express in September 1893 -
The debate, "Woman's Position," by Mrs Andrade, in spite of most unfavorable weather, drew a good audience to the new hall, Yarra Glen, on the evening of the 8th September. The bill of fare presented, although it offered nothing new in the way of grievances or remedies was well thought out and delivered. American statistics were brought forward to show the number of positions and the variety of duties fulfilled by women in the United States making them as useful and self-supporting as men. After Mrs Andrade's presentation the debate was taken up by four men - the Reverend Darroch who considered that in women, sense is second to sentiment; Mr Fleming who would give women the vote but did not want to see them in Parliament; Mr Maxwell who thought women should chose her own sphere and not be tied down by any male restriction and the last speaker Dr Kilpatrick who had been at school and college with girls, and found them equal, if not superior, to the male scholars. Why should not all careers be opened to them? (7).
The Victoria Hall was used for the usual functions in a small town - meetings, performances, balls and fundraisers for community efforts such as repairs to the Anglican Church building. During the First World War the Hall hosted Red Cross meetings, farewells to local soldiers and the 'welcome home' to the returned soldiers.
In September 1898, a Library was opened at the Hall. The Evelyn Observer noted -
The Yarra Glen Public Library is now open, and considerable interest is being taken in it. On Friday evening last, in the Victoria Hall, Mr. Paul, barrister, of Melbourne, gave a lecture in aid of the funds. The subject of the address was "Ourselves as others see us." (8). The Library was still in operation in December 1905, but it closed at some unknown time and when, in 1929, there was agitation in the town for a new public library it was reported that there is a Probability of a public library being established in the town. Years ago there was one in existence, but it became a thing of the past (9).
On October 8, 1921, the Soldiers Memorial was unveiled in front of the Victoria Hall, on the corner formed by the Lilydale Road and the Railway (10). The Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser reported -
The monument consists of a granite column, with abroad pedestal on a foundation of concrete, the
whole surrounded and protected by a chain set in granite posts. On one face of the monument is the inscription: "This monument is erected by the citizens of Yarra Glen and District, under the auspices of the Welcome Home League, to perpetuate the memory of the men who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1919." And below on the pedestal, "This Monument was unveiled 8th October, 1921."
The following names were listed on two sides of the memorial - J. Armstrong, J. Bell, H. Conway,
C. Dinsdale, E. Farnsworth, C. Gedye, W. Holding, E. Hubbard, G. Hubbard, A. Hunt, J. Irvine,
S. Jell, A. M'Leod, L. M'Leod, H. Marshall, S. Mills, J. Pickering, D. Shillito, S. Smedley, R. Waigh and J. Wilson (11).
What happened to the Victoria Hall? The last reference in the newspapers which I can find to Victoria Hall is in November 1924. However, from 1919 until 1929 there are references to the Mechanics' Hall at Yarra Glen and I believe they are the same building. This is confirmed by the fact that the building is also listed as a Mechanics' Institute in the comprehensive survey of Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria, These Walls Speak Volumes (12). The building was still there in December 1934, as it is photographed in the flood photograph, below. These Walls Speak Volumes notes It is thought locally that Victoria Hall was demolished some time before the end of World War Two (13).
Yarra Glen, December 1934 flood.
State Rivers and Water Supply Commission photographer.
State Library of Victoria Image RWP/32883
The Victoria Hall was not the first Hall in Yarra Glen; as mentioned previously when it was opened in June 1893, it was referred to as the New Hall. The original Hall was also donated by local business men, as the Evelyn Observer notes in the report from July 1886 -
We hear on good authority that Messrs. Munday and Warren, auctioneers, are making arrangements for building a spacious hall on their land at Yarra Flats, to enable the residents of that district to have some commodious building to hold their public meetings, and allow the young to enjoy " the light fantastic" ; also, in case of wet weather Messrs M. and W. will use the hall for their land or property sales. We believe a stage is included in the specification, so we may expect to see some "stars" on the boards during the oncoming busy times promised for the Yarra Flats and its neighborhood. We wish them success (14).
Tenders for the building were called in the August and the building was opened by December 1886 (15).
Tenders invited for the erection of the Yarra Flats Recreation Hall
The Age, August 24, 1886 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190847378
I can find references to this Hall, known as the Recreation Hall, until 1911, but I have no information as to its fate. As you can see from the report above, Yarra Glen was originally known as Yarra Flats, however when the railway line reached the town in May 1888, the local station was called Yarra Glen and the School and the Post Office adopted the new name in 1889 (16).
There was also another Hall in Yarra Glen - the Memorial Hall. It was opened in December 1920 and the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser reported on the event -
Last Saturday, the 11th inst., the Soldiers' Club rooms at Yarra Glen were formally opened by Mr W. H. Everard, M.L.A. There was a fine gathering of district residents, together with many friends from a distance. Mr P. F. Downer presided and introduced the member of the district, who, in a happy speech, declared the building formally opened, and referred eloquently to the generosity which had built and equipped the rooms. The ground, a well-placed corner block, was given by the Herbert family, the money for the building being raised by donations and numerous efforts from the folk of the township and district, and the furniture, which includes a fine billiard table, was a gift from Mrs Woolcott and members of her family.
Speeches were also given by Cr Bath, Chairman of the Welcome Home League, the other two councillors of the Riding, Crs Smedley and Hubbard, and by Mr Maroney as representative of the R.S.S.I.L. During the afternoon a medal from the Welcome Home League was given to Private G. Muir, of Christmas Hills. Tea and cakes, provided by the ladies, were handed round, and then the assembled company inspected the rooms and watched the "Diggers" trying the billiard table. In the evening the Victoria Hall was packed to listen to a fine concert programme provided by the Ringwood Diggers (17).
Six years later in December 1925 a dance hall was added to the Memorial Hall (18). In the January 1939 Black Friday bush fires the Hall was nearly destroyed -
...word came from Yarra Glen that the town was in danger, and most of the fighters from the road
area went on, to discover that the Memorial Hall was in imminent peril of being demolished. Outbuildings were alight then, and it appeared to be just a matter of time before the hall itself would catch. Their commendable activity was responsible for a splendid save, as they prevented the flames reaching the main building (19).
However, sadly, on February 16, 1952 the Hall did not escape destruction by fire. The Lilydale Express reported on the tragedy -
Destruction of Yarra Glen's Memorial Hall by fire early last Saturday morning is one of the most tragic incidents in the district's history. The Hall, an invaluable asset and of one of most modern in Eltham and neighbouring Shires, was razed to the ground by fire, which began mysteriously. The fire was first noticed at at 5 a.m. by neighboring residents, who quickly raised the alarm.....by 6.20 the hall had been reduced to smouldering ashes (20).
A new Memorial building was opened on May 27, 1955, by Mr Colin Badger, Director of Adult Education in Victoria (21). The War Memorial was relocated to the front of this Hall in 1998 (22).
Trove List - I have created a list of newspapers articles on the Halls at Yarra Glen, access it here.
Footnotes
(1) John Stanley James - read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry here https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/james-john-stanley-3848
(2) The Leader, January 6 1894, see here.
(3) Obituary in the Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, August 22, 1903 see here; See my Trove list, here, for connections to the New Mariner Companies. Dates of registration from the Victoria Government Gazette of February 13, 1891, page 898 see here; and Victoria Government Gazette of July 14, 1893, page 3212, see here.
(4) Evelyn Observer, July 7, 1893, see here.
(5) The Leader, January 6 1894, see here.
(6) Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, August 22, 1903 see here
(7) Lilydale Express, September 15, 1893, see here.
(8) Evelyn Observer, September 30, 1898, see here.
(9) Hurstbridge Advertiser, May 17, 1929, see here.
(10) Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser, October 14, 1921, see here.
(11) Ibid
(12) Baragwanath, Pam and James, Ken These Walls Speak Volumes: a history of Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria (published by the authors in 2015)
(13) Ibid, p. 646.
(14) Evelyn Observer, July 9, 1886, see here.
(15) Evelyn Observer, December 17, 1886, see here.
(16) Evelyn Observer, May 18, 1888, see here; Blake, Les Place names of Victoria (Rigby, 1977)
(17) Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser, December 17, 1920 see here.
(18) The Argus, January 1, 1926, see here.
(19) Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, January 21, 1939, see here.
(20) Lilydale Express, February 22, 1952, see here.
(21) Lilydale Express, June 3, 1955, see here.
(22) Encyclopedia of Yarra Glen and District http://www.yarraglenhistory.com.au/a-z/M/memorial-hall-yarra-glen; Yarra Glen RSL https://www.yarraglen.com/RSL/YG-memorial.htm
