Physical description
Bendigo Town Hall, Heritage Victoria ''A Goldfields Palace Blue Leaflet'' with coloured photographs and white text. Photographs courtesy of Westox Pty Ltd and the City of Greater Bendigo. 2002. Front page features the extensive work that would be undertaken for the restoration. A time line beginning 1851, gold discovered in Bendigo. 1854 German-born W. C. Vahland arrived in the colony. 1855 Town of Sandhurst (Bendigo) became a municipality. 1856 First Town Hall was a small timber building on View point. 1857 Vahland sets up his architectural practice with Robert Getzschmann. 1859 A new, two-storey Italianate Town hall designed by George Fletcher, Town Surveyor, was built. 1866-77 Two-storey extension added to the north of the building to house the council chamber. 1871-72 Addition of the Corn Exchange comprising two storeys and a basement to the north of the building. 1878-87 Major remodelling of the exterior and interior carried out to the designs of architect W. C. Vahland. The work comprised major extensions and the addition of three towers and mansard roof, reconstruction of the main stair, decorative plasterwork by Otto Waschatz (decorated Royal palace, Copenhagen), and council chamber painted by W. J. Straugher. 1902 Painting of the main hall by Coulter and Smith of Bendigo. 1913-15 Remodelling of offices. 1926 Replacement of main Hargreaves Street hall entrance, foyer and balcony with stage. 2000 Restoration works to the Town hall commence. The middle pages and the back show some of the conservation works that were required.
