Geelong Town Hall is a civic building located on Gheringhap Street in central Geelong

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

. It was originally built for the City of Geelong

City of Geelong

The City of Geelong was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1849 until 1994.-History:...

, which became the City of Greater Geelong

City of Greater Geelong

The City of Greater Geelong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia.It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne. It has an area of 1,240 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 191,000...

 in 1993.

Construction

The land for the Town Hall was first acquired by the council in 1854. Two acres (0.8 hectares) in size, it was on the corner of Little Malop and Gheringhap Streets. A design competition was held, with 12 entries being received. The winning entry was submitted by a Melbourne architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

, Joseph Reed

Joseph Reed (architect)

Joseph Reed , a Cornishman by birth, was probably the most influential Victorian era architect in Melbourne, Australia. He established a practice, Reed and Barnes in Melbourne in 1852. The practice now known as Bates Smart is one of the oldest continually operating in the world.Reed's buildings...

.

The cost was estimated at 34,533 pounds ($69,066) and due to insufficient funding, it was decided to only build a single southern wing along Little Malop Street. The foundation stone was laid on April 9, 1855 by the then-Mayor Dr William Baylie. The wing was completed soon after.

Expansion

The single southern wing remained alone until the early 1900s. Suggestions were made to move the Town Hall to another site, with a referendum being held in 1914 proposing the council move to the former Geelong Grammar building on Moorabool Street. This proposal was defeated, with the original design being completed, opening in June 1917. It remains today, with minor additions at the rear.