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Tale of the Two Town Halls
  
The original Town Hall which is situated alongside the Post Office was built as
the Petersburg Institute in 1884 at a cost of £853.15.9.
Initially it was a privately owned building but the Corporation of Petersburg
took over the building and used it as a Town Hall from February 1889. In 1891
the hall was renovated again by building an addition onto the front and a dressing
rooms and new stage at the rear at a cost of £1,020. The building was officially
opened by the Governor, The Earl of Kintore on the 22nd of November 1894. Since
that time the building has been used for a variety of things; ranging from a skating
rink, courthouse, museum, and a library. It is now a private residence and there
are no tours of the building.
The current Town Hall which is on the left hand side of the Old Town Hall was
built in 1927 at a cost of £13,961.0.6 and is claimed to be the largest
and most ornate Town Hall in country South Australia. The stage measures 55ft
wide, 21ft deep and 24ft high. The hall can seat 1,000 patrons and has excellent
facilities such as kitchen/bar area and change rooms. There are rooms set aside
for the Mayor, Council Chambers, RSL and a meeting room for the townspeople. Originally
the five rooms along the front of the building were leased as shops but are now
used as office space for the District Council of Peterborough. The Hall is open
to the public between 9am and 4:30pm Monday-Friday but is closed on weekends and
Public Holidays. |
