Orange Civic Centre

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After many years of civic service from the Town Hall in Anson Street, the City Council began to look towards a new Civic Centre complex in the 1950s. On Tuesday, April 8, 1958, council's building committee recommended to Council that it authorise architects to prepare working plans for the new civic centre in Byng Street opposite Robertson Park. The first stage of the new centre, including administrative block and council chambers was estimated to cost ₤138,000 with the second stage to be constructed later. A fire in May, 1963, extensively damaged part of an old two-storey building diagonally opposite the Court House. The building was then torn down and the grounds were added to Council's Civic Centre site.

Orange moved much closer to a civic centre when Mayor Fred Dobbin revealed in May, 1972, that the State Government had offered additional finance for the project.Preliminary plans by the NSW Government Architect for the proposed centre were submitted to City Council on October 3. These plans showed the centre as being part of a combined Commonwealth, State and local government office complex on the corner of Byng Street and Lords Place. Mayor Dobbin said the plans were only preliminary sketches and much discussion from all parties was needed.

Plans for a joint project were scuttled in March, 1973, when the State Government decided it would build a State Office Block on the corner of Anson and Kite streets at a cost of around $1 million. The Government cited lack of finance by Council and the Commonwealth as well as problems involved in planning a combined civic project as the reason for its decision. It also stated that this had left the way clear for Council to develop its own plans for the development of the Byng Street site as the site of its Council Chambers and planned auditorium. About a month later Mayor Fred Dobbin announced that Council had been given approval to raise $900,000 for a new civic centre with the loan raising to be conducted between 1973 and 1976. At the same time the State also agreed to remove the condition that it be a joint Commonwealth-Council project.

Work on the new Civic Centre, estimated to cost $2.1 million, started on May 23, 1974, when contracts were signed for the construction of the pile foundations at a cost of $66,291. The contractors drilling rig arrived on the site almost immediately.

The final City Council meeting in the Town Hall was held in July, 1976, with Council officially moving into the new Civic Centre on August 2. During the final Town Hall meeting Mayor Ron Thomas said the first meeting at that building had been on April 3, 1888.

The Civic Centre was officially opened by NSW Governor Sir Roden Cutler on Saturday, October 9, 1976. The centre was divided into three main sections - administrative offices and council chambers, pubic forum and function rooms, and theatre and foyer. The fully-carpeted raked theatre provided seating for 495 people in 'continental' seating without any centre aisle.

The centre was built by Kell and Rigby, and architects were Lund, Hutton, Ryan and Morton. The front of the building was grassed with grown turf sods from Cowra and a 12-year-old magnolia donated by council staff member Mrs V Lewis was planted on the corner of the block while well established silver birch, weeping cherries and other trees were systematically planted along with more than 400 shrubs.

Sir Roden opened the $4.5 million complex at 3pm outside the theatre entrance. He unveiled a plaque which was later placed on the wall of the public forum. A fair was held in Robertson Park in conjunction with the opening with carnival attractions and stalls. Unfortunately the weather was shocking with rain, hail and biting winds, but the day went on regardless with thousands of people in attendance. Among the guests were Orange's oldest residents, who had been specially invited. Oldest resident present was Mr Joe Floyd, 97.

  • Notes for a history of Orange compiled by John Miller (1995-1997). Unpublished.
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