FORMER LAUDERS RIDING SCHOOL (EMERALD HALL)
295 BANK STREET SOUTH MELBOURNE, PORT PHILLIP CITY
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Statement of Significance
Emerald Hall, formerly known as Lauder's Riding School, was built in 1873 to a design by George Browne on land owned by Sir William Clarke. By 1874 the brick complex comprised seven rooms, stables, a riding school and gymnasium. Mr George Lauder, formerly of the 8th Hussars, ran the riding school, followed by his daughter Mrs James Watt. The building was used as a bicycle riding school from 1897 until 1907 and was also used as a gymnasium from the nineteenth century. Lady Janet Clarke then sold the building to the Roman Catholic Church who used it as a recreation hall for their nearby Sts Peter and Paul's School. The architectural firm Grainger, Kennedy and Little undertook alterations to the interior, including the installation of a stage and alterations to the stables at the rear. By the 1930s the building was known as Emerald Hall. The front facade is rendered and stepped up two storeys in height at the centre. Behind the facade the hall is brick with a gabled roof.
Emerald Hall has historical, social and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Emerald Hall, along with the converted stables, is historically and socially significant as one of the few purpose-built, indoor riding schools built in Australia. It is a rare example of a recreational facility associated with "proper and elegant" equestrianism, an art long considered important by the English upper classes and their colonial counterparts. Its use as a bicycle riding school towards the end of the nineteenth century demonstrates a different phase in popular culture when cycling became increasingly fashionable as a leisure activity. The building also has historical associations with Sir William Clarke, landowner, stud-breeder and philanthropist, who given his interests in horse management, was most likely the inspiration for the riding school.
Emerald Hall is architecturally significant as a clear architectural expression of the building's use as a riding school. Although the interior of the hall has been altered, the sheer scale of the lofty hall recalls its use as a riding school with a large arena. It retains its ceiling with its
varnished timber lining boards. The hall has a distinctive facade set hard up against the street. It is framed by applied pilasters across the facade and between the floors there is a dentilated cornice and above the first floor a modillion-decorated cornice line. Within this frame, the front door dominates, being set within an arched opening with a pattern indented into the render of its spandrels, while above, the parapet is embellished with a rounded pediment inscribed with "A.D.1873".
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FORMER LAUDERS RIDING SCHOOL (EMERALD HALL) - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
The ¼ acre block of land, with a street frontage to Bank Street of 20.11 metres (66 feet) and a depth of 50.29 metres (165 feet), owned by W.T.J. Clarke, (later Sir William),was vacant in 1872. The Rate Book of the following year records a riding school being established on the premises and by 1874 it was a brick complex of seven rooms, stables, riding school and gymnasium. The riding school was founded by George E. Lauder, and was carried on by his daughter Mrs James Watt with the help of her daughter until the riding school business ceased in 1907. On the premises a gymnasium was conducted by a Mr. English. A bicycle school also operated from the premises from 1897. The property was sold by Lady Janet Clarke in 1907 to the St Peter and Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, the current owners. The church engaged the services of the firm Grainger, Kennedy and Little, who designed major internal alterations to convert the premises to a church hall which was completed in 1908. Much of the work was apparently the conversion of the rear brick stable. A stage was installed at this time. Although many alterations have been carried out over the years, the space used as the ‘arena’ for the riding school can still be appreciated. The original stables are now virtually unrecognisable as such.
COMPARISON:
No other indoor riding schools of this vintage are known by this officer. There is the Police Riding School west of St Kilda Road near the Art Gallery, as well as much younger riding schools similar to the Oakwood Riding School at Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren, built some 40 years ago.
Associated People:
FORMER LAUDERS RIDING SCHOOL (EMERALD HALL) - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.Specific Exemptions:EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMITS:
(Classes of works or activities which may be undertaken without a permit under
Part 4 of the Heritage Act 1995)
Policy
It is the purpose of the permit exemptions to allow the building to be used as
a hall and for accommodation, but to retain and preserve the building fabric
of the original riding school, attached stables and original front one and two
storey section.
General Conditions:
1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner
which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of
alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the
place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or
object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the
Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive
Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending
or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the
responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the
responsible authority where applicable.
Exterior
* Demolition or removal (but not replacement or additions) to non registered
20th century extensions and structures provided such works do not damage
original 19th century building fabric of the original riding school complex,
including stables.
* Minor repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
* Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting,
wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good.
* Installation or repair of damp-proofing by either injection method or
grouted pocket method.
* Regular garden/yard maintenance.
* Installation, removal or replacement of garden watering systems, provided
the installation of the watering systems do not cause short or long term
moisture problems to the building.
* Laying, removal or replacement of paving in the gardens and the courtyards.
* Repair, removal or replacement of existing garden/yard structures.
Interior
* Interior work to 20th century extensions provided such works do not damage
original 19th century building fabric of the original riding school complex,
including stables.
* Minor repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
* Removal of partition walls to interior of hall
* Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled joinery, doors,
architraves, skirtings and decorative strapping.
* Replacement of floorboards with like and resurfacing of same
* Removal of dance rails
* Installation, removal or replacement of carpets and/or flexible floor
coverings.
* Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for
the hanging of mirrors, paintings and other wall mounted artworks.
* Installation, removal or replacement of kitchen benches and fixtures
including sinks, stoves, dishwashers etc and associated plumbing and wiring.
* Installation, removal or replacement of ducted, hydronic or concealed
radiant type heating provided that the installation does not damage existing
skirtings and architraves and provided that the location of the heating unit
is concealed from view.
* Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring provided that all
new wiring is fully concealed and any original light switches, pull cords,
push buttons or power outlets are retained in-situ. Note: if wiring original
to the place was carried in timber conduits then the conduits should remain
in-situ.
* Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
* Installation, removal or replacement of smoke detectors.
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