Mont. St. Quentin Barracks
Market Street KYNETON, Macedon Ranges Shire
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Statement of Significance
The old Kyneton Drill Hall has historic associations as the later home of country Victoria's first,significant unit of army cavalry, the volunteer Kyneton and District Mounted Rifle Corps formed in 1860 (5). The 1903 building is a good example of a drill hall building, similar buildings being constructed in Melbourne and various country towns during both the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kyneton has no other building that is similar to this structure. Drill halls were built to provide a venue for the local volunteer army corps. Market Street has changed considerably during recent decades and the old drill hall acts as a focus for the remaining streetscape, while terminating the view from the Mollison Street conservation area. In common with the other drill halls, this building has a utilitarian building form and is sparsely decorated. Features are the multi-pane windows, gable infil, chimneys and the gable flagpole. The main body is corrugated iron sheet clad.
/nExtent of Significance: Entire,building and site.
/nSurrounding Elements of Significance: Close to the Mollison and High Street conservation areas. Market Street contains several buildings of some importance (q.v.).
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Mont. St. Quentin Barracks - Physical Description 1
The Kyneton Drill Hall is a large single storey timber framed building, with corrugated iron wall and gable roof cladding. The lean-to roofed front offices are weatherboard clad and have red brick chimneys, twelve pane double hung sashes and a gable roofed section about the central twin timber entrance doors.
Mont. St. Quentin Barracks - Physical Description 2
Externally intact.
Mont. St. Quentin Barracks - Physical Description 3
Quite good.
Veterans Description for Public
Mont. St. Quentin Barracks - Veterans Description for Public
The Mont St Quentin Barracks, on Market Street Kyneton, were designed and built in 1903 by the Victorian Department of Public Works. During a period of transition to Commonwealth control of defence, between 1901 and 1910, the Victorian Public Works Department still designed and constructed some drill halls.
In March 1902, £2,400 was put on the estimates for the construction of an orderly room and on June 24th the taking over of the new building by the Defence Department was reported. The official opening occurred in July and a brilliant ball took place that night. The Kyneton District Rifle Mounted Rifle Corps was formed on October 1st 1860, after two public meetings which led to sixty-four volunteers joining. Dr. Mackenzie, a Justice of the Peace, was influential in the formation of the Corps; country Victoria's first, significant unit of army cavalry. Gradually the Hall's function was taken over by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs.
Of the remaining examples of Victorian Drill Halls, Colac and Kyneton are the most stylistically interesting. Kyneton has no other building that is similar to this structure. The Hall itself is a Commonwealth timber and corrugated iron drill hall, with gabled entry.
Heritage Study and Grading
Macedon Ranges - Shire of Kyneton Conservation (Heritage) Study
Author: David Bick with Phyllis Murphy and John Patrick - Background history by Susan Priestley
Year: 1990
Grading:
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KYNETON COURT HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H1472
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FORMER BANK OF NSW AND RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H0308
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KYNETON BOTANIC GARDENSVictorian Heritage Register H1994
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