Former Centenary Hall
430B Waverley Road MALVERN EAST, STONNINGTON CITY
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Centenary Hall at 430B Waverley Road, Malvern East and built in 1934 as a cinema is significant.
How is it significant?
Centenary Hall is of local historic, social and aesthetic significance to the City of Stonnington.
Why is it significant?
Centenary Hall is representative of the type of small suburban cinema first constructed in the suburbs at the time that the 'talkies' became popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s., however it is distinctive for the manner in which it is integrated into the retail context. Although once quite common, many of these cinemas are now demolished or have been substantially adapted and their original use and function obscured. Suburban cinemas are a relatively rare building typology, having been either demolished or adapted for other uses (Criterion B).
Designed with the multiple uses of cinema, dance hall and lodge rooms, it provided an entertainment venue for the suburbs. The multiple uses of the building are evident in the shops at street level, the rooms at first floor level and the auditorium at the end of the central passage.
Centenary Hall commemorates the centenary of Victoria in its name, an event celebrated throughout Victoria during 1934-5. Centenary Hall is significant for its use as a suburban cinema until c.1950. It has also provided an important social function for many community groups including the scouts, Red Cross, and local theatre and dance groups. Its conversion to a knitting mills and printing works between 1951 and 1976 provided a place of employment, as did the later community uses by the co-operative Community Advancement Society (Criteria A & G).
Centenary Hall is notable for its intact metal shop front windows and central entry that distinguishes it as a former hall. The cantilevered verandah with patterned pressed metal soffit is of importance. The upper floor is distinguished by some unusual ziggurat pattern rendered mouldings. It is important as part of the urban streetscape of Waverley Road (Criterion E).
-
-
Former Centenary Hall - Physical Description 1
Centenary Hall, built in 1934 is designed to form part of the urban shopping street in Waverley Road. It is a two storey building with no front or side setbacks, matching other commercial premises in the shopping street near the corner of Malvern Road.
The hall is a large gable roofed building extending to the rear of the long site. The front two storey section is flat roofed whilst the remainder of the hall is single storeyed and gable roofed. The front features an indented entry centrally located between two shops. These have original metal framed windows by Shead of Mordialloc and has angled corners and obscure glazing to the highlight windows.
The central timber doors lead to a passage opening onto the hall itself. The facade is decorated in a restrained classical manner with stepped pilasters, festoons and an unusual ziggurat pattern across the parapet. Small balconnettes are under each of the first floor windows. The interior has been altered with partition walls and the insertion of a flat floor. The cantilevered verandah has a pressed metal soffit.
The interior which apparently once had a sloping floor has been altered for new uses. There are partitions forming offices, and the main auditorium has been converted to a gymnasium. The extent of stage and backstage spaces remaining was not investigated.
Centenary Hall is not immediately identifiable as a hall, as the extent of the building is not apparent when viewed form the street and it fits into the urban streetscape due to two shop fronts providing most of the ground floor facade.
Former Centenary Hall - Historical Australian Themes
Themes from the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History
10.7.2 Music, dancing and cinemas
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - Churches and Halls in the City of Stonnington - Heritage Citations Project 2010
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 2010
Grading: A2
-
-
-
-
-
St Elmo/WestfordStonnington City
-
Oxonia HouseStonnington City
-
Voreppe HouseStonnington City
-
-