Hi there all, I hope that you're well and enjoying the architecture of the ancients and the designs of today.
Today I bring you something a bit more contemporary than the ancient constructions so luckily witnessed around Europe, but not quite as young as you or me and that is the very elegant Port Melbourne Town Hall, my old stomping ground between 2009- 2017.
Back then I spent many a day in that Town Hall, as for many years now it has not only been the hub of a bustling community, but also a warm and comfortable library.
The Town Hall, housing the municipal offices, was opened in Bay Street in 1881, one of many impressive buildings of this decade. In 1884 the Borough of Sandridge became the Borough of Port Melbourne. The new name was intended to emphasise its locality as part of the capital of the booming state of Victoria and as a port, in spite of the fact that the new port was in west Melbourne. https://www.pmhps.org.au/1880-1890/
The architect J. J. Wild employed a free Classical Revival style architectural motifs in the form of two projecting end pavilions and a central tower, unified at ground floor level by an arcaded loggia surmounted by balustrading. The cast iron fencing at the sides is in very good condition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Melbourne_Town_Hall
https://issuu.com/copponline/docs/pm_town_hall_stories
Although two websites directly related to the Port Melbourne Town hall state that it was British Architect JJ Wild who designed the town hall, I cannot find mention of his time in Australia and so am uncertain at this time of whether this is infact the correct architect or whether this part of his history has been ommitted from the pages of history...
https://issuu.com/copponline/docs/pm_town_hall_stories
However during my research I came across this JJ Wild who did emigrate to Australia John James Wild (born Jean Jacques Wild; 1824 – 3 June 1900) was a Swiss linguist, oceanographer and a natural history illustrator and lithographer, whose images were noted for their precision and clarity. He participated in the Challenger expedition of 1872–76. In 1881 he emigrated to Australia, where he contributed to Frederick McCoy's Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria.
But apart form being a well traveled, educated and artistic man, fluent in photography, foreign languages and many other valuable skills, I cannot find mention of him being an architect.
But on the image of the town hall plans below, it clearly states, New Town Hall- Sandridge, plan of ground floor 1881 signed by architect john Wild, Town Clerk Edward Clark and surveyor William Ireland
From the collection of
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
6463
Items featured online
Plan, John James Wild, Architect, New Town Hall Sandridge 1881, 1 Jan 1881
Physical description
Laminated copy from City collection, elevation plans for new Town Hall Sandridge 1881.
.01 - front elevation
.02 - rear elevation
.03 - transverse section
.04 - ground floor plan - A3 copy
.05 - first floor plan - A3 copy
Subjects
built environment - civic, architecture, port melbourne town hall, john james wild, edward clark, town clerks
Date made 1 Jan 1881
Place made Victoria, Australia
Creator John James Wild, Architect
https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/60641a6c175fecd3b2dc15dc
https://issuu.com/copponline/docs/pm_town_hall_stories
JJ Wild was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1824 and met his wife, Elizabeth Ellen Mullin, while teaching languages in Belfast, Ireland.
Wild joined the 1872–1876 Challenger expedition as official artist and secretary. This expedition, carried out by the Royal Society, spent four years surveying the oceans. Equipped with a dark room aboard HMS Challenger, photographers were able to develop and print images soon after they were taken. This expedition is thought to have been the first to make use of photography as well as the services of an artist. Wild's contribution to the expedition's reports was Thalassa, An Essay on the Depth, Temperature and Currents of the Ocean, and for which he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich. He also wrote and illustrated a book on the expedition, At Anchor, a Narrative of Experiences Afloat and Ashore During the Voyage of H.M.S. "Challenger" from 1872 to 1876. 'Wild Islet' in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands is named after John James Wild.
https://issuu.com/copponline/docs/pm_town_hall_stories
Wild emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1881. Having been turned down repeatedly by New Zealand in his quest for work, he managed to eke out a living in Melbourne by giving lectures in modern languages and literature at Trinity College, supplemented by acting as matriculation examiner in French and German, and moonlighting as secretary and artist.
As he had with Frederick Schoenfeld and Arthur Bartholomew, Frederick McCoy quickly appreciated Wild's potential to contribute to his Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria, and Wild's most important Australian legacy was this work he carried out for McCoy. His skill in producing accurate images was also noticed by Walter Baldwin Spencer, Professor of Biology at Melbourne University, who became Director of the National Museum, and who commissioned Wild to illustrate the Giant Gippsland Earthworm for the Philosophical Society in 1888. In the same year Wild delivered the inaugural lecture on Anthropology at the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science in Sydney.
He died in Prahran, Victoria in 1900.
Wild Knoll in Antarctica is named after John James Wild.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_James_Wild
Whereas this actual architect, sounds far more suited to the job James William Wild (9 March 1814 – 7 November 1892) was a British architect. Initially working in the Gothic style, he later employed round-arched forms. He spent several years in Egypt. He acted as decorative architect to the Great Exhibition of 1851, and designed the Grimsby Dock Tower, completed in 1852. After a considerable break in his career he worked on designs for the South Kensington Museum, and designed the British embassy in Tehran. He was curator of the Sir John Soane's Museum from 1878 until his death in 1892. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_William_Wild
Now if you want an inside tour of the entire Town Hall and in particular the clocktower and all the way up into the bell and porthole, then I highly recommend jumping into this website for a 360 tour of all rooms and areas...https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/port-melbourne-town-hall/
In 1927 the Duke and Duchess of York (future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother) visited Australia for the official opening of Parliament House in Canberra.
After the ceremonies, the royal couple returned to Victoria by train alighting at Montague so they could say goodbye from an open car at brief civic receptions outside South Melbourne and Port Melbourne Town Halls as they returned to the HMS Renown berthed at Princes Pier.
The photograph (right) shows the reception outside the Town Hall in Bay Street. Town Clerk, Syd Anderson and the Mayor, William Howe are easily identified and the image appears to have captured Mrs Howe presenting a bouquet of flowers to the Duchess
https://www.pmhps.org.au/2021/06/a-young-girls-interests/
The Record, 14 May 1927 reported that Mrs Howe presented a bouquet tied with white ribbons and inscribed with “Bon Voyage” saying “Will you accept these flowers as a token of love and loyalty of the citizens of Port Melbourne”
“Daphne Skinner (eight years old) from St Joseph’s , Myrtle Bradbury (six years old) from Nott Street, and Hazel Trembath (five years old) from Graham Street, presented the Duchess with a beautiful work-box, made of highly polished figured Queensland maple, inscribed ‘To Princess Elizabeth from the school-children of Port Melbourne’.
Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) was barely one year old and had remained in England while her parents undertook the trip to Australia. The work-box, besides being a functional item, included a thimble made of Australian gold with an Australian opal mounted on the face.
https://www.pmhps.org.au/2021/06/a-young-girls-interests/
So as you can see, a well maintained and an immaculately presented building open to all residents as well as royalty back then
And open to the public even today as I saw a lineup outside the door, not sure if they were there for the Covid jabs or returning books as it is currently closed as we are in strict lockdown still....
Either way, as you can see it is a still a beautiful building and has been a home away from home for thousands of people over the years. I even used to come here not just for the library but to get my cats registered...
And to me, there's still a bit of mystery that surrounds this place, not only about the architect, but also is it haunted? It looks like it could be haunted! Make sure you check out the internal 360 tour here too! https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/port-melbourne-town-hall/
And then who's this guy and why is his face plastered all over the building? He reminds me of someone but I just can't put my finger on it. Any ideas? It's not Plato is it? I also want to say Poseidon but not on a Town hall I don't think...Now it's driving em crazy! Love to hear your suggestions!
I know I'll remember as soon as I press the publish button- or at 3am! 🤣
Thank you so much for reading my post, I really hope that you enjoyed it and look forward to your comments and thoughts.
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