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July 18, 2016

Pithara Hall heritage listed

The historic Pithara Hall and Supper Room, designed by our practice over 80 years ago, has received State Heritage Listing.

Located 240km north-east of Perth in the Shire of Dalwallinu, the hall was designed in 1931 by Powell, Cameron & Chisholm (as the practice was then known). The Supper Room was a later addition, designed by Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol in 1956.

The building has been acknowledged for its aesthetic, historic and social value. An intact example of a regional town hall in the Inter War Free Classical architectural style, it is described by Heritage Minister Albert Jacob as “a landmark in the town centre of Pithara….much loved for the memories it evokes of civic and social events that have taken place in the hall.”

The rendered-brick building, with its symmetrical facade and gabled parapet, has hosted weddings, dances, ceremonies, church services, concerts and sporting club functions, and was used as an army hospital during World War II when a Japanese invasion was feared. It represents the once central importance of town halls to rural communities, and a distinctive way of life that is now in decline.

We are proud of our practice’s architectural legacy. Pithara Hall is a vivid example of the contribution the built environment makes to our sense of place and our cultural identity. For more information on the building and its significance, see The Heritage Council’s assessment documentation.

Thank you to Gordon Stuart for the image – his site ‘Photographs of Perth and the South West of Western Australia’ is fascinating, and well worth a visit.

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