Clocktower Centre
Encyclopedia
The Clocktower Centre, previously known as Essendon Town Hall or Moonee Ponds Town Hall, is a civic building in Moonee Ponds
in Melbourne
, Australia
. Operated by the City of Moonee Valley
, it is a venue for performing arts as well as community and corporate activities. It is located at 750 Mount Alexander Road
, at the junction with Pascoe Vale Road
.
style and opening in September 1880.
In February 1886 it was officially rechristened as the Essendon Town Hall. By 1914 the town hall had been extended and was reopened in July of that year. In 1930, a clock was installed in the clocktower and in 1941 the building was again modified with sections being rebuilt.
After the council chambers were moved to the new civic centre in 1973, the town hall was converted to a community centre. It was renovated and officially opened as the Essendon Community Centre in 1976. A fire in 1978 caused substantial internal damage to the building but by 1979 it has been repaired and reopened.
In February 2000 following substantial renovations, the building was officially reopened as the Clocktower Centre.
Moonee Ponds, Victoria
Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Operated by the City of Moonee Valley
City of Moonee Valley
The City of Moonee Valley is a Local Government Area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the north-western suburbs between 3 and 13 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre...
, it is a venue for performing arts as well as community and corporate activities. It is located at 750 Mount Alexander Road
Mount Alexander Road, Melbourne
Mount Alexander Road is a major road in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs.It commences at the junction of Flemington Road and CityLink in the suburb of North Melbourne, proceeds North through Flemington forming the boundary between Flemington and Travancore, then forming the boundary between...
, at the junction with Pascoe Vale Road
Pascoe Vale Road, Melbourne
Pascoe Vale Road is a major thoroughfare through the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne continuing to the outer northern suburbs. It runs in the South from its junction with Mount Alexander Road at Moonee Ponds Junction and continues North through the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Strathmore,...
.
Building history
The building has evolved substantially over time. It was originally built as the Essendon Mechanics Institute, in a Victorian architectureVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style and opening in September 1880.
In February 1886 it was officially rechristened as the Essendon Town Hall. By 1914 the town hall had been extended and was reopened in July of that year. In 1930, a clock was installed in the clocktower and in 1941 the building was again modified with sections being rebuilt.
After the council chambers were moved to the new civic centre in 1973, the town hall was converted to a community centre. It was renovated and officially opened as the Essendon Community Centre in 1976. A fire in 1978 caused substantial internal damage to the building but by 1979 it has been repaired and reopened.
In February 2000 following substantial renovations, the building was officially reopened as the Clocktower Centre.