Johnstone Park Peace Memorial Building

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

This memorial building in Johnstone Park, Geelong, is located in an area initially reserved as public space in the 1858 Geelong Town plan. In July 1919, the Geelong Town Council decided to build a Peace Memorial Foyer to commemorate the fallen of World War I. A Crown grant of land at the focal point of the Geelong Civic Centre in Johnstone Park was obtained at that time and an architectural competition held with the design by the Geelong architectural firm Buchan, Laird and Buchan, in conjunction with Percy E. Everett, awarded the project. The tender of 12,000 pounds by W. J. Kelly Ltd. was accepted for the work. The Mayor of Geelong, Howard Hitchcock, laid the foundation stone on 30 December 1922, with building works not completed until 1926. W.J. Kelly Ltd was assisted by other Geelong firms, Willcox Bros., J. Smith, and C. Nash and Sons. Two flights of smooth-cut bluestone stairs were built that led to the upper landing of the portico with a grand foyer beyond that was to lead to a large community hall at a later date but never eventuated. Granite slabs in front of the Memorial record the First World War campaigns in which Australians fought and the names of the 3,500 who enlisted from the district are inscribed in panels on the walls. Internal plastering and external rendering was executed by G. Palmer. Plumbing work was carried out by William de Freeman, and painting was done by William Thoms. Lighting effects were installed by the Melbourne Electric Supply Company, supervised by T. Brown. The total cost at completion was between 13,000 pounds and 15,000 pounds, the money raised from local contributions. An article by Percy Everett in 1922 provided an explanation of the overall design intentions for Johnstone Park and the reason for the location of the Memorial foyer. Everett states "A feature of the adopted scheme was the provision for an avenue dividing the reserve into two distinct sections. One to the North to be retained as gardens, and the Southern portion reserved for future buildings, "The Princes Boulevard", now completed forming an east-west axis, forms a thoroughfare by which access is obtained to the present Art Gallery, a future Community Hall and Library. The design provided for a more symmetrical alignment of the old reserve. The fences were replaced by wide, neatly kerbed boundary plots, fringing the lawns which slope toward a central insular Band Pavilion. Radial paths link the various Park entrances". The foyer was officially opened on 31 October 1926, by the Governor of Victoria, Lord Somers, and it has been maintained in good condition until the present day.

Group

Monuments and Memorials

Category

War Memorial