Back to search results »

Back to search page »

Temperance Hall

Other Name Blue Ribbon Society Location McCann Street,, CERES VIC 3221 - Property No B2369 File Number B2369 Level Local

[1/1] B2369 Temperance Hall Ceres

Statement of Significance

The Temperance Hall at Ceres was erected in 1861 for the Barrabool Hills Total Abstinence Society. Design and construction of this substantial sandstone hall with entry porch and steep pitched roof in a primitive Georgian style is attributed to local stonemason Nicholas McCann, a foundation member of the Society and donor of the land upon which the hall is located.
The Barrabool Hills Total Abstinence Society was formed in 1861 in reaction to the apparent intemperance of the Ceres district, an area noted for its prolific vineyards. The substantial hall is a manifestation of the strength of this reaction. Nicholas McCann, a noted pioneer and mason, was the first president of the Society.
The temperance hall, part of a notable group of sandstone buildings of similar character in the Ceres area, is an interesting example of primitive and stylised Georgian architecture.
The Temperance hall was acquired by the Blue Ribbon Society in 1883 and the original timber shingle roof replaced with corrugated iron. The hall is remarkably well preserved. Unsympathetic additions were erected in 1974.
Classified: 11/12/1969