Vent Detail of the Former Loyal Lodge 317 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows - Corner Gellibrand and Dennis Streets, Colac
Built originally in 1870 as the Lodge Hall for the Loyal Colac Lodge 317 of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, this grand temple-like building stands on the corner of Gellibrand and Dennis Streets in the provincial town of Colac.
The Lodge Hall was extended in 1891, when its grand classical facade was added. The occasion of its re-opening was celebrated with a grand ball on the 6th of April. The 1891 facade has been built in Victorian Free Classical style. It features a symmetrical pedimented portico derived from classical temple architecture, aedicules using prominent pillar detailing, a balustraded parapet that conceals the roof and decorative accents along the skyline, all of which are typical architectural elements of the Victorian Free Classical Movement. Above the date plaque and I.O.O.F. lettering, in the apex of the pediment, appears a single open hand with a heart in its centre. This is the Heart-in-Hand symbol that represents charity that is given from the heart.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a global altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the British Oddfellows service organizations of the 17th Century. The Order is also known as "The Three Link Fraternity", referring to the Order's "Triple Links" logo – three links contain the letters F, L and T, (Friendship, Love and Truth).
The building has seen many changes over the years. It was further extended in 1910 when additional space was added at the rear of the hall. Yet after the Great War (1914 - 1918), the Loyal Lodge's numbers dwindled, and the Lodge Hall finally closed. It received a new lease of life when it was used first as a community hall, and then became the home of local amateur theatrical group The Colac Players. It was then occupied by a panel beaters during who's occupancy the interior was gutted. In 1999, when the Lodge Hall stood empty, neglected and in desperate need of help as it sank into dilapidation, the building received its salvation. It was restored and repainted and opened as Duff's Restaurant (after the cottage of the same name built next door). The restaurant was very successful, but was sold in 2009 and renamed Oddfellow's Restaurant. The new owners gutted the previously restored interior, although the exterior remains intact.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).
Vent Detail of the Former Loyal Lodge 317 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows - Corner Gellibrand and Dennis Streets, Colac
Built originally in 1870 as the Lodge Hall for the Loyal Colac Lodge 317 of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, this grand temple-like building stands on the corner of Gellibrand and Dennis Streets in the provincial town of Colac.
The Lodge Hall was extended in 1891, when its grand classical facade was added. The occasion of its re-opening was celebrated with a grand ball on the 6th of April. The 1891 facade has been built in Victorian Free Classical style. It features a symmetrical pedimented portico derived from classical temple architecture, aedicules using prominent pillar detailing, a balustraded parapet that conceals the roof and decorative accents along the skyline, all of which are typical architectural elements of the Victorian Free Classical Movement. Above the date plaque and I.O.O.F. lettering, in the apex of the pediment, appears a single open hand with a heart in its centre. This is the Heart-in-Hand symbol that represents charity that is given from the heart.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a global altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the British Oddfellows service organizations of the 17th Century. The Order is also known as "The Three Link Fraternity", referring to the Order's "Triple Links" logo – three links contain the letters F, L and T, (Friendship, Love and Truth).
The building has seen many changes over the years. It was further extended in 1910 when additional space was added at the rear of the hall. Yet after the Great War (1914 - 1918), the Loyal Lodge's numbers dwindled, and the Lodge Hall finally closed. It received a new lease of life when it was used first as a community hall, and then became the home of local amateur theatrical group The Colac Players. It was then occupied by a panel beaters during who's occupancy the interior was gutted. In 1999, when the Lodge Hall stood empty, neglected and in desperate need of help as it sank into dilapidation, the building received its salvation. It was restored and repainted and opened as Duff's Restaurant (after the cottage of the same name built next door). The restaurant was very successful, but was sold in 2009 and renamed Oddfellow's Restaurant. The new owners gutted the previously restored interior, although the exterior remains intact.
Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac. The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray. A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains. The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches. The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name. The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it. Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city. Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people. Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets. Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).