The Titanic Memorial Bandstand with the Mechanic's Institute in the Background - Sturt Street, Ballarat
The beautiful Edwardian bandstand, erected in Ballarat's Sturt Street in 1913, is dedicated to the bandsmen who lost their lives aboard the Titanic in 1912, when it sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage en route from England to the United States of America.
Perched atop the elaborate terracotta roof of the octangular bandstand is a silhouette of the Titanic , which acts as a weather vane.
The memorial was paid for by the generous donations from local Ballarat citizens, including one hundred and fifty pounds from the Victorian Band Association.
There are only two memorials to the bandsmen of the Titanic in Australia. the second one is in Broken Hill, New South Wales.
Construction on the Ballarat Mechanics' Institute began in 1859. It took the dedication of locals another decade to complete the Sturt Street facade, and a further decade for the billard room to be completed.
Built in the Classical style, the three storey Mechanics' Institute has a very restrained facade with minimal decoration. It features a beautiful bull nosed verandah edged with ornate cast iron lacework along the street to keep out the heat of the afternoon sun. Over the arched entrance, the letters of the Mechanic’s Institute are spelt in delicate, florid gilt letters. It also has a balcony extending from a scalloped niche on the first floor and a balconette on the upper floor. Crowning the building is the figure of Pallas Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men. As such, they were often funded by local industrialists on the grounds that they would ultimately benefit from having more knowledgeable and skilled employees. The Mechanics' Institutes were used as 'libraries' for the adult working class, and provided them with an alternative pastime to gambling and drinking in pubs.
The Titanic Memorial Bandstand with the Mechanic's Institute in the Background - Sturt Street, Ballarat
The beautiful Edwardian bandstand, erected in Ballarat's Sturt Street in 1913, is dedicated to the bandsmen who lost their lives aboard the Titanic in 1912, when it sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage en route from England to the United States of America.
Perched atop the elaborate terracotta roof of the octangular bandstand is a silhouette of the Titanic , which acts as a weather vane.
The memorial was paid for by the generous donations from local Ballarat citizens, including one hundred and fifty pounds from the Victorian Band Association.
There are only two memorials to the bandsmen of the Titanic in Australia. the second one is in Broken Hill, New South Wales.
Construction on the Ballarat Mechanics' Institute began in 1859. It took the dedication of locals another decade to complete the Sturt Street facade, and a further decade for the billard room to be completed.
Built in the Classical style, the three storey Mechanics' Institute has a very restrained facade with minimal decoration. It features a beautiful bull nosed verandah edged with ornate cast iron lacework along the street to keep out the heat of the afternoon sun. Over the arched entrance, the letters of the Mechanic’s Institute are spelt in delicate, florid gilt letters. It also has a balcony extending from a scalloped niche on the first floor and a balconette on the upper floor. Crowning the building is the figure of Pallas Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men. As such, they were often funded by local industrialists on the grounds that they would ultimately benefit from having more knowledgeable and skilled employees. The Mechanics' Institutes were used as 'libraries' for the adult working class, and provided them with an alternative pastime to gambling and drinking in pubs.