Names from the Past; the Former Ballarat Mining Exchange – Lydiard Street, Ballarat
The former Mining Exchange, 6 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat, is one of the few mining exchanges extant in Australia and is illustrative of a fundamental part of Ballarat's early history. The splendid two storey Victorian building of classical proportions and design was built between 1887 and 1889 to replace an earlier building on the site. Designed by architect Charles Douglas Figgis, who also designed the Ballarat Presbyterian church, it is lined with forty offices, which were once bustling with mining agents, and share brokers. It also housed shops along the ground floor, including Bickart’s Coffee Shop, whose elegantly painted windows with gilt lettering and bobbled curtain swags can still be seen today. There is also a large single storey exchange hall at the rear.
The interior of the Ballarat Mining Exchange is divided into small booths flanking a large hall. A bow fronted cast iron balcony projects above the Lydiard Street entrance. There is a also a secondary, less grand entrance at the opposite end which leads to Camp Street. On the two longitudinal sides of the central hall are arcaded brokers' booths surmountd by arched clerestory windows at the first floor level. Some of the original names and details of the mining brokers may still be seen above the booths today.
When it opened, the Mining Exchange had ninety-eight registered members. However, as gold mining declined as the gold rush turned to bust, the elaborate Mining Exchange found a new life as a garage (the sign for Mobil Oils is still visible on the interior back wall) and was known as the Exchange Garage. Later it became a bus depot. During the Second World War (1939 - 1945), American soliders were billited in the mining exchange. Today is a craft market.
Names from the Past; the Former Ballarat Mining Exchange – Lydiard Street, Ballarat
The former Mining Exchange, 6 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat, is one of the few mining exchanges extant in Australia and is illustrative of a fundamental part of Ballarat's early history. The splendid two storey Victorian building of classical proportions and design was built between 1887 and 1889 to replace an earlier building on the site. Designed by architect Charles Douglas Figgis, who also designed the Ballarat Presbyterian church, it is lined with forty offices, which were once bustling with mining agents, and share brokers. It also housed shops along the ground floor, including Bickart’s Coffee Shop, whose elegantly painted windows with gilt lettering and bobbled curtain swags can still be seen today. There is also a large single storey exchange hall at the rear.
The interior of the Ballarat Mining Exchange is divided into small booths flanking a large hall. A bow fronted cast iron balcony projects above the Lydiard Street entrance. There is a also a secondary, less grand entrance at the opposite end which leads to Camp Street. On the two longitudinal sides of the central hall are arcaded brokers' booths surmountd by arched clerestory windows at the first floor level. Some of the original names and details of the mining brokers may still be seen above the booths today.
When it opened, the Mining Exchange had ninety-eight registered members. However, as gold mining declined as the gold rush turned to bust, the elaborate Mining Exchange found a new life as a garage (the sign for Mobil Oils is still visible on the interior back wall) and was known as the Exchange Garage. Later it became a bus depot. During the Second World War (1939 - 1945), American soliders were billited in the mining exchange. Today is a craft market.