The Former Ballarat Wesleyan Church as Seen From the Upper Floor Colonnade of the Ballaarat Club - Dana Street, Ballarat
The Ballaarat Club was established as a gentleman’s club along traditional London lines in 1872. Its founding members included some of Ballarat’s leading identities of the time such as Judge Robert Trench, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rede (the army commander that put down the Eureka Rebellion), William Collard Smith (a mining entrepreneur and a mayor of Ballarat), and T. D. Wanliss (the proprietor of local newspaper the Ballarat Star). At the heart of the club was a desire to encourage social interaction between gentlemen from a similar social class. In the main, members of the club came from the professional, civic and pastoral elite. Many of Ballarat’s more established families have been well represented on past membership lists.
Early on in its life, the Ballaarat Club was housed in a variety of hotels in central Ballarat (including Craig's Royal Hotel) until its membership raised enough money to build its own clubhouse, which was completed in 1889.
The Baallarat Club clubhouse at 203 Dana Street is designed in Victorian Free Classical style. It features bay windows upstairs and down, a red brick facade with stonework detailing, large sash windows, archways and Italianate ballustrading. The clubhouse, which has only seen a few changes to its building and grounds over the years, remains largely intact and is one of the few buildings in Ballarat that still retains most of its past majesty. Interestingly, the clubhouse is a rarity in as much as the building was designed and purpose built as a clubhouse.
Ballarat is a Victorian provincial city built on the fortunes made through the mining of gold in the surrounding area, and at the time this house was built, Ballarat was one of the wealthiest cities in Australia, if not the world. Much work was done to build magnificent civic buildings, but the extravagance extended to domestic architecture and buildings for private functions such as the Ballaarat Club as well. This building would have been just such a statement of wealth and exclusivity, built on a grand scale and situated well back from the road.
Designed by local architectural firm Terry and Oakden, the former Wesleyan Church of Ballarat was constructed between 1883 and 1884. Built on the corner of Lydiard and Dana Streets, on the crest of a steep hill, the former Wesleyan Church is architecturally significant as an important and essentially intact example of the work of the prominent firm of architects Terry and Oakden.
The Gothic design of the former Wesleyan Church, which skilfully handles a difficult site, is important as a striking example of polychromatic brickwork. The elongated windows of the former Wesleyan Church, with geometric tracery, are also of significance for their notched brickwork diaper patterns, together with the horizontal wall banding the lozenge motifs.
The buildings are of historical significance as a symbol of faith and identity of the Wesleyan community in Ballarat, which was, at the time of construction, was one of the wealthiest cities in Victoria, indeed Australia, at the time.
The buildings are significant in their ability to indicate the aspirations and values of Wesleyans in the colony in the Nineteenth Century. Whilst Wesleyans typically constructed austere chapels, it is probable that this elaborate church at Ballarat was intended to be a symbol of the faith of Ballarat Wesleyans.
The Former Ballarat Wesleyan Church as Seen From the Upper Floor Colonnade of the Ballaarat Club - Dana Street, Ballarat
The Ballaarat Club was established as a gentleman’s club along traditional London lines in 1872. Its founding members included some of Ballarat’s leading identities of the time such as Judge Robert Trench, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rede (the army commander that put down the Eureka Rebellion), William Collard Smith (a mining entrepreneur and a mayor of Ballarat), and T. D. Wanliss (the proprietor of local newspaper the Ballarat Star). At the heart of the club was a desire to encourage social interaction between gentlemen from a similar social class. In the main, members of the club came from the professional, civic and pastoral elite. Many of Ballarat’s more established families have been well represented on past membership lists.
Early on in its life, the Ballaarat Club was housed in a variety of hotels in central Ballarat (including Craig's Royal Hotel) until its membership raised enough money to build its own clubhouse, which was completed in 1889.
The Baallarat Club clubhouse at 203 Dana Street is designed in Victorian Free Classical style. It features bay windows upstairs and down, a red brick facade with stonework detailing, large sash windows, archways and Italianate ballustrading. The clubhouse, which has only seen a few changes to its building and grounds over the years, remains largely intact and is one of the few buildings in Ballarat that still retains most of its past majesty. Interestingly, the clubhouse is a rarity in as much as the building was designed and purpose built as a clubhouse.
Ballarat is a Victorian provincial city built on the fortunes made through the mining of gold in the surrounding area, and at the time this house was built, Ballarat was one of the wealthiest cities in Australia, if not the world. Much work was done to build magnificent civic buildings, but the extravagance extended to domestic architecture and buildings for private functions such as the Ballaarat Club as well. This building would have been just such a statement of wealth and exclusivity, built on a grand scale and situated well back from the road.
Designed by local architectural firm Terry and Oakden, the former Wesleyan Church of Ballarat was constructed between 1883 and 1884. Built on the corner of Lydiard and Dana Streets, on the crest of a steep hill, the former Wesleyan Church is architecturally significant as an important and essentially intact example of the work of the prominent firm of architects Terry and Oakden.
The Gothic design of the former Wesleyan Church, which skilfully handles a difficult site, is important as a striking example of polychromatic brickwork. The elongated windows of the former Wesleyan Church, with geometric tracery, are also of significance for their notched brickwork diaper patterns, together with the horizontal wall banding the lozenge motifs.
The buildings are of historical significance as a symbol of faith and identity of the Wesleyan community in Ballarat, which was, at the time of construction, was one of the wealthiest cities in Victoria, indeed Australia, at the time.
The buildings are significant in their ability to indicate the aspirations and values of Wesleyans in the colony in the Nineteenth Century. Whilst Wesleyans typically constructed austere chapels, it is probable that this elaborate church at Ballarat was intended to be a symbol of the faith of Ballarat Wesleyans.