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ANZAC HALL
BRENS DRIVE PARKVILLE, MELBOURNE CITY
ANZAC HALL
BRENS DRIVE PARKVILLE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Anzac Hall was built in late 1940 or early 1941 on behalf of the RSL for use as a cinema and recreation hall for troops at Royal Park. In common with parks, showgrounds and racecourses across Australia, Royal Park was taken over early in the Second World War for defence accommodation purposes. Royal Park was offered to the Department of Defence by the City of Melbourne in April 1940 and by June was operating as a recruit reception depot with personnel accommodated in buildings and tents. In early 1942 a large part of Royal Park was used briefly as a staging camp for US troops on route to the Pacific. The Americans called their area Camp Pell, a name which immediately became associated with the military occupation of Royal Park. Anzac Hall is a simple and functional building principally of timber and corrugated iron very like recreation halls at other major encampments, its only unusual features being its composite timber and steel rod roof trusses and its sliding and folding door system. There are also some quaint stone sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall nearby. At the end of the war Royal Park became the principal demobilisation centre for all Victorian service personnel. After the war the larger area known as Camp Pell was used by the Housing Commission as
emergency housing until its demolition during a clean up campaign leading up to the 1956 Olympics. The army remained in its corner of Royal Park near Anzac Hall until 1958 when it moved its personnel depot function to Watsonia. The hall has been used ever since by the City of Melbourne for various community uses including the Urban Camp program which provides accommodation for country school children visiting Melbourne. At some stage a surplus army P1 type hut with a veneer of cream brick has been attached on the east side for extra accommodation and amenities.
How is it significant?
Anzac Hall is of historical, social and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Anzac Hall and its nearby sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall are historically important as the last vestiges of the extensive military occupation of Royal Park during the Second World War. The military use of parks, showgrounds and racecourses was a manifestation of "total war" which permeated all facets of everyday life. Physical remains of the once widespread military use of public spaces are now rare, particularly in metropolitan Melbourne.
Anzac Hall is socially significant for its associations with the entertainment of troops during the Second World War and with the benevolent role of the RSL in providing welfare and comforts to service personnel. It was the major recreation facility for a military camp primarily used for recruit reception and later demobilisation and as such was enjoyed by a wide cross section of service personnel.
Anzac Hall is architecturally important as an excellent and now rare example of a Second World War recreation hall. Its simple functional design and economy of materials recall the exigencies of wartime. Structural alterations have been minimal and the hall is still substantially intact. The surplus P1 type army hut which has been attached to the hall, although skinned in brick, further reinforces its military origins. The vernacular stone sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall, while typical of army landscaping, are rare survivors in the context of this public park.
Anzac Hall was built in late 1940 or early 1941 on behalf of the RSL for use as a cinema and recreation hall for troops at Royal Park. In common with parks, showgrounds and racecourses across Australia, Royal Park was taken over early in the Second World War for defence accommodation purposes. Royal Park was offered to the Department of Defence by the City of Melbourne in April 1940 and by June was operating as a recruit reception depot with personnel accommodated in buildings and tents. In early 1942 a large part of Royal Park was used briefly as a staging camp for US troops on route to the Pacific. The Americans called their area Camp Pell, a name which immediately became associated with the military occupation of Royal Park. Anzac Hall is a simple and functional building principally of timber and corrugated iron very like recreation halls at other major encampments, its only unusual features being its composite timber and steel rod roof trusses and its sliding and folding door system. There are also some quaint stone sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall nearby. At the end of the war Royal Park became the principal demobilisation centre for all Victorian service personnel. After the war the larger area known as Camp Pell was used by the Housing Commission as
emergency housing until its demolition during a clean up campaign leading up to the 1956 Olympics. The army remained in its corner of Royal Park near Anzac Hall until 1958 when it moved its personnel depot function to Watsonia. The hall has been used ever since by the City of Melbourne for various community uses including the Urban Camp program which provides accommodation for country school children visiting Melbourne. At some stage a surplus army P1 type hut with a veneer of cream brick has been attached on the east side for extra accommodation and amenities.
How is it significant?
Anzac Hall is of historical, social and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Anzac Hall and its nearby sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall are historically important as the last vestiges of the extensive military occupation of Royal Park during the Second World War. The military use of parks, showgrounds and racecourses was a manifestation of "total war" which permeated all facets of everyday life. Physical remains of the once widespread military use of public spaces are now rare, particularly in metropolitan Melbourne.
Anzac Hall is socially significant for its associations with the entertainment of troops during the Second World War and with the benevolent role of the RSL in providing welfare and comforts to service personnel. It was the major recreation facility for a military camp primarily used for recruit reception and later demobilisation and as such was enjoyed by a wide cross section of service personnel.
Anzac Hall is architecturally important as an excellent and now rare example of a Second World War recreation hall. Its simple functional design and economy of materials recall the exigencies of wartime. Structural alterations have been minimal and the hall is still substantially intact. The surplus P1 type army hut which has been attached to the hall, although skinned in brick, further reinforces its military origins. The vernacular stone sentry boxes, gateposts, stairs and retaining wall, while typical of army landscaping, are rare survivors in the context of this public park.
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ANZAC HALL - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.Specific Exemptions:General Conditions:
1. All alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.
Exterior
* Repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
* Demolition or removal of outbuildings and sheds not specifically included in registration.
* Repair, removal or replacement of fences and gates.
* Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting, wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good.
* Removal of cream brick veneer from P1 type hut and cladding in horizontal galvanised iron.
* Painting of previously painted surfaces provided that preparation or
painting does not remove evidence of the original paint or other decorative scheme.
* Laying or removal of concrete or bitumen paving.
Interior
* Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings provided that preparation or painting does not remove evidence of the original paint or other decorative scheme.
* Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled surfaces.
* Installation, removal or replacement of carpets, tiles and/or flexible floor coverings.
* Installation, removal or replacement of curtain track, rods, blinds and other window dressings.
* Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of mirrors, paintings and other wall mounted artworks.
* Refurbishment of bathrooms or toilets including removal, installation or replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors, wall and floor coverings.
* Installation, removal or replacement of kitchen benches and fixtures including sinks, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers etc and associated plumbing and wiring.
* Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring provided that all new wiring is fully concealed.
* Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
* Installation, removal or replacement of smoke detectors.ANZAC HALL - Permit Exemption Policy
The important facets of this place are those which concern its historical architectural and social importance as a simple, functional Second World War recreation hall and its role, with the nearby stone features, as the last remaining vestiges of an extensive military presence in Royal Park. The attachment of a former P1 type hut might be considered intrusive but has ironically helped to retain another once common feature of the encampment,
albeit with an inappropriate brick veneer. Even in its army use the building had a community focus and activities which reinforce this character are encouraged.
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