Sydney Town Hall

Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall.
Location in the Sydney central business district
Alternative names	Town Hall, Centennial Hall, Main Hall, Peace Hall, Great Hall, Old Burial Ground
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Town hall
Architectural style	Victorian Second Empire; French Second Empire
Location	483 George Street, Sydney CBD, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Coordinates	33°52′24″S 151°12′23″E / 33.873235°S 151.206323°E / -33.873235; 151.206323
Construction started	1869 (1869)
Opened	1878 (1878) (first stage) 1890 (1890) (second stage)
Renovated	1991–92
Renovation cost	A$15.5 million
Owner	Council of the City of Sydney
Technical details
Material	Sydney sandstone exterior walls; Brick & plaster internal walls; Timber, concrete & tile floors; Timber roof trusses Steel & wrought iron pitched roof; Steel domed pavilions; Cedar timber windows & doors; Stained & leadlight glass windows
Floor count	2
Lifts/elevators	1
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John H. Wilson
Other designers	Edward Bell; Albert Bond; Thomas Sapsford; John Hennessy; George McRae
Main contractor	Kelly and McLeod; Smith and Bennett; McLeod and Noble; J. Stewart and Co.
Known for	Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ; Rich decoration, craftsmanship, Victorian interiors, intricate fenestration and complex roof profiles
Other information
Seating capacity	2,535 (Centennial Hall)
Website
www.sydneytownhall.com.au
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	Sydney Town Hall; Town Hall; Centennial Hall; Main Hall; Peace Hall; Great Hall; Old Burial Ground
Type	State heritage (built)
Criteria	a., b., c., d., e., f., g.
Designated	5 March 2010
Part of	Town Hall / QVB Group
Reference no.	1452
Type	Council Chambers
Category	Government and Administration
[1][2][3]

The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings and functions. It is located at 483 George Street, in the Sydney central business district opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral. Sited above the Town Hall station and between the city shopping and entertainment precincts, the steps of the Town Hall are a popular meeting place.

It was designed by John H. Wilson, Edward Bell, Albert Bond, Thomas Sapsford, John Hennessy and George McRae and built from 1869 to 1889 by Kelly and McLeod, Smith and Bennett, McLeod and Noble, J. Stewart and Co. It is also known as Town Hall, Centennial Hall, Main Hall, Peace Hall, Great Hall and Old Burial Ground. The Town Hall is listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate^[1] and the New South Wales State Heritage Register^[2] and is part of the heritage-listed Town Hall precinct which includes the Queen Victoria Building, St Andrew's Cathedral, the Gresham Hotel and the former Bank of New South Wales.^[4] In latter years, it has been discovered that Town Hall lies on top of part of a cemetery complex. Renovations were undertaken in 2008-9 primarily to upgrade the mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and communication services within the building. The renovations, completed by Kell & Rigby, included removing 6,000 cubic metres (210,000 cu ft) of sandstone from underneath the building.^[5]