The Petersburg Co-Operative Society Ltd was formed in 1906 and intially opened from the Diamond Jubilee Buidling until 1932 when it relocated to this large premises. The Co-Op Store continued operating here until it closed on the 15th of September 1965.
The Co-Op Store was a general store and stocked just about anything. Their motto printed in the member's book was "Let each man find his own in all men's good and work together in noble brotherhood." At one stage, the Co-Op had more than 650 members and traditionally held a social and dance every year for them.
The corner section was built in 1897 and originally had a verandah on the front and ide. The section alongside the Capitol Theatre was built in 1906 and was taken over by the Co-Op because of the need for more room. The original timber mullioned windows are still extant.
The mural on the side of the building depicts a scene from the Store in about 1935.
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The Capitol Theatre was built in 1926 by Messrs Silver and Ollrich.
Prior to this, pictures were shown in the old town hall but with only 350 seats it became inadequate for a prosperous town.
Messrs H. W. and Thos Rees, tiring of waiting for a new town hall, decided to build their own theatre. It was officially opened on the 15th of May 1926 by Mr A. R. G. Hawke, local Member of Parliament and later Premier of Western Australia.
It had seating for 1020 people and included a very large stage. The two round leadlight windows near the top of the building incorporate the letters "CT" (Capitol Theatre).
Silent movies were shown, and live shows were also featured. The "Talkies" were introduced in 1930. The latest film releases came by train from Broken Hill, so Peterborough was the first town in South Australia to see them.
Following a massive restoration efforts, the building was re-opened as a cafe in 2011.
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The Peterborough Town Hall is a heritage-listed town hall at 108 Main Street, Peterborough, South Australia. It was designed by Chris A. Smith and built in 1927, and was added to the South Australian Heritage Register on the 21st of October 1993.
The first town hall in Peterborough was the former Petersburg Institute building, which was transferred to the Corporate Town of Petersburg for use as a town hall in 1889. Though it had been expected that the building would need alterations for this purpose, these took some years to occur. They were eventually approved by a ratepayer ballot on the 29th of December 1893. The additions provided for a new stage and dressing rooms, a new library, and reading room in front, a council chamber, a clerk's office, and a new classical facade replacing the previous "blank wall", at a cost of £1,200. It reopened to the public in September 1894. By 1925, however, the former institute building was seen as inadequate, with no alterations having been made in thirty years, and by the following year the council was investigating options for constructing a new building.
Christopher Arthur Smith, an architect who designed a number of South Australian public buildings, had completed a design for the new hall by June 1926; located adjacent to the old hall, it was to have five office fronts, a subscribers' room, a public reading room, a town clerk's office, a council chamber, and a hall seating 1,100 to 1,200 people, at an expected cost of £11,705. The foundation stone for the new hall was laid on the 23rd of March 1927. A loan was authorised in October to allow the council to complete payments on the new hall. It was officially opened on the 15th of November 1927. MP George Jenkins described it as "the finest hall he had seen in any town of the same size." The council had planned to sell the former hall to cover the costs of the new hall, but failed to reach the desired price and initially leased it out instead. The final cost came to £13,961.0.6.
The building continues to be used by its successor council, the District Council of Peterborough. The former hall also survives; however, it is now a private residence.
Source: South Australian Heritage Register.
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IN 1884 the Petersburg Institute was built at a cost of 853.15.9 and was officially opened by the Hon. W. Copely on the 7th of January 1885. It was taken over by the Corporation in 1889 for use as a town hall.
It was described as a shed like building and Petersburg, feeling envious of the fine classic style institutes at Terowie and Orroroo, planned the two-storey front and renovations.
Dr J. A. Cockburn, Minister of Education and Agriculture, accepted the invitation to lay the foundation stone on the 20th of June 1894 but as he could not attend on that date the ceremony took place on the 22nd of June. The stone still bears the wrong date.
Governer Earl Kintore was presented with a ceremonial silver key made of Broken Hill silver and declared the new additions open on the 22nd of November 1894 in the presence of a crowd of 3000 people. The key is on display in the carriage museum.
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Tags: town hall town hall civic centre civic centre function functions venue council chambers council chambers theatre cinema perform performance building architecture architect rail railway train trains carriage locomotive locomotives gauge gauges transport transportation commerce commerical resource resources supply supplies industry industrial aboriginal indigenous ngadjuri european europeans people peoples culture cultural history historic heritage peterborough mid north south australia australia
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