Part Two – post 1920s - Newcastle City Council

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y architects Wilson and Suters and built by Newcastle contractor E Hinds Pty Ltd. A wide pathway and central cenotaph complemented the work. Water first sprayed from the fountain in September 1966 and an opening ceremony was held in November. The fountain was named the James Cook Memorial Fountain in 1970. The fountain completed the link between City Hall and War Memorial Cultural Centre. The formal structure created by this axis is the principal organising element in the design of Civic Park and the fountain is the modern inspiration for the city’s identifying graphic icon. Refurbishment of the over 30-year old fountain is a current project. 23 1960s – proposed redevelopment of Civic Theatre In 1960 the council cleared the debt on the loan borrowed in the mid-1920s to construct the Town Hall and Civic Theatre complex. Proposals were aired about securing more space for a variety of council needs including office and administrative space and public lending library facilities. The town clerk predicted that any new buildings ‘would need to climb skywards’ to use the land to best advantage. 74 A redevelopment proposal was put forward in the early 1960s in response to a technical advance in the movie industry – ‘Cinerama’. From the earliest years the Civic Theatre was principally used as a cinema under lease to Hoyts Cinemas. Hoyts engaged an architect Peter Muller to design a new development for the Civic Theatre complex site, which would provide modern cinema facilities, the additional office space the council needed and other office space for lease such as to a government department. Muller, who was influenced by Chinese designs, submitted a 9-storey ‘pagoda’ design. The council supported the proposed development in principal. The existing block of 14 civic shops was acknowledged as uneconomic use for a valuable city site. 74 Newcastle Morning Herald 1 April 1961 Figure 39: Illustration of a model of a building proposed by Sydney architect Peter Muller for erection by Newcastle City Council on the corner of Wheeler Place and Hunter Street after the Civic Theatre Block had been demolished. Source: Newcastle Morning Herald 31 July 1963 Newcastle Civic and Cultural Precinct History ~ Cynthia Hunter ~ January 2003 page 50
Reaction from the community was varied. The self-interest of Hoyts in the arrangement caused concern. Those who wanted to keep the Civic for live theatre were told that the Century Theatre at Broadmeadow was a better option. Newcastle’s architects, town planners and others came together to question the development and the process that led to it. An appeal was made for a civic masterplan for the future development of the whole area. Too much isolated development had flowed from the County Plan, it was said. The economics of the ‘pagoda’ plan may have been inadequate to favour its implementation. 75 The proposal faded from view but the importance of process, planning and community involvement was dramatically highlighted. Hoyts lease of the Civic Theatre terminated in 1973. Other cinemas including the Century at Broadmeadow closed about the same time. 24 1960s –a masterplan for civic development Response to the proposed and isolated ‘pagoda’ development by the Newcastle divisions of the Institutes of Town Planning and Architecture included the submission for public comment of examples of what a masterplan for the whole ‘Civic Centre’ might be. Taken into account were ideas from the County Plan, traffic flow and management, acquisition of land upon which were deteriorated buildings, and places for a number of suitable prestige building overlooking Civic Park as centrepiece. One of the concepts is reproduced here. Figure 40: A suggested masterplan for the development of the civic block that was presented to the public in February 1966 and reproduced in the Newcastle Morning Herald 29 February 1966 The Institutes suggested setting up an advisory body comprised of representatives of a number of Newcastle professional, environmental and government organisations. 75 Newcastle Morning Herald 3 March, 15 April 1964 Newcastle Civic and Cultural Precinct History ~ Cynthia Hunter ~ January 2003 page 51
Page 1 and 2: We are building a civic monument se
Page 3 and 4: In the 1980s it became apparent tha
Page 5 and 6: 14 Civic Park - acquiring the land
Page 7 and 8: the Electric Supply Department. Chr
Page 9 and 10: 17 Civic precinct development in th
Page 11 and 12: walkway and flight of stairs links
Page 13 and 14: Figure 36: 1960s aerial view of the
Page 15 and 16: After 1957, the Cultural Centre Wom
Page 17 and 18: ooks but because they should have t
Page 19 and 20: on purchases by the director. Visit
Page 21: occasions. Just two years after the
Page 25 and 26: In 1909, two of Frederick Ash’s s
Page 27 and 28: in opposing light in a lengthy deba
Page 29 and 30: financier and lessee. Many jobs wou
Page 31 and 32: Stage Two was planned to be the hot
Page 33 and 34: (Part of the civic site is about 20
Page 35 and 36: 30 1992 Civic Prospectus In June 19
Page 37 and 38: complex was completed. A solicitor,
Page 39 and 40: 33 Acknowledgment of Sources Books:
Page 41 and 42: Black Diamond Hotel (right). Part o
Page 43: 1986 Figure 44 Illustration of the

Part Two – post 1920s - Newcastle City Council

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