St Peter`s College Memorial HallPrint Page

The hall commemorates former students of the college who served in World War One. The foundation stone was laid on the 25th September 1921. The hall was officially opened on the 22nd September 1929. 

In 1918 a ‘Memorial Hall’ was proposed by the Bishop of Adelaide to be built on the grounds of St Peter’s College, however it wasn’t until 1929 that Memorial Hall was opened. The Hall was designed by architect Alfred Wells and constructed by Walter Torode as an open span auditorium with a gallery at one end that included honour boards listing the scholars who had perished in the Great War. 

In 1985, Memorial Hall was gutted by fire. The Hall was reconstructed to a design by Brown Falconer Group and included substantial internal modifications to the original design. The Hall was reopened in 1989. 

The building which is being erected, at a cost of more than £30,000 at St. Peter's College as a memorial to old St. Peter's boys who served in the Great War, will be an imposing structure, 159 feet in length, 84 feet wide, and 50 feet high, and will contain a main hall, 80 feet long by 80 feet wide, with a gallery on three sides. The railing of the gallery will consist of panels on which the names of the old boys who served at the front will be inscribed. The hall, which will accommodate more than 1,500 people, will be completed in about two years. On Sunday His Excellency the Governor will perform the ceremony of laying the foundation stone, and provision is being made to accommodate a large attendance.

Only a limited amount of seating accommodation can be provided, however, and those desiring seats should apply for tickets to the secretary of the school. Special tickets will be issued on application to the old boys who served.  The committee in charge of the function found that to send out tickets was impracticable. They hope, however, that all who are interested will apply for tickets so as to ensure admission to the reserved space. The service, which will occupy about three-quarters of an hour, will begin at 3 o'clock, and will be conducted by the Bishop of Adelaide (Right Rev. Dr. Thomas) and the Head Master (Rev. K. J. F. Bickersteth, M.C.). The musical portion of the service will be performed by the school choir, under Mr. George Gardner, Mus. Bac., with band accompaniment. The Hindmarsh Town Band will be in attendance. After the service, Brig.-Gen. Leane, who came into touch with many St. Peter's boys in Gallipoli and France, will deliver a short address. A special service of tramcars will be provided.
Register (Adelaide,), 23 September 1921.

As seating accommodation inside the building is limited, admission to St. Peter's College Memorial Hall, which will be officially opened on Sunday afternoon, will be by ticket. Those entitled to tickets are old scholars who served in the great war and their wives, the next-of-kin of those who were killed, and subscribers to the building fund. Any of these who have not received tickets should apply to Mr. A. E. H. Evans (secretary), Grenfell street, Adelaide. On the lawn in front of the hall seats will be provided for 2,000 people, and will be available to old scholars, parents of present scholars, and the public.

None of these seats will be reserved and no ticket of admission will be required. Amplifiers are being installed so that the service inside the hall will be clearly heard by those on the lawn. The guard of honor to be provided by the 48th Battalion will be inspected by His Excellency Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven (Governor) at 2.50 o'clock. The band of the battalion will give a musical programme from 2.15.
News (Adelaide), 18 September 1929.
 

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