smb school of mines and industries ballarat

SMB
school of
mines and industries
ballarat
a campus of the university
ballarat
a guide to heritage buildings at the smb
campus in lydiard street south, ballarat
cricos provider number 00103d
precinct plan
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4
5
15
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public
car park
dana street
lydiard street sth
armstrong street south
Precinct Plan
Introduction
Timeline
Founding of the Ballarat School of Mines
Former Wesleyan Church
Technical Art School Building
Administration Building
Former Court House
Former Ballarat Gaol
north
A
albert street
table of contents
H
B
c
F
D
e
G
eyre street
gra
This Guide was prepared for
the University of Ballarat by
Keith Boast with the assistance
of Clare Gervasoni, Art
Curator at the University. The
photographs and illustrations in
the Guide are from the
University’s Historical
Collection.
nt s
t re e
t
A Former Wesleyan Church
B Administration Building
C Technical Art School Building
D Former Ballarat Gaol
E Former Court House
F
‘Old’ Chemistry Building
G Former Junior Technical School
H Former Botanical Gardens
t h e s c h o o l o f m i n e s a n d i n d u s t r i e s b a l l a r at
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
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introduction
smb has a proud history
of over 130 years of
continuous operation.
you are invited to
experience and enjoy
the charm of smb’s
architectural heritage
in one of ballarat’s
most historic precincts,
lydiard street south.
T
he Lydiard Street South precinct of Ballarat is richly reflective of Ballarat’s
heritage. The nineteenth century brick buildings that comprise the precinct
include remnants of the former Ballarat Gaol, the former Court House, and
several buildings constructed at various times from 1870 onwards to house The
School of Mines and Industries Ballarat, commonly known as SMB. The precinct is
also noteworthy for buildings now demolished, including the former Ballarat Brewery
and the Circuit Court House.
Located on the Ballarat escarpment, the Ballarat School of Mines, as it was originally
titled, was a direct product of the gold rush in Ballarat. Following exhaustion of the
gold to be obtained from shallow mining, the need for increasingly sophisticated
mining techniques required by deep-lead mining generated demand for skilled
workers and mine managers.
the Ballarat School of Mines, was established principally with the
purpose of providing training in the skills needed to pursue gold. It was
the first technical training institute to be established in Australia.
In the years since its establishment, secondary, technical and higher education
courses, covering wide and diverse areas of study have been provided to meet the
emerging needs of the Ballarat community. Following the relocation of tertiary
studies to Mt Helen with the foundation of the Ballarat College of Advanced
Education in 1976, and the separation of the Ballarat Technical School shortly
thereafter, SMB became a provider of Technical and Further Education (TAFE).
t h e s c h o o l o f m i n e s a n d i n d u s t r i e s b a l l a r at
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
In the ensuing years, SMB has experienced a major
expansion in programs, enrolments and facilities and is now
the major provider of vocational education and training in
western Victoria.
On the 1st January 1998, the University of Ballarat, SMB
and the Wimmera Institute of TAFE were amalgamated to
form the new University of Ballarat. SMB, now a campus of
the University, continues to operate primarily as a TAFE
provider. It has a diverse program profile ranging over all
major industry groups. Today, the University of Ballarat,
through its Higher Education and TAFE courses, continues
to play a vital role in developing the skills needed by Ballarat
to prosper in the emerging global knowledge economy.
A number of the buildings featured on the following pages
have been upgraded over the years and have housed many
different course offerings and operations relating to the role
of the institution since its inception in 1870. The Ballarat
Gaol was closed as a penal institution in 1965 and its
grounds were later to become part of the SMB campus. In
1990 the Lydiard Street South roadway was partially closed
allowing further development and enhancement of the
unique streetscape.
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timeline
founding of the ballarat school of mines
1870
October 26 – Official opening of the Ballarat
School of Mines by its first President, Sir
Redmond Barry in the Lydiard Street Circuit
Court House, leased to the School.
1876
Large Chemistry Laboratory built
1883
Purchase of the Wesleyan Church and land on
northern boundary for 2,000 pounds.
1899
The Foundation Stone of present Administration
Building was laid.
1915
The new Art School was opened on site of
former Circuit Court building site.
1919
The Gaol Governor’s residence was transferred
to School for classes for girls
1921
The Junior Technical School was accommodated
in the current A W Steane Building.
1959
The former Wesleyan Church was
converted from a museum to the
‘EJ Tippett Recreation Hall’.
1965
The Ballarat Gaol in Lydiard Street South was
closed as a penal institution. The Gaol and its
grounds were later to became part of the
SMB campus.
1981
The Old Gaol – Student Amenities Centre was
officially opened.
1983
The Vocational Skills Centre was
officially opened.
1986
The EJT Tippett Learning Resource Centre was
officially opened.
1987
The MB John Building officially was opened.
1990
Lydiard St Sth was closed to through traffic.
1993
Brewery site in Lydiard Street was purchased.
1997
The Brewery Complex was officially opened by
The Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister, on
29 January 1997.
1999
The renovations to the ‘Old’ Chemistry Building
were completed.
t h e s c h o o l o f m i n e s a n d i n d u s t r i e s b a l l a r at
Drawing for new smb
classrooms, c 1899
The original initiative for the founding of the Ballarat School
of Mines was taken at a meeting of the Ballarat Mining
Board on 6 October, 1869. On the suggestion of Mr Harrie
Wood, Mr James M Bickett moved that a school of mines be
established in Ballarat, in view of the shortage of managers
for the mines. It was proposed that the committee of the
Mechanics Institute be asked to set apart a room for the
school, and that the Melbourne University be requested to
examine its pupils.
A W Steane
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
Th e d r a f t C o n s t i t u t i o n o f t h e n ew s c h o o l wa s
adopted by the Ballarat Mining Board on 15 January,
1870, and a Provisional Council was set up, with Sir
Redmond Barry as President and Judge Rogers as
Vice-President.
The trustees secured for the School, in April 1870, a fifteen
year lease at one shilling per annum, of the Circuit Court
House in Lydiard Street and an area of 11 acres surrounding
it. Late in June The Ballarat Courier reported that the Court
House, which had been ‘a picture of ruin’, had ‘assumed an
aspect of solidarity, neatness and cleanliness.’
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ballarat school of mines
Construction of the
new classrooms
(administration
building)
Sir Redmond Barry delivered the Inaugural Address on the
26 October 1870. The Constitution was adopted and
members of the School Council elected. The purpose of the
School is captured in a document of the time:
“The primary object of the School is to impart
instruction in the various branches of science
relating to mining engineering. It is proposed, as
soon as practicable, to extend the operation of the
school so as to impart instruction in those branches
of technical science which may be considered most
likely to exert a beneficial influence upon the
prosperity of victoria.”
Because of this desperate situation the Council of the School
was obliged to take extra measures to strengthen its position
financially. One means it adopted was to try to create a
greater local interest in the School by conducting public
lectures at the School. The first of a series of such lectures was
delivered on Thursday evening 20th April 1871, by Mr J F
Usher, entitled ‘Chemistry’.
On Monday, 23 January 1871, classes commenced with only
four students, although the number grew to thirteen in term
three. From these modest beginnings developed an institution
whose students were to earn it an outstanding reputation
extending to many parts of the world.
In the early years, the Council of the Ballarat School of
Mines faced its first major challenge when it discovered it had
insufficient money to implement its program. The financial
support of the School, by the Government of Victoria, by
industry and commerce and by private citizens had fallen
short of the Council’s expectations. Consequently the School
advanced into its first decade of teaching with an inadequate
and uncertain income, a situation which was to persist for
many years.
t h e s c h o o l o f m i n e s a n d i n d u s t r i e s b a l l a r at
the school motto:
ingenio effodere opes
was adopted in 1873. its meaning:
Top: James M Bickett
Above: Joseph Usher
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
ingenio
effodere
opes
by talent (native ability)
to dig out
wealth (intrinsic value)
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ballarat school of mines
ballarat school of mines
The Ballarat School of Mines was affiliated with the
University of Melbourne during the period 1887–1894. The
first application for affiliation had been made in 1884 when
the University had been asked to recognize the School’s
lectures and examinations. The University of Melbourne was
reluctant to concede equal academic status to one of the
provincial schools of mines, so it delayed giving any direct
answer to the request.
In 1885 another approach was made to the University, this
time being supported by politicians representing the mining
constituencies around Ballarat. An affiliation scheme was
worked out and began to operate from 1887. The name of
the School was changed to ‘The Ballarat School of Mines,
Industries and Science, in the University of Melbourne.’
The name of the School was to change again when it
was incorporated in 1908 to become The School of
Mines and Industries Ballarat Limited, although still
widely referred to as the Ballarat School of Mines.
t h e s c h o o l o f m i n e s a n d i n d u s t r i e s b a l l a r at
The ‘New Classrooms’
Building and the
original Circuit Court
House, c 1901
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
One teacher of the University classes during the late
nineteenth century was Miss Bella Guerin, daughter of the
Governor of the Ballarat Gaol. She was the first woman to
graduate in the University of Melbourne, in 1883. She
conducted classes in Arts and Civil Science at Ballarat. The
reason for the ending of the affiliation was seen by the School
Council to result from the University’s consistent refusal to
grant fee concessions for the School’s candidates who sat
University examinations.
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ballarat school of mines
ballarat school of mines
The former Weslyan
Church, ‘remodelled’
The first comprehensive survey of technical education in
Victoria was undertaken by the Fink Royal Commission on
Technical Education (1899 –1901) which made the following
comments on the School in their Final Report:
“The Ballarat School of Mines… is recognized as the
principal School of Mines in Victoria. The first
President of the School was the late Sir Redmond
Barry. Provision is made for associateship courses in
mine engineering, metallurgy, and geology; each
course extending over a period of three years”.
In the nineteenth century there were several notable schools
of art in Ballarat. At the turn of the twentieth century, the
Victoria government proposed the amalgamation of the
Ballarat City and the Ballarat East Technical Art Schools for
reasons of economy and efficiency A joint committee of the
two schools was unable to reach agreement, and in
consequence the Government offered the control and
administration of the two art schools to the Council of the
Ballarat School of Mines.
Faith in the commercial future of gold mining in the Ballarat
district remained strong well into the 1930s. Throughout the
School’s history the Council had, as far as possible provided
expert staff and equipment to support the School in
providing training for the mining industry.
Left: early group
of students
Some of Australia’s great captains of industry, mining
engineers, assayers and metallurgists did their training at the
Ballarat School of Mines.
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a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
The Council assumed control of the Art Schools
officially on Monday 6th May 1907 and incorporated
them into SMB.
The Ballarat Junior Technical School was established in
February 1913, one year after Victoria’s first. Like all of these
early schools set up by Mr Donald Clark, first Chief
Inspector of Technical Schools, Ballarat was staffed by
Education Department teachers but administered by the
Ballarat School of Mines.
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ballarat school of mines
ballarat school of mines
The history of the Ballarat Junior Technical School is
dominated by the vigorous personality of its first Headmaster,
Mr Albert W Steane, who founded the school and led it for
29 years until his retirement in 1942.
The Ballarat North Technical School was established in 1956
under the School of Mines administration after a peak
enrolment of 500 had strained the old School’s facilities.
With new schools in the north and south of the city, the
Ballarat Technical School’s enrolment stabilized at about 400.
in addition to general
education for girls,
practical work was
undertaken in the
following subjects:
An advertisement, published in The Ballarat Courier in
February 1919 offered ‘Technical Training For Girls from 13
to 16 Years of age’ at the Ballarat School of Mines and it went
on to say, ‘This School provides a thorough system of
preparatory training for girls’.
Art Metal Work
In 1921 the present buildings were erected next to
the parent school on the constricted site excised
from a corner of the Ballarat Gaol.
For several years in the 1950s the school was co-educational,
with the creation of the Girls’ Junior Technical School under
the administration of the Ballarat Technical School. In 1960
the School of Mines Council passed a resolution that the
girls’ wing be established ‘on some other site’, with the school
removed from the Council’s control. The new site, three
miles south of the city, became the Sebastopol
Technical School.
Art Needlework
Photography
Bookkeeping
Top left:
back view of smb from
albert street
Top: school brochure,
1914
Above: air raid safety
trenches at the junior
technical school
during world war ii
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Modeling
a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
Another advertisement in The Ballarat Courier offered
‘Special Commercial Courses’ at the Ballarat School of Mines
which were designed to ‘ensure real efficiency in business
training’. Day and evening classes were held in ‘Commercial
English, and Correspondence, Business Arithmetic,
Elementary Algebra, Shorthand, Type-Writing and
Bookkeeping.’ The fee for a full course was from 2 pounds, 2
shillings per term: and students who completed a full course
in Shorthand and Typewriting or Bookkeeping were to be
‘awarded a certificate by the Council.’
Retouching
Dressmaking
Shorthand and Typing
Industry Design
Teachers Courses
(in all technical work)
Lettering
Millinery
Whitework
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ballarat school of mines
former wesleyan church ( c 1856)
By the time the school celebrated its golden jubilee
on thursday 15th april 1920 it had developed into the
largest vocational training centre outside of melbourne.
This building, originally the Wesleyan Church, and later the
SMB Museum was built in c1856. It was purchased by SMB
in 1883 for 2000 pounds. It is believed that the church was
abandoned due to subsidence of the foundations. This may
be accurate as the floor at the back of the building is
significantly lower than at the front.
A civic luncheon at Craig’s Royal Hotel was followed by the
laying of the foundation stone of the new building for the
School of Mines Junior Technical School by the Premier of
Victoria, The Hon H S W Lawson.
The building was used as the School’s Museum from the
1880s until the early 1950s. It was originally a geological and
mineralogical museum and was seen as an important part of
the teaching facilities of the School.
That evening the School was opened to the public for
inspection between 7.30pm and 9.30 pm. A feature of that
evening was the use of electricity to illuminate the grounds.
The Botanical Gardens
Above: views of the smb
botanical gardens
The Gardens (1879–1979) were established in connection
with the teaching of botany, a subject in the pharmacy course
taught at the School. The Gardens were inspired by Baron
Ferdinand von Mueller.
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technical art school (1914)
technical art school (1914)
This building was opened by Sir Alexander Peacock. It cost
10,000 pounds and was constructed by the Public Works
Department from plans drawn by the then Art School
Principal, Herbert H Smith. The building contractors were
Messrs Gower and Edwards.
The windows on the lower floor feature five supporting
keystones whereas the upper windows have sandstone lintels.
The base of the building is rusticated sandstone.
The entrance on the northern side has attractive leadlight
glazing in an art deco style, above the door a miner’s map and
pick are featured in the design.
According to the annual report of 1914 ‘the internal
upholstering and fittings have all been carried out
in Australian timbers, with Queensland maple largely
used throughout’.
Before this building was constructed art and crafts classes
were held in various buildings around Ballarat.
The building is functional in design in that it has large metal
windows in the south wall; this was to ensure good light in
the studios. The northern wall has standard double hung
timber windows.
Herbert H Smith
The building could be described as federation-art deco in
style. It features sandstone insertion with sandstone string
coursing. The base of the building is rusticated sandstone.
The relief stone panel on the front with the words ‘Technical
Art School’ features stone pilaster brackets and corbels. In the
centre front can be seen a rectangular sandstone pediment with
decorative stonework incorporating the date of construction.
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The interior of the building features a carved wooden staircase
and cast iron ceiling vents. The rear drawing studios can be
made into one large studio by opening paneled timber doors.
This opening features classical plaster pilasters with a pediment
above. The building is now named the Gribble Building after
an eminent former President of the SMB Council.
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administration building (1899)
court house (1868)
The polychrome
brickwork is fret
patterned with string
coursing to create
interest.
This building was constructed in 1899 as new classrooms for
the Ballarat School of Mines at a cost of 4,000 pounds and
was designed by the Public Works Department and built by
Mr D Morrison. It was officially opened on 18 May 1900. It
was described in the School’s Annual Report of 1900 as
‘handsome in design, well lit, well ventilated, commodious –
containing council room, office, chemical laboratory,
mineralogical laboratory, students’ room and six lecture
rooms’.
The rear of the
building features
wrought iron
balustrades with
pierced work on the
upper arches; the
columns are cast iron
with corinthian
capitals.
This building, the former Supreme Court, was built in 1868
by the Public Works Department.
It is a typical two-storey red brick educational building of the
turn of the century and is substantially intact apart from the
removal of the entrance door and the roof finials.
The building is listed
on the victorian
heritage register and
has been recorded by
the national trust.
The building is substantially intact apart from the
removal of the front chimneys and minor alterations
to the side and the rear.
The roof features decorative terra cotta ridging and dormer
cents. Below the spouting can be seen ornamental brickwork
incorporating brick corbels.
The street façade is divided into five bays, with paired and
tripled windows topped by segmental heads and hood
moulds. The windows on the top floor feature curved arches
whereas the lower windows have pointed arches. There are
sandstone keystones above each window. The portico features
bluestone columns with Corinthian capitals.
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a c a m p u s o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b a l l a r at
Usually Court Houses had a public gallery and central
courtroom of two stories in height, flanked by the offices for
magistrates and clerks. The importance of the Ballarat Court
is shown by the fact that the flanking wings are also twostoried, and their hipped roofs (each with weathered vanes)
differentiates this building from other Public Works designs.
The building is composed of two flanking pavilions with a
recessed central portion containing a ground floor arcaded
loggia and with ground floor arched windows, rectangular
hooded windows on the upper floor (with original blind
hoods) with a central tripartite window. The building has
been used as a performing arts centre since 1984.
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The ballarat gaol (1857)
The ballarat gaol (1857)
The Ballarat Gaol that was built in 1857 replaced a wooden
structure erected on the site in 1854. Further additions were
commenced in 1859 and completed in 1862. These included
a tunnel connecting the prison with the Court House. The
total cost of construction was 42,126 pounds. The design was
undertaken by the Public Works Department, and R A
Powden, A T Snow, and HA Williams signed the drawings.
The Gaol buildings that remain today are classified by the
National Trust.
The Gaol was one of the earliest constructed as part of a
major gaol building program. This was the result of the
report of the Select Committee on Prison Discipline of
September 1857, which recommended the abolition of the
prison hulks and the immediate construction on land of
prison accommodation. All prisons built in Victoria after
1851 adopted the Pentonville Prison design of 1842.
Gaol watch tower
The design was based on a central hall from which
radiated wings of cells – the principle of the design
being that a single guard could stand in the centre
of the hall and at one glance survey all cells.
The prison was designed to hold both male and female
prisoners; it had 58 cells and could hold 74 prisoners. The
average one-man cell was 7’ x 9’ (2m x 2.7m) and the
community cells, which held four men were 9’ x 13’ (2.7m x
3.9m). It is believed that at least 12 men were hanged at the
Gaol, the first was in 1864 and the last in 1908.
The materials used in the construction of the Gaol were
locally quarried basalt in combination with locally made
bricks. The foundation to all the walls consisted of coursed
basalt laid directly onto sand, which would have been placed
on a natural rock base. At this stage reinforced concrete
footings had not come into use.
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When looking at the brickwork in the Gaol wall note the
negligible amount of movement in the joints. The nature of
the clay in the bricks, the system of burning the lime mortar
into the joints and the general shape of the wall would be
contributing factors to the high degree of stability of the wall.
About the time the wall was built, there were approximately
14 brick making plants in Ballarat.
The cell building housed cells at two separate levels. Cells at
the higher level were reached from a well-designed and solidly
constructed cast iron staircase, which linked the platform
gangways on each side of the passage. The iron balustrades
resembled the street channel guards at the intersection of
some of Ballarat’s streets.
In the remaining guard
tower, the stair is the
main feature, however
the door and the small
window surrounds and
the roof above on
ironwork supports are
also important.
The gaol buildings
remaining today are
classified by the
national trust and
listed in the Victorian
Heritage Register.
The main gate is a monumental work. The arch key stone
facing Lydiard Street is beautifully executed. The gates
themselves and the iron lacework over the top are quite
distinctive. The arch under the flyover is also distinctive; the
basalt keystone appears to have been cut from one single
block of stone.
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of
SMB minesschool
and industries
ballarat
a campus of the university
ballarat
The university of ballarat (ub) is a
regional university with a reputation
for relevance and excellence. australia’s
third-oldest tertiary education
institution, ub boasts a strong tradition
of education and training delivery
which spans 135 years.
ub meshes a youthful energy with its
rich history, embracing the freedom and
dynamism that comes from being a
progressive university with close links
to industry and technology.
with a proud track record in innovation
and entrepreneurship, ub strives to
enhance the relevance and currency of
its education, training, research and
consultancy capabilities. ub is actively
engaged in the development and
expansion of its strategic partnerships
as well as highly productive links with
business, industry and the community.
CC_0906
proud of its past while firmly focussed
on the future, the university of
ballarat continues to excel.