Quarterly in Bendigo.
Capital Theatre History
Bendigo Bank Theatre - History
Quarterly
in Bendigo.
“Worshipful Master, you are
summoned, together with your Past Masters and Wardens, to attend the September Communication of Grand
Lodge, to be held at the Capital Theatre, 50 View Street, Bendigo on Friday
30th September 2011, commencing at 7:30pm.
The Grand Master is particularly
keen to ensure that this function is well attended and encourages as many
brethren, particularly those from the metropolitan area, to support the
brethren of Bendigo."
The Grand Master must be very pleased with the Quarterly Communications
held in Bendigo. I certainly was! Many brethren answered the call and attended,
including our IPM and JD who drove up and arrived minutes before it started.
Many faces from Melbourne were seen and there was the traditional refreshments
and catch-up afterwards in the most impressive Capital Theatre.
The Theatre was built as a meeting place for Freemasons and our MW GM
touched upon some local Masonic History when addressing the assembly.
Capital Theatre 50 View St Bendigo – Former Masonic Building
Capital Theatre History
“Amongst the memorials and things of
fame that bring renown to the City of Bendigo few, if any, bear such honourable,
enduring and stately testimony to the wealth and magnificence of the city, as
does the Masonic Hall in View Street.”
This extract from a book published in Melbourne in 1902 describes
exactly the place held by the former Masonic Hall, now The Capital - Bendigo's
Performing Arts Centre, in the City of Greater Bendigo
The Masonic Hall was designed by two prominent Freemasons, W.C. Vahland
and his partner, Robert Getzschmann. The foundation stone for the building was
laid on 24 June, 1873. It was the most ornate building in the City; the
magnitude of its proportions and the classic beauty of its architectural design
was regarded as an ornament not only to the City but to the State of Victoria.
The main building covers a frontage of 60 metres (197’) in length on
View Street and is approached by broad bluestone steps. The building is faced
with six pillars in the Corinthian Order rising 10 metres (33’) in height with
the handsome curvilinear entablature of that Order. The pillars are decorated
with an ornate frieze and cornices, having pediments at the top with pedestals,
vases and a decorative moulded coping. The building is surmounted with an
aeroteria, representing a female face and creating an imposing effect, it being
20 metres (65’) from the bottom step to the apogee of the pediment.
![Capital Theatre Freemasonry](../../../_/rsrc/1446643306359/devotionnews/masonic-buildings---articles-editorials-and-histories/masonic-buildings/masonic-buildings---sept-quarterly-2011-at-the-capital-theatre-2011-09/image036.jpg)
Masonic symbols are still in evidence throughout the building. One will
note the compasses, the set squares, the all-seeing eye, the celestial globe
and terrestrial globe, particularly in the original Lodge Room, the upstairs
foyer and the Capital Theatre. The Capital Theatre is the last of the Bendigo
theatres. When built this space was the largest hall in Victoria apart from the
Melbourne Town Hall. The entire building is listed with the National Trust and
Heritage Victoria. The Capital Theatre was closed in the 1970s after almost a
century of opera, drama, dance and cinema. The Masons continued in the
downstairs Lodge Room until the maintenance of the building became too great a
burden on the resources of the members.
During the years when the Capital Theatre was closed there had been
constant attempts by the community to have the theatre reinstated. There was
strong resistance from some quarters to this proposal and a committee was
formed to endeavour to bring about a consensus.
In late 1987 three of the five Bendigo municipalities, Marong,
Strathfieldsaye and Eaglehawk purchased the building from the Masons. With the
financial support of State and Local Government, private and public
subscriptions and overwhelming community support, renovations, costing around
$6 million, started in 1989 and the building was officially reopened by the
former Premier, Mrs. Joan Kirner on 26 April, 1991.
In 2003-2004, a Federal Government Grant allowed The Capital to
undertake further upgrades throughout the venue. Advancement to backstage
facilities and the structural development have improved the venue for local and
commercial hirers.
Bendigo Bank Theatre - History
This is the original Masonic Lodge Room (see right) where the Masonic
ceremonies and rites were performed. A feature of this room is the retention of
the Masonic symbols including the celestial globe, the all-seeing eye and the
terrestrial globe. The plaster decoration in this room is quite magnificent. A
dentil lines the cornice and this is crowned with a superb thick moulding of
Vitruvian scrolls interspersed with flat anthemion and paterae around the
entire perimeter of the room. The apse is outlined with a lovely lotus and dart
motif. Above the apse there is delicate foliate tracery either side of the
all-seeing eye. The alcove to the left formerly housed the choir benches and is
decorated with the lotus and dart motif seen on the apse. The area behind the
choir stalls was used as a refreshment area. The beautiful stained glass
lantern ceiling also displays Masonic emblems. The pilasters return again to
the classic Greek architectural motifs of the rest of the room and features the
same fine plaster work on the Corinthian pilasters as seen in the Banquet Room
and Foyer. In this room the pilasters seem to have just a little more vitality
and brio than those elsewhere in the building - perhaps because this room was
the heart of the Masonic building the work here is just that little finer.