Elder Concert Hall of the Elder Conservatorium of Music University of Adelaide
Elder Conservatorium of Music, Australia’s oldest music academy, became a formal identity in 1898 after a bequest by Scottish-Australian pastoralist Thomas Elder (later Sir Thomas).
Elder’s funds guaranteed Adelaide University’s professorship of music that went back to 1883 when the colony’s governor William Robinson, a musician, had initially raised £5000 to employ a professor but only for five years [of that sum the late Sir Thomas Elder contributed £1,500].
But two years before Sir Thomas had shown his zeal for the advancement of culture in music by devoting £3,000 for founding a South Australian Scholarship in the newly established Royal College of Music in London. For fourteen years there had always been, in consequence of that gift, a South Australian student in that institution. And to him it appeared a happy incident that Miss Guli Hack, a former South Australian scholar in the Royal College of Music, shared the task with Mr Bevan in giving teaching in singing in the Conservatorium, which had also been founded by the late Sir Thomas Elder's munificence.
Sir Thomas died 6 March 1897 and his bequests were distributed allowing this building to be started the following year.
*Elder Conservatorium Foundation Stone opened by the Governor
Adelaide's leading citizens mustered in full force in the University grounds on Monday afternoon, when His Excellency the Governor laid the foundation stone of the Elder Conservatorium of Music. The beautiful dresses of the ladies, set off by the rich colouring of the academic gowns of the Professors and the doctors of the University, and the profusion of bunting combined to make the scene brilliant and imposing.
It was only fitting that the giver of the money which is to pay for the building should be represented in some form, and one of the very few portraits of the late Sir Thomas Elder was placed at the back of the orchestra dais, and was wreathed with flowers taken from the dead knight's garden at Mount Lofty.
His Excellency the Governor arrived at 3 o'clock, accompanied by Lady Victoria Buxton, Miss Buxton, and Captain Wallington. They were received by the Chancellor.
The building when erected would form a part of the scheme which the University had adopted for the purpose of giving effect to the princelv bequests of the late Sir Thomas Elder.
Mr F J Naish, architect of the building, presented His Excellency with a silver trowel, and from the University a mallet, and in doing so said that the trowel was a colonial production. The handle was made from a portion of the historic gumtree at Glenelg, and kindly given by His Worship the Mayor and Corporation of Glenelg. The mallet was made from myall wood.
His Excellency, after declaring the stone well and truly laid, said he esteemed it a great privilege, at almost the conclusion of his third year of office and just before he proceeded on a holiday, to take part in the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony Madame Amy Sherwin sang the first verse of the National Anthem, and the people, led by the Orchestra, joined in the second. Miss Minnie Torode the daughter of the contractor, presented the famous singer with a large bouquet of wildflowers. [Ref: Evening Journal 27-9-1898]
Elder Hall was designed in a Florentine Gothic style by architect Frank John Naish and constructed by North Adelaide-born master builder Walter Charles Torode. Freestone for most of the building came from Torode’s quarry at Stirling West. The dressings, quoins and turrets were made of Mount Gambier freestone. The Hall’s interior featured an open hammer beam roof with 13 large principals and polished timber ceiling. The concert hall was designed to seat 1000 people, with an orchestra and chorus area accommodating up to 300 people. The stage allowed for up to 150 performers. The building also included dressing rooms, teaching rooms on the ground level and in the basement, rooms for the professor and staff, and a smaller performance hall.
Elder Hall was unofficially opened with a concert on 27 April 1900 before a representative and fashionable audience of more than 1000. Elder Hall quickly became an important venue for meetings, concerts, recitals and student balls. It was used for all university exams and degree ceremonies until Bonython Hall was completed in 1936. [Ref: SA History Hub)
*ELDER HALL OFFICIAL OPENING
Lord Tennyson opened the Elder Hall positively for the last time on Wednesday afternoon. His Excellency said he had attended in a similar capacity on several occasions before. The ceremony was witnessed by an exceedingly large gathering, which included Lady Tennyson, Rear-Admiral Pearson, and most of the leading educationists in South Australia, amongst them many of the State school teachers.
The viceregal party were received in the Hall by a guard of honour, composed of members of the Cadet Corps. A special congregation of the Adelaide University was held, the members of the Senate and Council being present in the academic costume proper to their respective degrees and offices. The Chancellor, the Right Hon. Sir Samuel Way, Bart., who presided, mentioned the coincidence that Wednesday was the second anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of Elder Hall by Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. [Ref: Adelaide Observer 29-9-1900]
