Town Hall Extension, Maryborough

In 1939 a new streamline moderne entrance and an additional small hall were added to the side of the 1888 Maryborough Town Hall in central Victoria. The extension was designed by Melbourne architect Harry J Little.

Lyal Eales Stores, Maryborough

The Lyal Eales Store in Maryborough, Victoria is an exmple of Australian rural deco. Simple decoration providing a pleasant shopping experience for all visitors to town.

Paramount Theatre, Maryborough

According to this report on a CATHS Cinema tour in October 2002, the Paramount Theatre in Maryborough was built in 1927.

Looking at it I would say it was from an earlier time but perhaps that is a reflection of the conservatism of regional Victoria at the time.

The building looks in good condition with the contrasting colours of pink and burgany. Even that marquee which has suffered from bumps from the local delivery vans doesn't look too bad.

It now operates as a twin-cinema showing first-run movies.

Last Stop Bedding & Furniture, Maryborough

I find the paint job on the Last Stop Bedding & Furniture store in Maryborough interesting.

I like the way it highlights the decorative elements of the building but it has gone a bit wrong with the columns on each side of the taller central section. I suspect the windows and door have been altered to accommodate the requirements of the furniture store meaning that the right-hand column has been truncated above the door.

In addition the name of the shop necessitates the brown colour stopping above the writing. However the brown on the other column, which reaches to the ground, stops level with the bottom of the store name. The result isn't unpleasant and it could be argued that this is a creative solution to a design problem.

There are no such issues at the back of the store where a different style facade has been tied into the High Street entrance with the addition of two painted brown columns that also complement the subtly stepped pediment.

I think it is great that Last Stop Bedding & Furniture have linked two or more shops to provide a homogeneous style using the underlying style of the architecture without detracting from it.

Gents, Maryborough

Previously I've written about the fabulous Maryborough Municipal Olympic Pool but in nearby Prince's Park there is an Art Deco toilet block. A deco dunny. Bathrooms are often the source of some great deco features in buildings and it is not unusual to see hoards of people of either gender snapping photos of some fitting or other while on a deco tour.

The Gents at Prince's Park in Maryborough is a bit different. It is an outdoor toilet block at a sporting ground.

The interior is very functional and efficient.

The exterior is all decoration.

The block is symetrical with curved ends hiding the entrances from general view. They are marked with two inset speedlines and, nowadays, modern signage.

The middle part of the block is stepped with a central rendered section which is stepped even further. Two vertical lines on either side complete the simple decoration.

The entire block is grounded with several rows of darker bricks. This is echoed with a single row of dark bricks along the top of the wall, projecting into the raised central section.

An excellent example of how a careful use of brick can have a striking effect.

I wonder if the gentlemen of Maryborough realise they are visiting an Art Deco gem when the take a break during quarter time at the footy.

Olympic Pool, Maryborough

Maryborough is about two hours drive from Melbourne in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields. Given that the Victorian goldrush was centered the middle part of the 1800s, it is possibly the last place you would expect to find an Art Deco gem. The Municipal Olympic Pool was built in 1939-40 using umemployed and voluntary labour. It was designed by local Maryborough architech E.J. Peck and opened in time for the Australian summer on 7th December 1940 by Sir Frank Beaurepaire.

Frank Beaurepaire was Lord Mayor of Melbourne at the time but previously had had a successful swimming career winning 3 silver and 3 bronze medals representing Australia at the London (1908), Antwerp (1920) and Paris (1924) Olympic Games.

The complex consists of three outdoor pools. An Olympic size 50m pool and toddler pool were part of the original design while an intermediate pool was added during the 1970s.

Like so many Art Deco buildings, the pool features a semi-circular entrance providing space for a cashier office and kiosk with symetrical wings housing the male and female changing rooms. A stepped decoration topped with a flagpole has pride of place above the rounded office windows.

Not so long ago this building was under threat of closure but community action with support from the Art Deco Society in Melbourne led to the complex being restored and is now proudly included as one of Maryborough's attractions.