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South Melbourne Town Hall

About the Project

"ANAM is one of Australia's cultural treasures. This is an important project which must happen now."

– Professor, The Hon Barry Jones AC

On the southern edge of the CBDon top of Emerald Hill stands the South Melbourne Town Hall, now on the eve of a major transformation. 

Built in 1879 as a grand civic monument, the Town Hall has served a wide range of functions over the years: from an orphanage to a courthouse, police station and holding cells, a library, a fire station, a maternal healthcare centre, a bank, a civic centre and, most recently, an internationally acclaimed music school.

Following a catastrophic roof collapse in October 2018, ANAM and Port Phillip Council are embarking upon a bold $125 million transformation of the Town Hall, creating a set of state-of-the-art destination venues and a vibrant hub for creativity, education and community. 

Scheduled for completion in the middle of 2028, with ANAM returning for activities and concerts in August that year, the building's venues and meeting rooms will be available for public hire from December 2028. 

With the potential to host a wide variety of events from comedy shows to community meetings, dance spectaculars to seminars, concerts, lectures and school presentations, a renovated South Melbourne Town Hall will once again be a place of gathering, a central meeting point, a boon to the local retail and hospitality economies, and a centre of inspiration and creativity for all. 

Main Hall Performance render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Performance render by PE_A
Bank Street Frontage render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso Open larger view
Bank Street Frontage render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso
Welcome Ramp render by PE_A Open larger view
Welcome Ramp render by PE_A
Maree Clarke Open larger view
Maree Clarke's Rhythm of the Reeds Main Hall render by PE_A
Main Corridor render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Corridor render by PE_A
Bar & Lounge render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso Open larger view
Bar & Lounge render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso
Main Hall render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall render by PE_A
Main Hall Presentation render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Presentation render by PE_A
Main Hall Gala Dinner render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Gala Dinner render by PE_A
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A
Main Hall Performance render by PE_A Open larger view
Main Hall Performance render by PE_A
Performance Studio render by PE_A Open larger view
Performance Studio render by PE_A
Performance Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A Open larger view
Performance Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A
Performance Studio render by PE_A Open larger view
Performance Studio render by PE_A
Performance Studio Conference Event render by PE_A Open larger view
Performance Studio Conference Event render by PE_A
Minderoo Studio West View render by PE_A Open larger view
Minderoo Studio West View render by PE_A
Minderoo Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A Open larger view
Minderoo Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A
Ballantyne Studio render by PE_A Open larger view
Ballantyne Studio render by PE_A
Typical Studio render by PE_A Open larger view
Typical Studio render by PE_A
Studio 32 render by PE_A Open larger view
Studio 32 render by PE_A
Studio 32 Lecture render by PE_A Open larger view
Studio 32 Lecture render by PE_A
The Office render by PE_A Open larger view
The Office render by PE_A
The Terrace Lounge render by PE_A Open larger view
The Terrace Lounge render by PE_A
The Terrace render by PE_A Open larger view
The Terrace render by PE_A
The Terrace View North render by PE_A Open larger view
The Terrace View North render by PE_A
Main Hall Performance render by PE_A
Bank Street Frontage render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso
Welcome Ramp render by PE_A
Maree Clarke
Main Corridor render by PE_A
Bar & Lounge render by Tilt Projects & Pause Paradiso
Main Hall render by PE_A
Main Hall Presentation render by PE_A
Main Hall Gala Dinner render by PE_A
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A
Main Hall Orchestra render by PE_A
Main Hall Performance render by PE_A
Performance Studio render by PE_A
Performance Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A
Performance Studio render by PE_A
Performance Studio Conference Event render by PE_A
Minderoo Studio West View render by PE_A
Minderoo Studio Cocktail Event render by PE_A
Ballantyne Studio render by PE_A
Typical Studio render by PE_A
Studio 32 render by PE_A
Studio 32 Lecture render by PE_A
The Office render by PE_A
The Terrace Lounge render by PE_A
The Terrace render by PE_A
The Terrace View North render by PE_A

 

The current $125m funding for the project is close to being secured: 

  • Port Phillip Council – $55M, confirmed 
  • Commonwealth Government – $25M confirmed (Morrison Goverment in 2019; Albanese Government in 2025)
  • ANAM Philanthropy – $35M, with $33.5M confirmed 
  • Victorian Government – $10M (8% of the total budget), still in discussion. 

The project stands at a crossroads where, without a contribution from the Victorian Government to get us to the $125M target, key elements of the project will need to be comprised and cut. 

The project has received overwhelming community and sector support, including letters to Spring Street from: 

  • 170 local South Melbourne businesses and traders, aguing that the project will contribute to a resurgence in the vitality and prosperity of the precinct; 
  • 6,000 Albert Park residents; 
  • 70 local arts and culture organisations, calling for a solution to the increasing demand from surrounding schools, community organisations, and local artists across a variety of creative practices for flexible venue spaces at affordable prices; 
  • Over 700 of the country's leading performing artists, calling for a safe and secure home for ANAM. 

This is a major piece of Victorian cultural, community and education infrastructure. Without the investment by a future Victorian Government, Peter Elliott Architecture's vision for the South Melbourne Town Hall will be drastically compromised.

See here for how you can help.

“It will be great to see ANAM return to its historic home at the grand South Melbourne Town Hall which, in its renovated form, will be a centre for the training of musicians and the performances of beautiful and creative music that will add greatly to the cultural life of our society.”  

— Charles Goode AC 

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