Marrickville Town Hall to become a live music venue
Friday 11 September 2020
Inner West Council has voted to convert Marrickville Town Hall into a live music and performing arts centre. The conversion of the historic Town Hall, located next to the new, award winning Marrickville Library, will see Marrickville Road become one of Sydney’s premier cultural precincts.
Pending a detailed project feasibility, Council will invite live music venue operators to join with ethic community organisations to put forward a business plan that will see the Town Hall host concerts, performances and cultural events.
“We have an opportunity to make Marrickville Town Hall one of Sydney’s great cultural assets,” said Mayor Byrne.
“With the magnificent new Marrickville Library next door, converting this heritage Town Hall into a modern music venue can be the next step in making Marrickville Road a cultural precinct for the people of Sydney.
“The Inner West is the birthplace of multicultural Australia, by making Marrickville Town Hall a unique multicultural hub we can make sure this is a home for migrant communities for many decades to come.
Mayor Byrne also drew on other multiple-purpose cultural precincts across Sydney as an example of what could be realised in the Inner West.
“This beautiful town hall can become for the Inner West what the Concourse is for Chatswood, a contemporary arts centre that attracts people from across Sydney and Australia,” said Mayor Byrne.
Options to secure low-cost affordable community use, by multiple users, as well as the participation of multicultural organisations and other creative arts venues will be included in draft Expression of Interest for Marrickville Town Hall.
Marrickville Town Hall was opened on 11 February 1922, marking sixty years since the creation of Marrickville Council. The site on which the Marrickville Town Hall now stands was originally a market garden and nursery.
The site is also home to Winged Victory, a statue of Nike, Greek goddess of victory, which commemorates those from Marrickville who died during World War One. The original statue was erected in 1919, with a re-imagined four-meter tall bronze statue being unveiled in 2015.
The nearby Marrickville Library and Pavilion opened in August 2019. It represented a new era in library services for the Inner West, all housed in a beautiful structure that incorporates the heritage listed buildings of the old Marrickville Hospital with soaring new spaces.
The rebuilt library has been applauded by local residents as being more than a library, but a new town square for Marrickville. Its design has also been recognised with many awards, including the prestigious NSW Premier’s Prize at the 2020 New South Wales Architecture Awards.
For media enquiries, contact Bill Hawker, Mayoral Media Officer, 9392 5685 or bill.hawker@innerwest.nsw.gov.au