Eastwood Town Hall

Located at: 74 Agincourt Road, Marsfield

Photo (right): Eastwood Town Hall. May 1965

Although the Municipality of Ryde was proclaimed on 12 November 1870, (the 42nd in NSW) the discontent of residents within Marsfield and Eastwood, through a perceived inequitable provision of council services, lead to these districts seceding from Ryde in 1894, and the formation of Marsfield Council. In 1907, the 'dissident' council name was changed to Eastwood. 

In 1911, the Eastwood Town Hall was built at 74 Agincourt Road, Marsfield, with the location selected as it would be in close proximity to the proposed Eastwood to St Leonards railway link. The Town Hall was renovated in 1938, and since that time has had further extensions along its western perimeter and at its rear. 

Eastwood remained a separate Council until its reunification with Ryde in 1948, at which time the Hall's significance as a base of local government diminished, with the Council for the united area of Ryde, being located at Ryde Council's Chambers in Blaxland Road, Ryde. 

Eastwood Town Hall is a simple, single storey building, originally designed by Varney Parkes, the son of Sir William Parkes a former Premier of NSW, and is located within a small group of commercial buildings in a primarily residential precinct. The Hall has interwar classical stylistic features and is set back from the street with a front entry area of brick effect paving and landscaping. The Hall has a simple rectangular form comprising a large street facing gable with a deep port-cochere attached at the front in a neo Georgian style. The gable roof is clad in corrugated sheet roofing metal. The front bay of the Hall is rendered and features a projecting texture brick base, attached columns with rendered mouldings and a classical pediment. Large double hung multipane sash windows are on either side of the central entry door with painted texture brick sills and heads. The pediment features a round louvred ventilator and the rear section of the Hall is constructed of buttressed, painted brickwork with simple double hung sash windows. Contemporary style extensions are located along the Hall's western facade and at the rear of the original Hall structure. Internally the Hall's appearance is little altered with timber flooring, vaulted ceiling and stage area. Memorial plaques to the locals who fell in both World Wars flank the stage as a sombre reminder of the great loss suffered in areas that where then predominantly rural. 

Photo (right): Eastwood Town Hall today

Since 1997, the City of Ryde has leased Eastwood Town Hall to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, as part of its Skillseeker Community Access Service. The Centre has undertaken numerous enhancements to the building's amenity through the refitting of the kitchen, laundry and toilet areas, together with other maintenance tasks and the provision of disabled access whilst conserving and maintaining the building's heritage values. 

Eastwood Town Hall is listed within the City of Ryde's Heritage LEP 105.

Current Condition

Eastwood Town Hall is generally in good condition but requires a progressive program of works over the short and medium term to maintain the structure's serviceability. The building, over the years, has been the subject of various additions and it is not proposed to remove these additions and return the structure to its original state. 

Works required to maintain the building's good standard include internal tasks such as re-sheeting of ceilings, services upgrade to enhance its capacity, general painting and inspection together with external works such as expansion of sub-floor ventilation and eradication of dampness and drainage issues and replacement of perimeter fencing. Works required within the building's curtilage include reconstruction of the building's car park and general landscaping together with yard maintenance. 

Completion of these tasks, together with the institution of a conservative works program will maintain the building in its current good state.