Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang15/6/1872 (4)
Leaving the second we ascend to the third floor, on which are the suite of rooms devoted to the mayor, committee rooms, library, rooms for aldermen and councillors, &c., and the council chamber. The mayor's apartments, four in all, comprising waiting and reception rooms, refreshment room, and bed-room, are in every respect well furnished and fitted up. The panelled doors and ceilings, sideboards, and robe-chests, of polished cedar, are in good taste with the character of the apartments.
We next visited the committee-rooms, the retiring rooms for the lady-mayoress, councillors' wives and friends; the councillors' rooms, smoking rooms, library, &c, all of which are excellently arranged. There are a number of baths and lavatories on this floor, in convenient positions. The council chamber was next inspected. Though better furnished, with more regard to convenience and comfort, it is on a similar plan with the Sydney Legislative Council. A table runs down the centre, and rows of cushioned benches run along the sides. The throne or mayor's chair, is at the southern end of the chamber, the town clerk's desk is immediately underneath, and seats for distinguished visitors are to the right and left of the mayor's chair. A few good oil paintings are in the council chamber; the subjects are, the former occupants of the mayoral chair.
Ascending to the fourth story, we come to the spacious supper room, dimensions 100 feet by 33 feet. With easy access to this is the kitchen, fitted up with steam cooking apparatus and every kitchen convenience. The housekeeper's apartments adjoin.
The tower of the Town Hall we next ascended. It is 140 feet high, and called Prince Alfred's tower, in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh, who laid the foundation stone of the building, lt has three upper stages, devoted to the clock room, belfry, &c. From the tower we had a fine view of the city and suburbs. Below were the busy crowds wending their way through the streets. The huge warehouses of Flinders's-lane, the shops of Collins-street, and other places already mentioned. Far in the distance was Hobson's Bay, with scores of masts from the shipping in the harbour; find on every side there opened out a panoramic view of the suburbs, including Williamstown, Sandridge, Emerald Hill, and St. Kilda. The Melbourne Town Hall cost something less than .£100,000 including purchase of some of the land. Messrs Barnes and Reid were the architects, and Messrs Lawrence and Cam were the contractors.
Before concluding this notice of the Corporation, of Melbourne, I would be doing but scant justice if mention were omitted of the hospitality of not only Mr Fenwick the present, but also the former occupants of the mayoral chair. It is simply proverbial. On all sides I have heard a general recognition of the warm way in which visitors express themselves on this subject. In Melbourne the whole of the hospitalities of the city fall on the shoulders of the mayor, who generally manages to get through his allowance, and make a considerable inroad on his private resources long before his term of office expires.
In my next I will give a view and description of one of the principal of the Melbourne hotels, as a sample of the accommodation which this great city of the south is able to offer the stranger.
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