Whatever happened to…

As part of celebrations for 60 years of the National Trust in Ballarat we are presenting a series of articles on heritage mysteries in city.

The great dome heist

WHATEVER happened to the dome and corner pinnacles missing from the former National Mutual Building on the corner of Lydiard and Sturt streets?

Designed by John James and E.J. Clarke, and built in 1905, the building is heritage listed and regarded as a rare example of period architecture.

It’s been commented that, “The building provides a unique streetscape element; there appears to be no building of similar design, throughout the State of Victoria. It is substantially intact above ground floor level, and in good condition.”

Some people can remember the dome from the 1950s so it cannot have been sacrificed to the metal drives of WW2.

Was the dome solid copper? Why was it removed? Is it adorning a fabulous garden somewhere?

Garden scales, where are they now?

This is the question asked by the late Rob Olston in July 1971. Now in 2020 we still do not have an answer.

The scales, “Stood for many years near the statuary pavilion in the Botanic Gardens. Architects responsible for the restoration of the pavilion recommended that the scales, which harmonise with the style and period of the Victorian building should be retained. Owned by the Australian and Eastern Engineering Co. Ltd., they have been converted to decimal coins, and were still in good working order.”

Coin operated scales were popular in the past as most people did not own scales. The tall metal scales stood outside chemist shops, train stations and this set outside the Ballarat Botanic Gardens.

At the time you inserted a penny in the slot, stood on the platform and your weight was registered on a large round dial, similar to a clock face.

Mystery of the carillon tower

What is a carillon? Why does Ballarat have a carillon tower?

The origin of Ballarat’s Carillon Clock is a little obscure, but the mechanism seems to have been ordered for the town hall tower around 1869 from Moore & Scott of London. The fifteen bells in the carillon is the oldest chime in Australia and the only one not in a church.

It was scheduled to play seven songs, one for each day of the week. They were Son of my Soul, Blue Bells of Scotland, Home Sweet Home, Merry Bells of England, Swiss Air, Rule Britannia and Caller Herald.

How did this 19th century carillon find its way into a modern style structure at the back of the town hall?

The bells were rehoused as a bi-centennial project in 1988 and now sound again on the hour between 8am and 8pm. They are currently programmed to play Blue Bells of Scotland.

Let us know if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of the National Mutual Building’s copper dome, the location of the Botanic Garden scales or how the carillon came to its current location via [email protected].