Council House

Perth City Council originally met at the convict-built Town Hall (1870) on Barrack Street. It was not long before the premises proved inadequate, but it was to be many decades before new purpose-built accommodation was erected. The design of Council House was the result of a national architectural competition run in 1960. More than 60 designs were submitted and the winning design was by Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey of Melbourne. The resulting building is recognised throughout Australian as one of the finest examples of 1960s ‘minimalist modern’ office buildings in the country and was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on 25 March 1963.

As often happens with architectural competitions, the winning design was not constructed exactly to plan. It was originally intended to have a ‘Public Suite’ behind the new offices, including a music venue. Now known as Perth Concert Hall, the auditorium was also designed by Howlett and Bailey and constructed on another site further east along St George’s Terrace.

Work on the excavations for Council House started in October 1961 and enough of the building was completed in time for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1962. However, the fit-out of the remainder of the building continued until March 1963 when it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
At the opening ceremony, the Queen unveiled a sculptural plaque set on a piece of granite from London’s Waterloo Bridge. The granite had been brought to Perth in 1939 when the 1817 bridge was demolished. It was in storage for 23 years awaiting an appropriate moment.

Prior to opening, the construction of Council House, Perth received a great deal of attention in the press, most of it favourable. This was a prestigious new building that would contribute to the attraction of Perth, said the Sunday Times:
Already hundreds of visitors have praised the architectural qualities of the building and its garden environment. Council House had become the envy of other cities. And already Perth people were proud of the building which will soon be the centre of the city’s administration system.

The first seven floors provided offices for various city council departments, the eighth floor was reserved for the Lord Mayor’s suite and civic reception areas, and the ninth floor accommodated the council chamber, councillors’ lounge and meeting rooms. The tenth floor housed dining facilities for staff and a private dining-room for councillors.

Local artists, including David Foulkes Taylor, Helen Grey-Smith and Geoff Allen, were commissioned to design furniture and furnishings for Council House, providing both a showcase for West Australian designers.

In 1992, Perth City Council announced its intention to move out of Council House so the asbestos there could be removed. This resulted in five years of controversy and public debate over the future of the building. In 1993, the State Government proposed demolishing Council House and establishing public gardens on the site. Those who supported demolition spoke about the ‘ugliness’ of the building, and its intrusion into a ‘heritage precinct’. Those in favour of retention saw Council House as a great example of Post-War Modernist architecture.

In 1995, a newly-elected Perth City Council decided against demolition and to approve refurbishment of the building. From 1997 to 1999, Council House, was extensively remodelled, with the work carried out by architect Peter Hunt. Apart from asbestos removal, there was a new underground car park to the rear, revisions to the forecourt, and a complete internal re-fit to satisfy the changing needs of local government for the 21st century.

Council House was added to the State Register of Heritage Places in December 2006 and continues to maintain its original function as the city council’s administrative centre. The addition of computer-controlled multi-coloured lights to the exterior means that the building is now often a visual focal point for events and commemorations.