Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne

Melbourne Town Hall, commonly known as Town Hall, serves as the administrative hub for the local government of the City of Melbourne. It houses the primary offices of the Lord Mayor and city council members.

Melbourne was officially granted town status on December 13, 1842, with Henry Condell serving as its inaugural Mayor. However, the construction of its first Town Hall was not completed until 1854. The foundation stone for a new, more grandiose Town Hall was laid on November 29, 1867, by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, during his visit to Melbourne. The current town hall was officially inaugurated on August 11, 1870, with a lavish ball personally funded by the Lord Mayor Samuel Amess.

This architectural gem was designed by the renowned local architect Joseph Reed and Barnes, following the Second Empire architectural style. The building features Prince Alfred's Tower, named after the Duke. The tower includes a clock with a diameter of 2.44 meters, which was initiated on August 31, 1874, as a gift to the council from the Mayor's son, Vallange Condell. It was constructed by Smith and Sons of London. The longest of its copper clock hands measures 1.19 meters in length and weighs 8.85 kilograms.

The Town Hall building was officially recognized as a heritage site and added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 1974. This building is regularly utilized for various art and cultural activities, including concerts, festivals, theatrical performances, and exhibitions. Notably, in 1964, The Beatles were guests at a civic reception held at the Melbourne Town Hall. A massive crowd of around 20,000 teenagers had assembled outside in anticipation of catching a glimpse of these iconic pop stars.