| Old meets new in Bendigo as Sandhurst Gaol becomes Ulumbarra Theatre |
One of Bendigo's major cultural projects is nearly complete, with the new 1,000-seat Ulumbarra Theatre due to open in April.
The Ulumbarra Theatre is a special project for Bendigo, not only because it will be one of the largest theatres in regional Australia, but also because it rises from the walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol.
Theatre manager David Lloyd and City of Greater Bendigo city futures director Stan Liacos explain how old and new meet to create a cultural site.
The old: Sandhurst Gaol
Sandhurst Gaol opened in 1863 and was designed on the panopticon model, in which a small number of guards at a central point can supervise the whole building.
When Pentonville Prison was built in England, it used the same principle, with wings radiating from a central point - think spokes coming out from the centre of a wheel.
Sandhurst Gaol followed the same principle, with provision for up to five wings projecting out from the central observation point.
However, only two wings, Marong and Sandhurst, were actually built.
Each wing consisted of a long corridor with cells either side; a stairway at the far end provided access to the upper tier of cells.
Sandhurst Gaol operated continuously until World War I forced its closure and use as a military detention centre.
After an extensive refit, it reopened as HM Bendigo Training Prison in 1954 and operated continually until its decommissioning in 2006.
Heritage Victoria's statement for the site lists numerous reasons it is considered significant:
•its panopticon or Pentonville design;
•its status as one of Victoria's oldest and longest-operating gaols;
•its use as a place of military detention and,
•its history as a place of execution.
The gaol's original main entrance will become a side entrance from an outdoor courtyard, and a doorway created at the far end of the old Marong wing will be the Ulumbarra Theatre's main entrance.
The corridor will be carpeted at the edges, but the main walkway will be paved with bluestone; as theatre patrons enter, their footsteps will echo, creating what Mr Lloyd calls an "aural echo" of what prisoners would have heard.
That is not the only echo of the past. Part of the agreement with Heritage Victoria was that the new theatre included the site's history and thus some of the gaol's original fixtures will remain, including some of the 80 or so cells.
When the gaol reopened in 1954, it was billed as one of the most modern prisons in Victoria.
However, to modern eyes, the cells verge on the claustrophobic: a tall man could extend his arms straight out and come close to touching the walls on either side.
With a bunk, clothes press, chair and toilet in the cell, there was very little space left and a tiny window high in the wall offers little in the way of a view.
Some of the paintwork is staying too. It has been stripped back to show layer on layer of paint over the old oaken doors, a visible show of the gaol's 143-year history.
A darker reminder of the building's history will remain in the Marong wing featuring the gaol's gallows, a trap-door platform between the two walkways in the upper tier.
As patrons collect tickets at the box office, they will stand very close to where three men - Edward Hunter, William Harrison and Charles John Hall - were hanged for murder between 1885 and 1897.
Hunter, Harrison and Hall themselves remain on site too.
They were buried within gaol grounds - upright so their souls would never know rest, according to legend - and, although the precise location of their graves is not known, the general area has been left untouched during development works.
The new: Ulumbarra Theatre
The Ulumbarra Theatre foyer - itself large enough to host 250 seated dinner guests - branches off from the central hub of the old gaol.
It is effectively a new third wing in addition to the Sandhurst and Marong cell blocks.
In comparison to the cells' cramped conditions, the main foyer ceiling soars 12 metres and floor-to-ceiling glass further expands the perception of space.
The foyer's far wall incorporates part of the gaol's original external wall and a gate.
As patrons ascend the main staircase towards the balcony foyer and balcony seating in the auditorium itself, they will walk alongside the wall and a window will offer a close-up view of one of the guard towers.
The balcony foyer looks down over the main foyer and also offers a view of one of the outer walls of the gaol's central area.
The connection between old and new is capped by a glass ceiling, allowing more natural light into the foyer, and ceiling inserts echo the shape of the massive blocks of locally-mined granite surrounding doors and windows in the old gaol.
Also branching off from the gaol's central hub is what will become a training kitchen and al fresco café for Bendigo Senior Secondary College (BSSC) students studying hospitality.
The café will also provide catering for theatre patrons.
The theatre itself is huge, with a capacity of nearly 1,000 - for comparison, the current Capital Theatre seats just under 500 people.
"David [Lloyd] is going from operating one of the smallest performing arts centres in regional Australia to one of the biggest," Mr Liacos said.
Behind the stage is an extensive complex of green rooms and storage spaces while the stage itself will boast a state-of-the-art fly system and large orchestra pit.
The new space will not replace the venerable Capital Theatre which will remain the city's concert hall and continue as a venue for dramatic performances.
Michael Franti and Spearhead are booked to be the first act to take the stage at the Ulumbara Theatre on April 1, 2015.
That's the theatre's "soft launch". The bigger, grand opening celebrations begin on April 16 with Augie March.
They will continue with a gala event curated by David Bridie on April 17, a community concert featuring local artists and jazz trumpeter James Morrison on April 18, and conclude with an open day on April 19.
Facts about Ulumbarra Theatre
•Ulumbarra is a Dja Dja Wurrung word meaning "gather together". The name reflects the Dja Dja Wurrung people's original use of the area as both a lookout and meeting place.
•It will include a 953-seat theatre with a fully equipped fly tower.
•Bendigo Senior Secondary College will run an al fresco cafe as part of the complex. The cafe will also operate as Ulumbarra Theatre's catering service.
•The theatre is built around the historic Sandhurst Gaol. The gaol opened in 1863 and closed in 2006. Notable prisoners included Ronald Ryan and Mark 'Chopper' Read.
•The theatre project will cost $25.8m: $12.3m from the Australian government, $7.5m from the Victorian government's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, $3m from the City of Greater Bendigo and $3m from the Victorian government's Regional Growth Fund.
•Work on the project began in June 2013.
•The first performer on stage will be Michael Franti and Spearhead, on April 1, 2015.
| HAVE YOUR SAY!!! - What do you think about this story? Tell us here. |
|
