Town Hall concert records
The Adelaide Town Hall is a significant icon in the history of the city.
The foundation stone for the Adelaide Town Hall was laid on 4 May 1863 and the building was officially opened on 20 June 1866. It was considered the largest municipal building south of the Equator at the time.
Just as it is today, the building was noted for its striking physical presence and social importance, being an important venue for private events, concerts and organ recitals.
The following reference guide has been prepared by the knowledgeable staff at the City of Adelaide Archives to assist researchers identify relevant source material held by the City Archives relating to concerts presented in the Adelaide Town Hall since 1866. The sources are drawn from both the City of Adelaide Archives Collection and the City of Adelaide Civic Collection.
Town Clerk’s Department records relating to this subject include:
- Town Clerk’s Special File 232 – City of Adelaide Municipal Band – includes programs of concerts given in the Town Hall from 1939 - .
- Town Clerk’s Special File 400 – Correspondence and other papers regarding Town Hall Lettings.
You'll find many Town Clerk’s Department Correspondence Dockets relating to the use of the Adelaide Town Hall for concerts and other musical and artistic performances within the City Archives. These can be researched using the Council’s annual Digests of Proceedings and the Indexes and Registers of Town Clerk’s Letters Received and Sent.
For your convenience we've set out a small sample of Town Hall Dockets and their reference number below:
| TCDKT Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 1892/1049 | Popular Concerts in the Town Hall |
| 1895/0907 | Town Hall Concerts |
| 1897/3586 | Concerts by Heinicke’s Grand Orchestra |
| 1898/2378 | Charity Concerts at the Town Hall |
| 1898/1080 | Orchestral Concerts Rehearsals |
| 1898/0591 | Town Hall Sunday Organ Concerts |
| 1902/018 | Town Hall Orchestral Concerts – Report by City Treasurer |
| 1904/0561 | Sunday Concerts |
| 1907/1080 | Sacred Concert Town Hall |
| 1909/4842 | Council Patronage at Organ Recital |
| 1910/1620 | Organ Recital Series |
| 1913/5612 | Organ Recitals – Town Hall |
| 1917/1644 | Series of Municipal Recitals |
| 1920/2492 | Community Singing in the Town Hall |
| 1921/2008 | Engagements at Town Hall 1919-1921 |
| 1925/1639 | Elsa Stralia Organ Concerts |
| 1926/1380 | Performance of Musical Works in Town Hall |
| 1926/1976 | Booklet re Diamond Jubilee of Town Hall |
| 1929/0431 | Organ Recitals – Town Hall |
| 1930/2643 | Formation of Civic Orchestra |
| 1931/1867 | Particulars of Municipal Concerts |
| 1933/2957 | Adelaide Orchestral Society Concerts |
| 1935/4669 | Centenary Concerts |
| 1938 | ABC Public Concerts in the Town Hall |
| 1945/1189 | Civic Concerts and Organ Recitals |
| 1948/1118 | Band Concerts |
- CC000933. Scrapbook compiled by W R Pybus 1879-1913, 1 volume. Relates to Town Hall and other musical concerts at which Pybus (who was the City Organist) performed. Includes printed programs, newspaper clippings, tickets of admission, etc.
- CC000934. Printed Concert Programs relating to the City Organist, W R Pybus 1870-94, 1 volume. Contains souvenir programs of organ recitals at the Town Hall and other venues.
- CC003209. Adelaide Town Hall Souvenir Concert Programs (3) 1937-39.
- Accession 1 Item 1. Souvenir of the Diamond Jubilee of the Opening of the Adelaide Town Hall, 1926, 13 leaves (printed). Includes a copy of the original land grant for the Town Hall acre, history of the Town Hall, Jubilee speech, official opening ceremony.
- Accession 1 Item 587. Printed programs of Choral Concert held at the Adelaide Town Hall 20 October 1943.
- Accession 281 Item 1. Town Clerk’s Department ‘Notabilia’ Book, 1872-89. I volume. Contains various newspaper clippings, official addresses, printed programme of proceedings re swearing in of Colonial Governor Earl Kintore at the Town Hall, 1889.
- Accession 352/232. Town Clerk’s Special File 232 City of Adelaide Municipal Band. Includes concert programs at the Town Hall 1939 -76
- Accession 352/400. Town Clerk’s Special File 400 Correspondence and other papers re Town Hall Bookings.
- Accession 675 Item 1. Organ Recitals Book 1886-1904, 1 volume. Includes printed concert programs, press cuttings, as complied by the City Organist, Professor Ives.
- Accession 739 Item 1. Band Concerts at the Adelaide Town Hall 1927-55 [booking lists only].
- Accession 852. Newspaper Cuttings Book – Mayor’s Secretary 1903-05. Includes invitation and acceptance cards, printed program of organ recitals.
- Accession 1120 Item 1. Scrapbook re Town Hall Organ 1929-33. Mainly press cuttings and information leaflets.
- Accession 1251 Item 1. Newspaper Cuttings – Mayor’s Secretary 1898-1903. Includes invitation cards re civic functions.
- Accession 1630 Item 1. Town Hall Bookings Diary 1971-75. Booking lists for concerts at the Town Hall.
- Accession 1920 Item 1. City Surveyor’s Department Newspaper Clippings 1852-85. Includes press reports re opening of the Town Hall ceremony, 27 June 1866.
There are also unaccessioned records relating to the use of the Adelaide Town Hall c1930-55. These relate chiefly to bookings at the Adelaide Town Hall, seating plans, civic organ recitals programs, applications for hire of the Town Hall, printed conditions of use and more.