I have another repost for you and this is the first time it has been posted on this blog. This one is from 2013 when I was given a great opportunity to go and photograph the Council Chambers in the Melbourne Town Hall. This is where the local government of Melbourne have their meetings and the Mayor sits in the big chair. It is an incredible room and was built during the gold rush, so no shortage of money was spent on it. You wouldn’t see a room like it being built today.
One this that might notice is that the way the images is processed is a little different to how to do them now. Would love to know your thoughts on what they look like.
This post was the end of a series, but all the photos were included in the gallery, so I decided to just do this one.
Actually, it will be my last post that I am going to be doing on the Council Chambers of the City of Melbourne. It seems like I have been doing these images for ages, but then again, it also seems ages since my last one. It is always sad when you realise that there will be no more, which is probably why I have put off doing this one.
I found this image quite hard to do. It was easy to photograph, I just stood at the back and pointed the camera to the front of the room. However, when I got it on the 
computer, I found it very confusing, I didn’t know where to look and I thought that people viewing it would find it the same.
I am going to include the original image so you can see what I am talking about. For me the challenge was to direct your eye to where I wanted it to be. The original is a nice record shot of the room, but I think the first image is more of an art image and is much better at directing you to see what I wanted, which is the chairs.
Someone said to me the other day, “your work is always so dark”, then she bought 4 postcards from me. So I said, why do you want the postcards if you think my work is dark. She replied that she didn’t say she didn’t like it, she was just stating that my work is dark. I suppose that is very true. It is quite dark, I like that, I don’t have a problem with it.
I have two more images for you, I just love these, they aren’t really important, but fun.
A little sign on the back, just so you know who sits here.
Both these plaques on the back of each chair that sits out the front. They are the chairs on either side of the Lord Mayor’s chair. I thought they were too good not to take photos of them.
I was given an amazing opportunity to go and photograph the inside of the Council Chambers and I really want to say thanks to those that helped me. I will send emails for that. I find myself in the position now of, what happens next. I don’t know what to photograph next. I have a couple of ideas, but I need a new building. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
I thought, as this is the last post on the Council Chambers, I thought I might put a gallery with all the images I have processed from that room.
Now off to find some inspiration somewhere else, in another building, I hope. Remember if you would like to see the room for yourself, you can, the City of Melbourne run tours of the Melbourne Town Hall daily and for more information the link is here.
I think it’s not just the opulence of materials, showing the amount of money available at the time, it’s also the architectural character — the character that the culture of the day thought appropriate for the building to convey, given its purpose. Think for e.g. how bank architecture has changed. Still designed to be functionally secure, but no longer designed to appear intimidating, heavy with gravitas — now our banks are to look friendly and welcoming. I wonder too whether we “read” these buildings the same way their contemporaries did, who were immersed in that same cultural flow, or whether we, shaped in a different time, interpret differently what we see, or notice quite different elements. (I don’t know. I really am just wondering…)
Very true Penny, though I sometimes think that no one would be able to afford that kind of architecture now. It would also be hard to find the tradesman who could do it. I don’t know whether we do or not, but I am very grateful we have these buildings. Banks are a funny thing to use, try and find one here now, they are disappearing. Thank you Penny.
When Cuba began — with help from much of the world, excluding you know which country — to restore the historic buildings of Old Havana, they first had to reteach those crafts. Some very old artisans were found in-country, others came from specialist societies around the world.
Yeah, I know which country. Those crafts are almost gone now which is really sad.
Beautiful interior shots, Leanne.
Thank you Jane.
What an amazing room and those chairs! You’re right, we wouldn’t see anything like this built today.
That’s for sure, I couldn’t even comprehend how much it would cost now.thanks Anne.
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What a beautiful building!
Thank you Jean. It is stunning.
What a sumptuous space, so well recorded.
Thank you Margaret, I was very lucky to be able to do it.