14 December 2018:

Laird and Buchan, with a young #PercyEverett, won a competition for the park in 1916, and also designed the particularly delightful almost Art Nouveau #bandstand built in 1919. Then they also designed on axis the elaborate Edwardian Baroque #WarMemorial, which rather nicely is called the #PeaceMemorial, built just after in 1922. It takes the form of a large foyer – because it was meant to lead to a never built memorial hall. It sat on its own for a while, with gap between it and the Town Hall filled in at some point. I’ve never been in, since it’s only open by appointment and probably ANZAC day (interior photo Monument Australia). Interesting to see the new #ARMarchitecture library dome isn’t quite on that axis. With the trees either side, the memorial foyer doesn’t have the presence it originally had. The park is pretty too, though strangely sunken, since it used to be a gully.

Update : someone pointed out the bandstand in Yeo Park, Ashfield, Sydney is exactly the same- and it is ! Built 1929, so they either copied Geelong, or they both copied some even earlier design.

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