Whyalla City Council and Community bid farewell to Civic Building on Darling Terrace
Whyalla City Council and the Whyalla community have come together to bid farewell to the Civic Building on Darling Terrace, with the farewell events a true testament to the history and importance of this building to the Whyalla community.
The open day, held on Sunday 22 October, saw an incredible turnout of about 500 people taking a walk down memory lane, viewing images from the early 1960s through to today. Visitors were also able to gain an insight into the poor condition of the Civic Building and the critical need for Council to relocate.
In addition to the open day, a separate event was held to bring together former councillors and CEOs, allowing them to catch up and reminisce about their time spent in the Civic Building on Darling Terrace.
To help commemorate the event, Council was able to arrange video messages from all the city’s living former mayors, who shared their stories in relation to the Civic Building and their time on Council.
This included Whyalla’s earliest living former mayor, Russell Reid (mayor from 1991-1994), who said the Civic Building had served the community well for many years.
“We had many robust discussions and debates on council, but we were fortunate that there was a tradition that after our Council meetings on Monday nights, we would all retire to the Mayor's parlour for light refreshments and the opportunity to have informal discussions about the issues, including such things as wheelie bins being introduced to the city, and of course the building of the Whyalla crematorium.” Mr Reid said.
“I'm sure that the development of a new civic centre will be accepted very well and appreciated by all the people in Whyalla.’’
Mayor Phill Stone thanked the hundreds of people who took part in the recent open day and spoke fondly of his decades in the building.
“I have lots of memories of the building and the magnificent people that have worked here over the years with the one aim – to strive for the betterment of our city and its people and to see Whyalla grow,” Mayor Stone said.
“Without doubt, we are on the cusp of a new journey for both Council and the city as a whole. So, while we might close the doors here, I certainly see the doors opening to a new future while we transition to our temporary home on Grundel Street, where we will continue our work to improve Whyalla’s liveability.”
Current CEO Justin Commons also shared his thoughts on Council’s past and future.
“There are many fond memories, great stories and history that has been created in the walls of the Darling Terrace Civic Building – many of you will have interacted with the building and the people within, whether in more recent years to do council business, or in years gone by to attend a movie at the local cinema,” Mr Commons said.
“I'd like to say thank you and farewell to the existing site and look forward to working with the community to establish Council's next home.”
While we say goodbye to the Civic Building on Darling Terrace, we also look forward to the future. The Council’s doors are now open to the public on Grundel Street. It will serve as the temporary home for Council’s operations and services while we explore options for our permanent residence.
Looking ahead to next year, Council is eager to engage with the community on their preferred options for its permanent home. We value the input and ideas of our residents and are committed to finding a suitable location that will continue to serve the needs of our growing city.
An overview of the public tour - along with a collection of images of the Civic Building through the ages, video messages from former living Mayors and current Mayor Phill Stone, and Whyalla’s history from early 1900s to now – is now available, allowing those who missed the event to share in the experience and nostalgia, click here to view.
