3.1 The Public Buildings

Town Hall and Civic Centre

The failure of the Mechanic's Institute to accommodate the larger public meetings in Frankston prompted stronger moves to create a new Town Hall.1 By 1950 Architects Leith and Bartlett had outlined plans for their new Civic Centre.2 The rebuilt Mechanic's Institute deflected interest but in 1961 plans for the Civic Centre were revived.3 In part the problems of a public hall in the shire were because of its dispersed character. The outlying areas often had their own halls, the East Frankston hall for example. However the Public Works Department refused to fund more than one public hall in any municipality. So long as money was spent on the Mechanic's Institute or creating a new Civic Centre the Public Works Department refused to support additions or extensions to the East Frankston Hall.4,5