Difference between revisions of "Drill Hall"
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There appears to have been two buildings by this name. | There appears to have been two buildings by this name. | ||
| − | [[F.C.L. Bosman]] (1980) refers to a '''[[Volunteer Drill Hall]]''' in Loop Street in which a few productions were done in 1883. This may have been a temporary facility, used before the well-known permanent building was | + | [[F.C.L. Bosman]] (1980) refers to a '''[[Volunteer Drill Hall]]''' in Loop Street in which a few productions were done in 1883. This may have been a temporary facility, used before the well-known permanent building was built in Darling Street, on the northeastern corner of the Parade in 1884. Otherwise it may simply have been a reference to a space in the original [[barracks]]. |
| − | Initially also referred to as '''[[ | + | Initially also referred to as '''[[Voluntary Drill Hall]]''', but later known simply as the [[Drill Hall]] (or today as the [[Old Drill Hall]]), the new building was constructed in 1884 (designed by James Tennant, of the Royal Engineers, and built by a Mr Kitsch) and inaugurated on 15 December 1885 by Sir John Gordon Sprigg. |
| − | In 1889 the | + | In 1889 the [[Drill Hall]] was extended by architect Anthony De Witt, of the Volunteer Engineers and was finally declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 29 May 1987. |
Today the building houses the Cape Town Public Library | Today the building houses the Cape Town Public Library | ||
Revision as of 06:31, 5 March 2018
Contents
General term
A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practice and perform military drill. In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was also used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, which usually incorporated such a hall.
A number of Drill Halls were built in South Africa under British rule.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_hall
Drill Hall, Cape Town
History
There appears to have been two buildings by this name.
F.C.L. Bosman (1980) refers to a Volunteer Drill Hall in Loop Street in which a few productions were done in 1883. This may have been a temporary facility, used before the well-known permanent building was built in Darling Street, on the northeastern corner of the Parade in 1884. Otherwise it may simply have been a reference to a space in the original barracks.
Initially also referred to as Voluntary Drill Hall, but later known simply as the Drill Hall (or today as the Old Drill Hall), the new building was constructed in 1884 (designed by James Tennant, of the Royal Engineers, and built by a Mr Kitsch) and inaugurated on 15 December 1885 by Sir John Gordon Sprigg.
In 1889 the Drill Hall was extended by architect Anthony De Witt, of the Volunteer Engineers and was finally declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on 29 May 1987.
Today the building houses the Cape Town Public Library
Article in South African History Online (14-Jul-2011)[1]
In 1884 the Voluntary Drill Hall was erected on the northeastern corner of the Parade. The first building on this site had been a hospital begun in 1772, chiefly for sick sailors. The area, bounded by Ziekestraat (Corporation Street), Buitenkant and Keizersgracht (Darling Street), was known as Hospitaal Plein until the hospital building was converted for use as military barracks from the late eighteenth century. From then on it was known as Caledon Square and in 1840 was taken over by the municipality.
The foundation was laid on 2 October 1884 by Thomas Upington, then Prime Minister of the Cape Colony It was designed by James Tennant of the Royal Engineers and a Mr Kitch was the building contractor The building was inaugurated on 15 December 1885 by Sir John Gordon Sprigg In 1889 the Drill Hall was enlarged to its present size by the well-known Victorian architect, Anthony de Witt of the Volunteer Engineers. The Drill Hall was designed to serve the volunteer forces of the Western Division as headquarters, as an indoor venue for instruction and for drilling in bad weather.
Use for performances and meetings
Utilized by a number of theatre companies from time to time.
Among them was the Rederijkerskamer Aurora II, which used the Drill Hall for special performances in the 1880s. For instance, on 31 May, 1833 they did Pierre de Galeiboef, of De Onschuldige Veroordeelde (Culp) and Eene Kapitale Erfenis, of De Corsicaansche Bloedwraak (Anon.) there and, on 21 August, 1883 , a special performance of Speculeren, of Misdadig uit Kinderliefde and De Onbekende Schoone (both plays by Broekhoff), performed under the patronage of members from both houses of parliament.
The same company also had its final performance in the Drill Hall on 12 July 1887, the programme consisting of Moederliefde en Heldenmoed, of De Gevangenis op het Slot 's Gravensteen (Ruysch) and De Verstrooiden (Van Holtrop).
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 473, 475
Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg: p. 109.
Drill Hall, Johannesburg
History
The Drill Hall in Johannesburg was erected as a mark of British military might after the brutal South African War (1899-1902). In 1956-57, the Treason Trial brought 156 leaders of the Congress Alliance to the Drill Hall before the trial was moved to Pretoria. From the 1960s until apartheid’s demise, the Drill Hall was used as a conscription centre for the apartheid Government.
The military abandoned the Drill Hall in 1992, and soon after, homeless people began moving in. By 2001, 350 families lived inside the Drill Hall in makeshift shacks. As of 2003, through the efforts of the City of Johannesburg through the JDA, the Drill Hall stands as a renovated heritage sites with an open public square in the inner city. Drill Hall also houses the Joubert Park Project, the Rand Light Infantry, the Johannesburg Community Chest and the Johannesburg Child Welfare.
Use for performances and meetings
Sources
See http://www.jpp.org.za/PDF/dhhistorical.pdf
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