Town Hall

The terms Town Hall (Dorpsaal in Afrikaans) and City Hall (Stadshuis in Dutch or Stadsaal in Afrikaans) commonly refer to the municipal offices and the public hall in a town or city.

Meaning of the terms City Hall and Town Hall

Definitions

Described by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "large hall used for the transaction of the public business of a town, the holding of a court of justice, assemblies, entertainments, etc.; the great hall of the town-house or municipal building; now very commonly applied to the whole building".

By convention, until the mid 19th-century, a single large open chamber (or 'hall') formed an integral part of the building housing the council. The hall may be used for council meetings and other significant events. This large chamber, the town hall, (and its later variant city hall or even municipal hall) has become synonymous with the whole building, and with the administrative body housed in it. The terms 'council chambers', 'municipal building' or variants may be used locally in preference to 'town hall' if no such large hall is present within the building. In many cases, town halls serve not only as buildings for government functions, but are often designed with a great variety and flexibility of purpose in mind.

The South African context

The term "town hall" ("dorpsaal" in Afrikaans) is the most common one used, often applied without regard to whether the building serves or served a town or a city.

In the past and today in South African local government, a city hall, town hall, or municipal building all referred to the chief administrative building of a city, town or other municipality. Today civic centre is also quite common. They all usually house the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees and functions as the base of the mayor of a city or town.

The terms are also broadly used to refer to a larger venue such as a civic hall used for events to promote and enhance the quality of life of the community, including shows, banquets, receptions, art exhibitions, dances, theatrical and musical productions and festivals in South African towns. This was a concept taken over from British usage during the colonial period.

Municipal hall and community hall

This is a special category of hall, referring to community halls built by urban municipalities, often in the black townships surrounding the town or city, in order to provide facilties for munuicipal activities (payments, clinics, meetings) and as venues for social and artistic events. Under the Apartheid government these were particularly important since they made it possible to separate black and white (European and Non-European) audiences from using the same facilities, in accordance with the apartheid regulations. Many Black theatre or Community theatre events, variety performances, dances and so on took place in these halls, but of course this meant the authorities could exert control access to the venues and thus also the content of the work being presented.

Architecture

As symbols of local government, city and town halls have distinctive architecture, and the buildings may have great historical significance. Notable are the city halls built under the British rule in the late 19th century, many of them designed by prominent architects.

Named halls in South Africa

For more information on specific city, town, municipal or community halls, see under the names of specific towns or cities:

Eastern Cape

• East London City Hall
• King William's Town Town Hall
• Port Elizabeth City Hall
• Queenstown Town Hall
• Somerset East Town Hall

Free State

• Bloemfontein City Hall
• Henry Brookes Community Hall

Gauteng

• Benoni Town Hall
• Johannesburg City Hall
• Pretoria City Hall

KwaZulu-Natal

• Durban City Hall
• Queensburgh Civic Centre

Northern Cape

• Barkly West Town Hall

Western Cape

• Cape Town City Hall
• Claremont Town Hall
• Bellville South Community Hall
• George Town Hall
• Paarl Town Hall

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