It has played host to world-famous artists and actors, royalty, prime ministers, presidents, heads of state, as well as thousands of students and staff, and this year UWA’s majestic Winthrop Hall celebrated its 90th anniversary. We asked Terry Larder, UWA historian, volunteer and tour guide, to illustrate its history with photos and facts you may not know.
Sir Alfred Langler
The mosaic masterpiece by Napier Waller on display in the foyer of Winthrop Hall acknowledges the achievements of Sir Alfred Langler. When Sir John Winthrop Hackett died in 1916, property values were greatly depressed by the Great War. However, with careful and masterful management Langler, the Executor and Trustee of Hackett’s will reported to Senate in 1926, that owing to the post-war boom and with also the sale of West Australian newspaper that the Hackett bequest had quadrupled and was now capitalised to be £425,000 ($32 million today).
The Hall was redesigned due to poor soil quality
Following testing by the Engineering School to determine the bearing of the soil, it was decided to limit the load to two tons per square foot – meaning a re-design of the clock tower and parts of the Hall. The foundations are in sand with the water level just six meters below ground level. Below the water level there are beds of clay and of coarse grit.
What Winthrop Hall looked like before the organ was installed
This photo was taken in 1954, one year after the Queen's coronation. Her Majesty visited the University and gave her maiden speech in Winthrop Hall.
This was taken ten years before the McGillivray bequest and the installation of the Walker organ in 1964. You will note there is a cartoon by Henry Holliday, which is framed in the screen behind the dais. Below the cartoon it is written “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.” This delicate artwork on paper is now housed in the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery.
Ancient sandstone embellishes design
Winthrop Hall's inner wall is constructed of brick with the outer wall consisting of fine-grained, highgrade Tamala limestone. Less than two million years old, the limestone was transported from Coogee to the Crawley site, by horse and cart from 1926 to 1931. Donnybrook standstone, often beautifully marked is freely used round Winthrop Hall, the Great Gate and the Senate Chamber. This ancient sandstone is from the Cretaceous period (66m-145m), which predates the dinosaurs.
First Graduation Ball 1932, Winthrop Hall
Little did these fresh young faces know that the ‘dark clouds’ of war would be only just seven years away, but here they are in fine celebration at their Graduation Ball held on 15 April 1932. All previous UWA graduations prior to the opening of Winthrop Hall were held in the Government House Ballroom.
Patricia Hackett, (pictured) representing her mother in April 1932
The opening of Winthrop Hall was a prestigious four-day event, including the opening ceremony, concerts and a graduation ceremony and ball from 13 – 16 April 1932.
Lady Hackett-Moulden, the widow of Sir John Winthrop Hackett – whom he married when he was 57 and she was 18 – was due to receive her Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws at the opening ceremony. However, she could not attend due to the death of her second husband, the Mayor of Adelaide, Frank Moulden, a week earlier. Patricia Hackett accepted the Honorary Doctorate on her mother's behalf and was also presented with a key to Winthrop Hall. This key is now held in the University's archives.
Lady Hackett-Moulden was the first woman honorary doctorate of the University. UWA has bestowed a further 51 honorary doctorates to women since 1932.
The Undercroft
Designed as an open space and a meeting place for students, it also featured a small platform from which any student had the right to address other students and staff. One could only imagine the lively debates of politics that ensued at that time in the 1930s. The Undercroft was later enclosed to house the burgeoning library collection before the Reid Library was opened in 1964.
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