Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 6 : Debate on New Art Gallery and Cultural Centre 1963-1970

I I THE Al\ TRALI .\S lVED~E n \ Y ,1ARCH 30 :968 : Isle of i culture and / fantasy I B11 Francia Ever, A t NIQUE arts anrl ent~r– tainment centre with everything from a "fantasy land" playground (or chil· I dren to an open-air amphi• t theatre seating 3000 may be . I built at l'crth. ~ Plans for the centre, which I could he cnmpletel1 in 10 years, , are currently being ~tudied by the Go"t!rnment or We~ ~ern t Austnli ,1 - with strong prea – r ,mre fur . thr ir adopti,,n rrom an enterprisini: pant>I of architect s and pri\'ate citl zrns I The centre would he sited on I 78 acres ol \'ac nnt land on \ Heirisson Island . in the Swan I River I Onlv th·e m inutc-s rrom Perth ,.1 city centre, the s ite has practi– ,1 cal and aesthetic potential second to none in Austral ia . 1! not in the world . I It is esumated th at tl11s am– . · bil ious project, If he;::un within i two vears, would cost no more than ·114 million - a figure only a Scrooee would consider un – reasonable. Already suggestions hl\le been made that lottery money should cover at least 1omt! ol the cost if the 1cheme 11 a1reed by the Government. The site allowi. for major econOff\ic sa\'lngs and prov ides an opportun ity for a seH– contained aesthetic cont·ept 10 be developed next to the river among trees and parka , with parking facilities for no less than 4500 cars. Uncler the compr<-hensive tch~e . which allows for hori– zontal expansion where and how– e\·er required . Pt-nh 's ncc-ds ror 1 concert ha II. new a rt ga Uery . con ser vatorium , mus<'tlm, are brilliantly solved . There is also provision for a 12oo~eat theatre w1 1h full staging racilitles, bar . and o ther amenities; c-hild-m1nd1n,t 1 centre: tramc 1ehool for child – ' ren : an old people's centre for rest and recreation : ancl fa ci li – ties ror al1utt educa ti on cla cs. The imag inati ve schrme would also conta in a nat ional school or communication arts . consisting or school, oL dram a . or st.1 1ip arc ;, nd desig n , and nf cinematoiirapli,v anrl 1clev1s1o n. A film art thralre and a s,m~I I exJ)eriment al 11,·r lheatrp Me ' much nerded ar1d11 uns to l'ht exhaustive plan propl)Secl . The school <Sf commun lcatinn arts would rover dr11ma . music, l balll'l . mnd,-rn r1 anc(' , film rnrl tele,·ision prod uc 1011 , <P t dc~i11n . ,.ta111• t!'chn1qucs, coi1tume and fash1un dul11n . It " uulct , say Ule arrhitt·ctl of the sch t-mcs, attract studrnts from other -.u slralian !ates .1nd rr, m ncighboring Asian cnun– tn ·s. and would . w11h a nui·lcu, or sprcla l1sts . ··enable Wr - tern Au:11ral ia tn r stabl is h a film and tc ievis1on -film inclu~try. 101111 O\'rrdur in Australia" Thosr ll' ho have mastrrm1nit. I'd the schl'me h;JVC also dt-0\• nnstr;itcd thr ir a arrnt'ss o Pcrtli's need fr,r a trade crn tri·, ports for hel icopters and ho\'cr– crJrt, and jetties adjornlni: the trade or rxhibit1on centre. and have made provision for these exlras. The architectural panel hu expr s; ed IL~ desire to act as 1dv1st-rs to the civic comm ittee which it is hopc-d will be given power, to bring the whole scheme to fru ition. The art gall ery and mu!K'um are projects to which the ,ov– crnmrnt of \\ t"stcrn Australi,1 is ~lrr ,1 dy committed. and the Perth City Counr1I ls till in doubt ;u to th e lociiitlon of " pronus.>d concert hall Fortun11tely, Lhe 1i1nd of Hclrisl!On ls liind 1• ava ilable and stands idle while Lhr Gov– ernment 11nd th r rounc1l dcr1'1e on Its f11t u1e ·urrent l'~t1mates put its value or 120 mill ion. Its u,,. for the . chem, would free other areas of Perth which are 11t prrsent undt-r ronslderation 111 sites for some or the units rf'• rerred 10. There are many precedents ror thr ir1ea or grouped facll ill r-, and bu1ldrni:~ on one 11tt- 10 house a r ts nnd rntcrtainment~ . The Lincoln Centre in New York. the proro~ecl South B11n k sr herne In London, and of coursr . 1h r ,t ,11 II-defined 'plan rnr a cul lu r~I CPnlrp l.n Mf'I• boorne , uc obv101a exal'l\pM!1. Nowhcrt rn l~c world 111 th.-re ,urh II fortu itous combinat ion- . thnt of rhr nrecl for facllitin and the nv a1lablllty of II laru free tract of undevelof)Cd land so l0111c.111l ~· situated to II ell:, as Hemsson Island la to Perth,