The Coolgardie Chambers was one of the first ‘Chamber’ buildings in Bayley Street, Coolgardie. I was recently sent these two amazing photographs by Julie Marshall who has allowed me to share them with you. Thank you Julie.
The Coolgardie Chambers near the Corner of Ford and Bayley Streets, Coolgardie between the Exchange Hotel and the National Bank – 1899-1900 – Photo Julie Marshall
Julie tells me, her Great Grandfather is Edward Charles Sharland or ‘Ned’. He is identified in the above photograph. He went there when her Grandmother was a toddler. He designed Rio Vista, the home of the Chaffeys in Mildura VIC before he went to Coolgardie and when business slowed, he came back to Mildura a few years later. He died there in Oct 1939 aged 79yrs.
Coolgardie Chambers Under Construction 1895 – Photo SLWA
The above photograph is of the Coolgardie Chambers under construction in 1895. You can clearly see the frontage as displayed in Julie’s photograph. When she contacted me she didn’t know the name of the building, just that it was in Coolgardie. I was able to tell her it was the Coolgardie Chambers by looking up the name of one of the occupants, Bellingham & Co in the Post Office Directories for 1900. The occupants of the building from 1899 – 1900 from the WA Post Office Directories were:
Ground Floor:
Cobb and Co Ltd Manager James Nicholas manager – Coach Proprietors
Bellingham & Co Accountants and Shareholders – Commercial Union Ass Co Ltd – George Bellingham JP & Agent
Bennett Arthur D – Legal Manager and Notary Public
Robinson Edward – Mine Manager
Irvine T W Accountants
McNamara J O Insurance Agent
Smalpage & Co F – Auctioneer
Marshall J A – Insurance Agent
Jackson W A – Chamber Caretaker
The Coolgardie Chambers, Bayley Street where James O. Oxley and Co. traded 1897 in Coolgardie, WA (pictured when completed in July 1895) – Photo Robyn Knight she believes all the people in the picture were the builders and the architect. James Orchard Oxley and Co had offices in the chambers in 1897.
Edward came to Coolgardie c 1893. It was thought he may have designed the Coolgardie Chambers, indeed he may have had a part in the design as you will see. The Chamber was officially opened by Mayor James Shaw on the 1st of July 1895. It took only 6 months to be completed. However, as the following article shows the reason Edward may have been in Coolgardie was to enter the competition for the design of the Coolgardie Exhibition building of which he and Bellingham & Co were partners. Bellingham was the architect of the Coolgardie Chambers so Edward may have been involved in that design as well. He and Bellingham came second in the competition, the winner being Summerhays & Ford of Coolgardie. There were eight entries in total.
Express and Telegraph SA 14 June 1897, page 3
Exhibition Building Coolgardie – Photo SLWA
In 1897 Bellingham and Sharland successfully completed a swimming pool that held 150,000 gallons of water. The enterprise also had freshwater showers and hot and cold plunge baths. The basin of the pool had to be blasted out of solid rock and then cemented over. It took only three months to build and was opened in January 1897.
This wonderful photograph of Edward and his wife Florence was taken in either Kalgoorlie or Coolgardie.
Florence and Edward Sharland – Photo Julie Marshall
The following is a very detailed description of the outside and inside of the Coolgardie Chambers which by any standard was sumptuous indeed and no detail seems to have been spared, considering the town had only been in existence for just over three years, this is quite amazing.
Coolgardie Pioneer 5 June 1895, page 9
THE COOLGARDIE CHAMBERS.
At the opening of the above splendid pile of building, we gave an epitome of the ceremony which celebrated it, but we should be very wanting indeed if we allowed ourselves to give so cursory a notice, without amplifying it by a description of the work that has been put into its construction. The nominal architects of the buildings were Messrs. Bellingham and Danker, but there cannot be the slightest doubt that the latter gentleman must be accorded the credit of designing and carrying out the supervision of the construction of the building.
Messrs. Abbott and Maudsley were the building contractors, and the former gentleman only was engaged in the work. The principal features are the fidelity with which the whole work has been accomplished and the fact that only local material has been generally used. All the foundations are of cement, concrete, and stone, and the steps to the front entrance are of local slate, obtained about seven miles south of the town. The building, which is a two-story one, contains two front shops and twenty offices. It has a frontage to Bayley Street of 60 feet and a depth of 75 feet and an elevation of 40 feet. The design has been carried out with dark red bricks relieved with cement cornices, and dressings surmounted by a rich cemented pediment On the ground floor there are two large shops with a frontage each of 23 feet by a depth of 29 feet, which are beautifully lighted by excellent British plate-glass windows, lofty In height.
It says much in the care of the transport of these goods, that not a single pane was cracked. The entrance to the offices is gained through a passage or hall in the centre of the building with dimensions of 29 feet by 10 feet, which has splendidly cemented pilasters, and semi-circular architraves. The inner building of the ground floor consists of a lovely area of noble dimensions, the approach being barred by a handsome doorway of rich stained glass margins, and Fanlight above. The size of the area is 40 feet by 26 feet, and the passage and area floors are covered with tessellated paving of a very pleasing pattern. On either side of the area are three offices large and well-lighted, measuring 14 feet by 10 feet each. At the extreme or back end of the area is a twin flight of stairs, very handsome in appearance, the whole woodwork of which is of local production. There are also handsome trellis iron brackets skirting the balcony above, which are of local manufacture as well, and bear testimony to the ability of our blacksmiths as ornamental ironworkers.
At the foot of the stairs on one side is a stall, where a young lady will be permitted to sell tobaccos, cigars, stationery, etc., for the inmates; and on the other side is a nice little lavatory, where necessary ablutions can be performed. The balcony, or more properly speaking, gallery, runs around the area, and is supported by enrichments of ornamental columns with large trusses, and , the ornamental iron brackets we have before described; the whole having a decidedly excellent effect in appearance, elegance being combined with stability. On either side of the gallery are three offices of corresponding size to those on the ground floor, and an exit is gained from the gallery by means of an enriched pilaster archway with access to eight other offices, of similar size to the others, situated at the front of the building.
The whole of the plastering has been done in an unsurpassable manner, and the finishing shows unerringly that the limes of this district are amongst the most perfectly graded in the world. Too much praise cannot be given to the contractor or the architects for the manner in which the work has been carried out. The original founder of the building is Mr. Mercer, of the firm of Messrs. Bewick, Moreing, and Co., who has since sold the building to the West Australian Allotment Co, and he is also to be congratulated on his belief in the district and his enterprise while the town is congratulated upon such a noble building in this early stage of its history One feature of the enterprise is that every office and shop has been let, which bodes much for its successful future.
By 1915 the building was being referred to as the ‘Old Coolgardie Chambers’ and it had been converted into a boarding house.
Edward Charles SHARLAND was born in Adelaide SA in 1860 – in 1894 he married Florence Gladys BOTTAMS in Mildura VIC, they had three children, Ethel Iyhu Sharland born 1895, Linda Florence Sharland born 1891 and Hazel Belle Sharland born 1905 – Julie Marshall Ancestry.com
Henry Bilton ABBOTT 5th from left in fromnt of the Coolgardie Chambers 1894-5.
Moya Sharp
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Such an impressive building, yet 50 years later there was no sign of it at all.