Franklin Town Hall 
​Palais Theatre, 3388 Huon Highway, Franklin, Tasmania

Franklin Town Hall was built by William Coleman Junior for Huon Council in 1912, when Franklin was an important river port, the bustling commercial and social centre of the Huon region. Councillors and residents of Franklin believed that the town could only continue to grow and prosper, and that it required on elegantly decorated hall, large enough to cater for Franklin's imagined future needs.
​(1) Hall, photo by E.R. Ash, Tasmanian Mail, 18 July 1912
​Architects Conway T. Clark and George Stanley Crisp, designers of Her Majesty's Theatre and King's Hall in Hobart, were commissioned to create a plan for a hall that could seat 560 people. Franklin Hall was lavishly decorated in the Federation style by the Hobart firm of Wunderlichs. When completed, the hall was larger in volume than the Hobart Town Hall.
​Governor Sir Harry Barron opened Franklin Hall on 10 July 1912 All the houses along the route from Longley to Franklin were decorated with bunting and flags to honour the Governor's visit and celebrate the opening. Extra steamers and coaches were provided to cater for the crowds from Hobart and the Huon who wanted to mark the historic occasion. The celebrations included a reception, a banquet, a concert and a grand ball.
 (2) Interior of the hall, photo by W. Williamson, Tasmanian Mail 11 July 1912
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​The Hall proved successful as a community meeting place, a picture theatre, magnificent dance hall and the home of Franklin Library. To accommodate the changing demands of modem film technology, a gallery was erected in 1938. The building was redecorated in the then popular art deco style and re-opened in 1939 by Premier A.G. Ogilvie as the "Palais Theatre-the Pride of the Huon”.
Franklin's status as the commercial centre of the Huon was diminished when the road supplanted the river as the main transport route, and lost completely when the apple industry collapsed in the 1970s. By the 1980s, Franklin's population had fallen dramatically. The Palais Theatre was neglected and vandalised and its condition reflected the condition of the town. However, Franklin's people remained optimistic and with the help of Franklin Progress Association, the Palais Management Committee and a Federal Government "Work for the Dole" Grant administered by STEPS Inc., the main hall was magnificently redecorated and re-opened by Governor Sir Guy Green with a reception and grand hall on 9 September 2000.
(4) 'Supper Room' on the first floor in Art Deco style. A bar in the corner has a plaque stating: 'Erected by the Franklin Patriotic Committee in appreciation of services by the Ladies Committee and helpers 1939 - 45 World War". 
'(5) Supper Room', first floor. 'WW I Roll of Honour' on both sides of entry door.
​A great deal of work has been accomplished on the renovation of the building since that time, achieved by many volunteers and the co-operation of the townspeople and the Council.
The Palais Theatre now hosts regular community events of all kinds and is once again the focus of community life and regional identity, serving all the functions it was built to serve in 1912.
In 2012, the town celebrated the Hall's survival for 100 years. It has served as a place of joy and festivity, of heated public debate and discussion, of grand initiatives, and a place of comfort and solace in times of tragedy and disappointment. In the process of its survival it has become a heritage listed repository of generations of community memories.
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(6) Franklin Palais Theatre - 2023.
© Text source: The Palais Theatre : a social history of Franklin Town Hall 1912-2012 / Ruth Young, Ashwood Books, Franklin 2012.
Images: (1) Hall, photo by E.R. Ash, Tasmanian Mail, 18 July 1912 [TAHO 2171],
(2) Interior of the hall, photo by W. Williamson, Tasmanian Mail 11 July 1912 [TAHO 2170],
© (3,4,5,6) FHG Librarian, 2023;
(3) Art Deco decoration - detail,
(4) and (5) Supper Room, first floor,
(6) Main entry.