John Clark Memorial Bandstand

Values

• John Clark Memorial Bandstand has aesthetic value as a soundshell designed to utilise its reflection in the river for the benefit of an audience on the opposite bank.
• John Clark Memorial Bandstand is associated with John Clark, a significant figure in the development of Denmark, and also the well-known architectural firm of Forbes & Fitzhardinge, who were responsible for designing many key buildings in Perth.
• John Clark Memorial Bandstand is an early, and representative, example of an architectural form designed to offer local communities the opportunity to hear quality acoustics when listening to music in an outdoor setting.

Physical Description

The John Clarke memorial bandstand is located on the eastern bank of the Denmark river. The Bandstand has castellated steel beams anchored in the bank and supported on two masonry columns. The beams project up to 28ft at an angle from the columns, with a cantilevered iron roof projecting over the Denmark River. Two dressing-rooms are located at the rear. Landscaped seating was cut into the opposite bank (although this is now lost), so that the shape of the roof is reflected in the water, forming a diamond shaped frame to the stage when viewed from the seating.

History

Denmark was developed as a timber town by brothers Charles and Edwin Millar, who logged the district to supply railway sleepers, timber for the gold mines, and for export. The district was thriving with two timber mills until 1903-04, when production began to slow. In 1905 the mills closed and Denmark became a ghost town. The town was purchased by the State Government for £50,000 in 1907, and marketed to farmers on the basis that Millars had removed the trees that had prevented earlier settlement. Denmark townsite developed as a service centre for the rural population. In August 1911, Denmark Roads Board was formed and, after World War I, the area became a summer tourist destination. John Clark was born at Airdrie, Scotland, in 1879. He worked on the Collie coal mines before coming to Denmark in 1908, when he took up a homestead farm till the early 1920s. He gave up farming to take over a boarding house. In those days the bulk of Denmark’s population was employed at a timber mill. Later Clark applied for a hotel licence and in about 1927 he built the Denmark Hotel, which he and his wife ran for a number of years. In 1940 he built Edinburgh House, another boarding house with four shops underneath it in Strickland Street. Clark had played in a band in Scotland as a boy, and, on his death in 1956, he left £1,500 to the Parents and Citizens’ Association to buy instruments and uniforms to form a school band in Denmark. The Denmark Memorial Silver Band (effectively a brass band) was duly formed, and its first appearance was at the Denmark Show in November 1961. However, according to the local newspaper, the band’s inaugural concert was not a great success, although they were apparently much better at the Denmark Show in 1962. There is some confusion around the significance of the founding of Denmark Memorial Silver Band, with a newspaper story in 1964 describing it as “the first school band in the State”. However, school bands have existed in Perth since at least the late 19th century. It may be that the reference is specifically to a school silver band, or to the first band outside the Metropolitan Region, but this would require further research to determine. Clark also left £2,000 for a bandstand to be built in Coronation Park opposite his house where his widow resided at that time. After discussion with the legatees and the Shire Council, it was decided to build the bandstand on the bank of the Denmark River. The trustees and family agreed to have the bandstand erected on the eastern side of the river so the western side could be used as an auditorium. At this time, the Esplanade was in a very poor state. It was particularly in need of toilet facilities but the Council was unable to match any grant from State Government. However, it was negotiated that the money spent on the Bandstand could be used as the Council's share of the funds to erect toilets on the Esplanade. By 1962, architects Forbes and Fitzhardinge had been engaged to design a bandstand to be located among paperbark trees along the water’s edge, with gum trees to form a backdrop. The architects devised a simple scheme, with two castellated steel beams anchored in the bank and supported on two masonry columns. The beams project up to 28ft at an angle from the columns, with a cantilevered roof projecting over the Denmark River. Two dressing-rooms were located at the rear. Landscaped seating was to be cut into the opposite bank, so that the shape of the roof would be reflected in the water, forming a diamond shaped frame to the stage when viewed from the seating. Tenders were called in late 1962 or early 1963. John Clark Memorial Bandstand was officially opened by the works minister on 29 February 1964, a date chosen because it coincided with a surfing carnival in Denmark. The Denmark Memorial Silver Band and the East Victoria Park School band performed at the opening ceremony. In the 2010s, the Shire of Denmark has undertaken structural works and repairs to the Bandstand in order to ensure the safety of the structure. The Shire is also currently engaged in the Riverside Stage 2 Foreshore Development Project, but (as of early 2016) had made no decision regarding the future of the Bandstand. Although the Esplanade opposite John Clark Memorial Bandstand was terraced and grassed to provide seating for audiences, over time this aspect of the structure has been neglected and is no longer visible.

Uses

Historic Themes

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