The South Street Society was an organisation based in Ballarat, Victoria, which conducted a series of performing arts contests and concerts originally styled the "South Street Competitions", which developed into the "Grand National Eisteddfod", later the Royal South Street Eisteddfod, not to be confused with the Ballarat Welsh Eisteddfods.
The contests began as a public speaking and debating competition held by Ballarat's South Street Young Men's General Debating Society within its own membership, then between similar societies in the region. It expanded in range and scope into musical and calisthenic performances, drawing entries from all parts of Australasia. Much of its success can be attributed to its organising secretary, W. D. Hill.[1] and his successor, L. A. Blackman.
Despite the contests' brief and peripheral association with the Ballarat location, "South Street" has remained part of its title for over 130 years.
The South Street Young Men's General Debating Society was founded on 10 July 1879 with seven members, all senior students of the Central State night school,[2] at the residence of 21 year-old W. D Hill.[3] Hill was elected president, and J. Menzies hon. secretary,[4] and the Societies' Hall on the corner of South and Skipton streets adopted for their Friday meetings.[a] In 1881[4] Hill became secretary, a position he held until the year he died. The Society grew rapidly, and in February 1883 met in Henry Oyston's new Lyceum hall in Lyons Street north.
In 1886 members of the club "read" Retribution, a play by member R. C. Molyneux, then performed it at the Academy of Music, to faint praise.[12] With great faith in their future, the Society set about building their own hall on rented land close to the Societies' Hall.[13] The Skipton Street Hall was officially opened in June 1886 by Alfred Deakin MLA.[14] They produced plays, conducted fruit and flower exhibitions, bazaars and sideshows, ran a skating rink and other activities to help with their building fund. At the time of signing, they had £70 in the bank, yet within two years £700 of their £1,000 loan had been paid off.[15] In 1890 the Society unanimously decided to remove the bar to membership of Roman Catholics. The Loyal Orange Lodge admonished members W. D. Hill and Fred Barrow; they quit the Lodge in protest.[16] The contest was renamed the South Street Literary and Musical Competitions in 1891, and expanded in scope each year: in 1892 there were 60 separate contests — debates, speeches, recitations, readings, and vocal and instrumental music, and a new category — cooking.[17] At first entries were limited to citizens of the Ballarat district, then Victoria, finally in 1895 all of Australasia.[18] The society was fortunate in the patronage of the Governor, Lord Hopetoun, who first presented the prizes in 1891;[19] his continuing interest has been credited much of the Society's success,[20] also from Ballarat-born Deakin, a strong supporter from its early days, throughout his political career, including his time as Prime Minister. The huge task of organisation remained with the South Street Debating Society, with the burden of work borne by the secretary W. D. Hill,[c] to universal acclaim. For the competitions of 1900, which were spread out over a month, two innovations were made — a brass band contest and an undeclared public holiday on the last Friday.[22] As competition organisers, the word "Debating" was progressively dropped, and by 1901 they had become "South Street Society" in official pronouncements,[23] and formally changed in 1908.[3] A notable entrant for the 1901 debates was James Scullin,[24] a recent arrival in Ballarat and new member of the Society.
Controversially, they decided to bring out, from England, the eminent musician J. Ord Hume to adjudicate the 1902 band contests.[25] Though expensive, it added legitimacy to the contests, and was later credited with raising the standard of Australian brass bands. Hume was generous with his praise, candid with his criticisms and made a great number of concrete suggestions, all of which were gratefully received.[26] He praised the rules drawn up for band competition by the Victorian Band Association, and thereafter maintained an interest in the South Street competitions.[27]
It became evident that the existing facilities — their Skipton Street hall (seating 1,000), the Mechanics' Institute in Sturt Street, Her Majesty's Theatre (ex-Academy of Music, seating 1,277),[28] and the Alfred Hall (built for the visit of Prince Alfred in 1867, and seating 3,000)[29] provided insufficient accommodation for the Society's ambitions, and another building program began — an allotment on the corner of Grenville and Little Bridge streets was purchased,[30] and when the £2,000 needed for construction of the building could not be raised from government, it was raised locally.[31]
In 1903 the South Street Society renamed their 13th annual competitions as the "Great National Eisteddfod of Australasia",[32] or "Grand Eisteddfod of Australasia" with choral competitions 20, 21, and 23 October and band competitions 29, 30, and 31 October, at which both the newly installed Prime Minister Deakin and Governor-General Tennyson were guests.[33] The Governor, Sir George Clarke, was then petitioned by the Society to seek royal patronage for the competitions at his forthcoming audience with the King, in which case the competitions would be run as the Royal Ballarat Eisteddfod.[34] At the next competitions, held in Ballarat from 27 September 1904 and billed as the "National Eisteddfod", the special guest was the new Governor General, Lord Northcote.[35] Prizes at the Eisteddfod of October 1905 were presented by the newly reinstated Prime Minister Deakin, who had a long history of supporting the Ballarat competitions.[36] In 1906, as in the previous four Eisteddfods, a celebrity adjudicator was brought out from Britain; on this occasion it was the conductor Frederic Beard.[37] The cost of bringing out these adjudicators was to some extent offset by their appearing at other contests and coaching sessions in Australia and New Zealand, but the arrangements involved were not made public. One of Professor Beard's decisions was controversial.[38] In 1907 Prime Minister Deakin and Nellie Melba were present for the prizegiving ceremonies.
The Skipton Street hall was moved to their new property, facing Grenville Street, and in September 1908 renamed The Athenaeum.[39] The 6,000-seat Coliseum (or New South Street Hall as some were calling it), was built next door, facing Little Bridge Street, and opened in September 1908 by Prime Minister Deakin.[40]
Annual elections 1899–1905