12, Clifford Street

The foundation stone for the building was laid by the Prince of Wales on 18 July 1883 in a ceremony of masonic ritual. The architect was Walter Green Penty. The building was opened by the Marquis of Lorne on 10 June 1885. It was described as having a Romanseque arch as the entrance, supported by columns with carved capitals; surrounding the walls is a parapet crowned with ornamental terminals; and in the centre of the building a tower rises to a height of 85 ft. The principal frontage is on Clifford Street. The basement contained a gymnasium and two small class rooms. The main floor contained a hall with a capacity of 500 people, and a lecture theatre, class room, two reading rooms, a…