That Crystal Chandelier
OH… The Crystal Chandelier Lights Up the Paintings on the Wall -well according to the great African American singer Charlie Pride it does. ( Listen while you continue to read)
Except the only trouble is that in the Ballarat Town Hall there is no crystal chandelier and I’ve looked every where, I cannot even find one crystal. Nope despite a massive targeted media campaign , a director loosing his job, a purchasing system that was apparently corrupt and a Mayor that had her own vanity projects – but still no crystal chandelier.
Surely the media tycoons with zoom lens cameras, activist councillor claims of impropriety and abash, who no doubt must have sat under this “chandelier” or the key board warriors could take just one …and I’m only looking for one photo of what should be considered “indisputable evidence” of this crystal chandelier. Just one and publicise it – has anyone seen this evasive chandelier, no of course not - because it doesn’t exist.
So who’s been duped here – yes you the community. Duped by ill informed propagandist dressed as Clarke Kent from the Daily Planet News and Mrs Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’ where there was a massive cobweb draped chandelier. But my great expectations have let me down, let down by lies, conjecture, glory seekers and those who ride on the coat tails from the hard work of others.
Several years ago I was told of the Town Hall attic being used as the dumping ground for books, artwork, furniture, international gifts and other items that reflected Ballarat’s past history, heritage and sense of what made Ballarat. This assortment was left stacked away in the attic area covered in dust, cobwebs and pigeon poo.
A local historian Rodger Trudgeon was asked to catalogue these items to ensure their original purpose, ownership and significance was available for future children, your grandchildren and any one who visits Ballarat in the years to come. So pulling them out of the attic and into a display for all to see apparently become known as a Mayor’s vanity project.
Who would have thought that restoring, displaying and maintaining things like the story of Eureka, Ballarat’s rich history and the symbols of changing era’s of Ballarat’s life for some councillors would be traded as vanity. If Ballarat’s history and everything that built this history is vanity – then I am as guilty as the fruit bowl in the former Mayor’s office.
Exploring the attic and finding several boxes of glass balls in the roof with Rodger whilst he was bar coding the wonderful heritage collections was riveting and an immediate thought of fixing Cr Tillett’s concerns with improved lightening in the Jessie Scott room was borne. Little did I know that “these glass balls” would transform into crystals and then morph even more into a chandelier. If only if I’d found a bottle that I could have rubbed, to let the Jeanni out – perhaps the truth would have prevailed then!
So let me tell you the story of the Flemish Light aka -The Crystal Chandelier.
The Flemish light frame (yes a frame only )was purchased at a light restoration business in Collingwood (yep you’d think reclaim, reuse and repurpose would be good for the environment) for $900.
A former director who was in central Melbourne on other business used his initiative and picked up the light. There was no - Directed Drives to pick Up Light for Mayor as the propagandists and some glory seeking councillors would have you believe. He was a smart thinking person who frugally drove 10 minutes from central Melbourne to Collingwood. Yes he did use his credit card and pay for the light as the purchase order from the city accounts section had not been lodged or the light paid for. For this crime, he was sentenced - he lost his job while the white anting from others continued.
The Flemish light fitting, proudly dressed with the old glass balls out of the Town Hall attic is swinging, “balls and all”, in the Jessie Scott room, for the Ballarat community, councillors, COB staff and visitors to enjoy as they meander the halls for free. Victorian furniture, silver tea sets, decades of history now form a self guided wonderful tour called “If the walls could talk. This tour won the 2019 Victorian, Local History - Multimedia Award and to save paying for actors Jessie Scott’s granddaughter Claire, myself and the hall keepers spent hours recording and sharing the wonderful stories of early Ballarat and how the Town Hall and the past councillors created this iconic city... now locked into history.
As 1988-89 Mayor Wanda Chapman told me recently “She was proud of her City” and Why can’t others be proud of Ballarat.
If These Walls Could Talk - it’s really worth a listen