Tuesday 13 October 2009

Former Salvation Army Training Centre



This unusually crenellated building used to be the Salvation Army Training Centre in Sydney. It was built some time in the first half of the 20th century. Some time ago it was sold, and now appears to be low income housing.

I'd love to hear from anyone who knows more about this intriguing building, for o long a major landmark at the intersection of Livingstone Rd and Addison Rd, Petersham.

17 comments:

  1. It's been painted a strange red colour. Looks like it's made from Lego, rather than bricks and stone. I wonder what it's like inside.

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  2. Sydney's selling Sally sold some sunny, sturdy Salvation!

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  3. I always wondered what this building was originally used for. It's amazing but I think these colours that they've used have made this landmark stand out even more.
    Sydney - City and Suburbs

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  4. It's always been this colour as long as I remember. I associate it with the Salvation Army red.

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  5. This building looks nice . More attraction comes with the strange red color and its structure .

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  6. As a child, we often drove past here. I seem to remember it being painted white or cream but I could be mistaken.

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  7. RebeccaOfSunnyBrookFarm18 October, 2009 19:22

    I used to go past this building every week for twenty years from 1965; the building was a bequest to The Salvation Army, when they sold it to the N.S.W. Government for Housing Commission (council housing) apartments, almost immediately the original beautiful wrought iron double gates that had been there since the building was constructed by the original benefactors, were stolen one night, and never recovered.
    .
    .
    Cheers.
    from,
    R.

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  8. i always wondered what this was used for these days. i think i may have seen it in another colour too.. maybe it reverted back to its original colours.
    kind of looked like it should be a school to me :)

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  9. Hi Sally,
    I am a Salvationist from Glebe Salvos, Sydney.
    This building you have photographed and blogged about was the training college for Salvation Army Officers in the AUE (Australian Eastern Territory - ACT, NSW & QLD).
    It was in use from early 1920's until the new training college us built (1980's - Bexley North). The only other time this wasn't used was during the depression when officers were trained in Melbourne.
    Sgt Edward Saunders was the designer (who also designed the landmark training college in Melbourne - which pretty much looks the same).
    I'm not sure when it was sold (assuming just prior to the new training college opening in Bexley North). It is now an aged care facility.
    Thanks for your interest in this building and Salvo history.
    Regards, Samara

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  10. Here are 2 possible links (cut & paste sorry to use)which cnfirm everything the last comment mentioned.

    http://salvos.org.au/boothcollege/about-us/
    http://salvos.org.au/about-us/news-and-resources/documents/pipeline_03mar2010.pdf

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  11. This building was built by my great grandfather Robert Miller in about 1880 and was named Rathlin. It was sold by the family in about 1910 and ended up with The Salvation Army in1921.

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  12. That's fantastic to know! Thanks got posting.

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  13. Sorry - thanks FOR posting.

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  14. https://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Marrickville%20Assets/hca21.pdf

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  15. It was sold in the 1970's when the Housing Department bought it and then added more buildings behind the main building the 2 buildings on either side of the middle block are from the 1970's as are the townhouses. I have been a resident here for 11 years its ok.

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  16. My parents were trained as SA Officers there in 1963/64. Single 'cadets' lived in small accommodation rooms in the building complex. Married cadets with kids lived in a line of houses on adjacent street that backed onto and accessed the college. Some 'newer' units (red brick' were built on the grounds in early 60's for cadet accommodation. I have old 8mm film transposed to DVD depicting this period at this building.

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  17. Its very striking.....nice to know a bit if the old history of our suburb....

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