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Maitland Park – Band Rotunda
The Rotunda was built at a time when bands, usually of brass instruments, were popular and numerous and frequently played in parks on weekends and holidays. Band members wore uniforms with brightly coloured (usually red) coats and their performances encouraged people to visit the spaces where they played. Band performances were a significant source of entertainment. The Federal Band was the principal community band in Maitland from the 1890s to the mid 1920s when interest waned and the group disbanded.

Planning
In 1905 a meeting was called in the Mayor’s rooms at Maitland Town Hall, discussing the erection of a band rotunda at Maitland Park. From January 1906 plans and specifications were drawn up and submitted to Council for approval in August. Tenders were called and received, but no decision was made to proceed. Tenders were called again in 1907 and with some changes to the earlier plans, approval was given in November. Building the rotunda proceeded through the early months of 1908. It was decided to connect the rotunda to gas so that lights would enable the band to give evening performances during the summer months. It was also decided to build a picket fence around the rotunda, with gates to be kept locked when not in use, to keep straying livestock away.

The Band plays on
The Federal Band played for the first time at the new rotunda on 24 May, 1908. There was no ‘official opening’ of the rotunda, just the first of many fortnightly recitals given by the Band in the years ahead. The posts of the Rotunda were made by Sims and Sons of Morpeth. Early photos of the Rotunda show that it was surrounded with a picket fence and gates, the joins of the roofing iron were once painted with a stripe effect, a tall slender finial was mounted on the apex, and the railing was of plain design compared to the cornices.