[3] It is constructed from locally quarried granite masonry and finished with stucco ornamentation externally and plastered brickwork internally.

[5] Planning for the building commenced in late 1882 when a meeting of the Albany Municipal Council adopted a works programme for the following year, provided that a loan of £6,000 was procured.

A large crowd was in attendance, including the architects, Messrs Henderson and Marriot, and the builders, Messrs. Harmon and Hamilton.

[3][5] A planned procession up Yorke Street was cancelled due to bad weather so the keys were presented to the Mayor on the steps.

This came about because Albany residents had long nursed grievances against Sir John Forrest's State Government, particularly the development of Fremantle as the colony's main port.

[4] New municipal offices for the City of Albany were built in 1967 and the hall was used primarily as a theatre and for hosting community events.

[3] The clock-face was also repaired as part of the renovations, with a bullet hole, which had appeared when troops returned home from the Boer War, patched and painted.

[11] In 2021, it reopened following a $3.7 million refurbishment to adapt the building for use as a multi-purpose arts venue, which included remodelling the upper-floor auditorium and removing tiered seating installed in the 1980s.