The South Street Young Men's General Debating Society was founded on 10 July 1879 with seven members, all senior students of the Central State night school,[2] at the residence of 21 year-old W. D Hill.
The Society grew rapidly, and in February 1883 met in Henry Oyston's new Lyceum hall in Lyons Street north.
[14] They produced plays, conducted fruit and flower exhibitions, bazaars and sideshows, ran a skating rink and other activities to help with their building fund.
The huge task of organisation remained with the South Street Debating Society, with the burden of work borne by the secretary W. D. Hill,[c] to universal acclaim.
[22] As competition organisers, the word "Debating" was progressively dropped, and by 1901 they had become "South Street Society" in official pronouncements,[23] and formally changed in 1908.
[34] At the next competitions, held in Ballarat from 27 September 1904 and billed as the "National Eisteddfod", the special guest was the new Governor General, Lord Northcote.
[35] Prizes at the Eisteddfod of October 1905 were presented by the newly reinstated Prime Minister Deakin, who had a long history of supporting the Ballarat competitions.
[37] The cost of bringing out these adjudicators was to some extent offset by their appearing at other contests and coaching sessions in Australia and New Zealand, but the arrangements involved were not made public.