A BESPOKE WEDDING VENUE AND BOUTIQUE ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT COMES TO BENDIGO

MacKenzie Quarters - to be established on the site of the former All Saints school and master's residence on Mackenzie Street - has been carefully designed by owners, Rhianwen and Andrew Seiter, to embrace its 140-year-old history in a contemporary environment.

Having grown up in Bendigo, Rhianwen says it was crucial the new precinct, which includes a wedding venue, outdoor ceremony area, boutique accommodation and a high-end basement bar and intimate rooftop - pay tribute to its rich history.

“We hope it will be the perfect mix of old and new, which Bendigo does to aplomb," says Rhianwen. “It will be warm and inviting, with a touch of romance and grandeur.”

The Gothic Revival-style architecture synonymous with the venue, originally built in the 1870s, will be honoured and restored. 

The precinct will also give a nod to its school and parsonage heritage with subtle design cues, such as a contemporary take on pew-style seatings and bathrooms with schoolyard-like water troughs.

Scheduled for opening in 2019, MacKenzie Quarters (which also gives a nod to the four school terms) - will feature four key elements - The Residence boutique accommodation, for groups of 10-12; the Mackenzie Hall wedding venue with space for 175 people; the Old School Yard ceremony site and intimate rooftop space; and Ms Batterham’s basement bar, otherwise known as Batty's Bar.

Rhianwen and her husband Andrew say the new precinct has been carefully created to be a space “for people to connect, socialise, laugh and celebrate in the heart of Bendigo.”

“We believe every gathering is special and unique and therefore deserves generous attention and a quality result”, Rhianwen says. “We look forward to working with clients to design and deliver an event that reflects their personality and brief.”

Rhianwen and Andrew purchased the former Master’s Residence, the neighbouring All Saints School building, known as MacKenzie Hall, and the former school courtyard, in March 2014 from the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo, after a 15-year search for the “perfect” heritage building to transform into a modern, bespoke wedding venue. 

Between October 2014 and June 2015, the couple lovingly restored the master’s residence into a boutique accommodation offering for large groups and in August this year, the City of Greater Bendigo council approved plans for the development of MacKenzie Quarters, allowing the Seiter’s to complete their vision for the precinct.

Restoration works on MacKenzie Hall and Ms Batterham’s (Batty’s Bar) will begin in January 2019 with a planned completion date of mid-2019. 

The Old School Yard and rooftop will be developed later in 2019.