Adelaide Steamship Company building, 505-509 Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1976
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Adelaide Steamship Company building, 505-509 Collins Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1976
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GB 00001
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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UnrestrictedOpen access. High resolution files held by City of Melbourne Libraries and available on request.
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UnrestrictedUser must acknowledge: Image by Graeme Butler, made available through funding from the Public Record Office of Victoria and City of Melbourne.
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ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.PERROTT, LYON, TIMLOCK AND KESA 1976, C.B.D. STUDY, CITY OF MELBOURNE CONSERVATION STUDY AREA TWO1.08 THE ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY BUILDING505-509 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNEBUILT: 1905ARCHITECT: CHARLES A. D'EBROBUILDER: CLEMENT(S) LANGFORDBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES CONCERNING CHARLES D' EBROCharles A. D'Ebro was born in England about the year 1850. His mother was a sculptress and his step father, Mr. A. Cooper, a member of the Royal Academy. D'Ebro studied painting but threw it aside in favour of engineering. He was articled to various eminent London engineers, being employed by W.R. Kiniffie, M.I.C.E., amongst others.He accepted a position with the South Australian Railways, in their Architectural Department in December 1876 he emigrated to the Colony soon afterwards. In 1881 D'Ebro came to Melbourne and established an Engineering practice with J.N. Grainger, the Partnership was successful after 3 years in two competitions, one being for Princes Bridge •The Partnership was dissolved in 1885 and D'Ebro took on the more remunerative Architectural work. In 1887 he designed the. Premier Permanent Building Society offices at 229 Collins Street, Melbourne. (Demolished). Providing freezing works for the frozen meat industry occupied his practice in the 1890s, including buildings at Geelong, Portland, Echuca, and t he Imperial Freezing Works at Footscray. He won second prize in the Flinders Street Station competition (1900) and first prize for the Adelaide Abattoirs competition in 1910.D'Ebro became President of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in the year 1905 to 1906. In the previous year he had acted under John A.B. Koch, as Vice President. His view on architectural work was one of reform. He was instrumental in the amendment to the Building Act in favour of recognition of 'armoured concrete' (reinforced concrete) and steel framed buildings. He felt that, though at present tall buildings were not a necessity, development and recognition of new construction methods would prepare for what must become a trend towards concentration of office space, serviced by the now successfully developed, elevator. D'Ebro himself was to construct a reinforced concrete structure in 1907, at Braybrook for Borthwicks.D'Ebro formed a Partnership with Meldrum and Wagstaff in 1916. After D'Ebro's death in 1920, the firm was carried on by W.T. Meldrum into the late 1920s, it then ceased..Buildings executed by D'Ebro:The Argus BuildingThe Premier Buildings, 229 Collins Street (demolished)'Clarke's Building,' 430 Bourke Street (demolished)Equity Trustees Building, 85-9 Queen Street (demolished)Grandstand for the Melbourne Cricket ClubState Government House (Stonnington) , MalvernAlfred L. Abrahams & Co., 563 Bourke StreetScottish House, 90-8 William Street.ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY BUILDINGMr. D'Ebro· designed the construction of the Adelaide Steamship Company building completed in 1905 by contractors, Clements Langford. Mr. D'Ebro considered this building 'one of his best works' (1), and indeed, on a site visit by members of the R.V.I.A. to the building, it was generally agreed that the art woodwork, dadoes, mantels, etc. were the best seen in the country, almost a standard above and beyond that seen in the Old Country. The woodwork was executed in lightly stained oak of the finest quality. Generally it was felt that the building was well lit and of a good standard, whilst it was said, by Mr. D'Ebro of the contractor a Mr. Langford that `….he had put his heart as well as his head into the erection of the building…! (2).References(1) R.V.I.A. Journal 1905-6(2) Obit.General reference to Biographical Notes prepared by Miles Lewis for the'Architects' Exhibition', La Trobe Library.Buildings' OccupancyThe Adelaide Steamship Company occupied the building as its headquarters, until 1962-3. Their front office was where the Commonwealth Banking Chamber now is (1976), with further offices at the rear, off the lift lobby. E. Northcote was the first General Manager, his office being situated at the rear of the front office, a large bow-window overlooking the Rialto to the east marking the spot. The company also occupied the rear store which opened onto Robb's Lane.On the third floor were the offices of the Australian Steamship Owners Federation, they occupied these offices for 70 years, the Federation having been taken over in 1975.Description of the existing building.Ground Floor: Front OfficeOak furnishings and panelling, executed in a basic classic style, and lead lighting exist as had been described in 1905.Photographs of Melbourne and surrounding areas are inset into the panels (the use of photographs in this way is extensive elsewhere). The focus of the art woodwork is the fireplace, mantel and overmantel with a circular clock, inset central 'to twin carved scrolls. The clock was supplied by G.W. Catanach (established 1874, Melbourne), from the manufacture of Seth Thomas, the famous American clockmaker of the period. Black figured marble is used under the mantle. The cornices and ceiling friezes appear to be of a pressed metal with art nouveau motifs. One suspects of copper under the paintwork. Free use has been made of the Composite order in the column capitals.The Manager's office, off the main chamber has a large lead-lighted bow-window, facing onto the light well created for the stair windows (achieving 20 foot set-back from the boundary). The window is some 15 feet wide and approximately 5 feet high, and achieves a delightful design,' depicting the 'Duyfhen’ centrally, upon a sinuously depicted sea; the Company's insignia again being used to the sides.The main elliptical arched window, originally of leadlight and now replaced with clear glass, has an art-metal spandrel made from copper depicting, centrally, a medallion with the Company's insignia. On its left side is shown, in relief the 'Duyfhen' (1606) a sailing ship, whilst on the right is depicted the Company's latest steamship, the `Grantala’ (1905). The above spandrel is now painted.The upper basement is reached from a stair, trimmed with a wrought iron balustrading on one side and black marble facing on the other, now painted. Lighting is achieved from this area, via structural glass blocks, into the sub basement which extends the length of the building. The entry hall and:, stairway to ,the rear offices and upper office floors possesses a glazed tile dado, in buff and a luminous green. The frieze uses an art nouveau plant motif, repeated on each tile, with an indented cornice tile above. This tiling is quite effective. The floor of the hall is done with a traditional-pattern black and white mosaic tile. The lift is of electric operation, from Johns and Waygood. The cage is of metal meshwork and the car incorporates the Company's insignia embossed in the bronze-work dado.The rear ground-floor offices are panelled extensively ih oak and again lit with leaded light windows using the sail ship motif, atilt on a wave, repeated as a border in the art nouveau manner. Some of the original furnishings remain (i.e. set of chairs). There is a limited use of art metal push plates (copper), once again in the art nouveau style. The upper office floors are much the same but with clear lights onto Robb's Lane. Use of oak architraves, and sills is general with marble sill used in the stairwell.SummaryGenerally the interior has been arranged to allow light to penetrate to most levels; the use of the slope of the site is in evidence.The overall impression, then, is one of a comparatively well lit building, to suit specific purposes Apart from the repetition of the Company's insignia it is made obvious in more subtle ways that the building was built as a "Company Headquarters" to a company that was, at the time, one of the largest steamship organisations on the south coast.The use of materials, though not in an extravagant manner, as was typical in Victorian times, is impressive in its connotations with the Art and Craft movement, via the use of the plant motives, deeply glazed colours, and the linear swirling seas, as of the art-nouveau inspired leaded lights. This connotation is extended to the Collins Street facade where the London Queen Anne style of the 1890s is in evidence despite the unfortunate paintwork. It is a valuable foil to the overdecorated Rialto beside it and in some ways shows some sympathy to the terra cotta faience work of Phosphate House.If the red brick and rendered mouldings were brought into evidence again, together with the copper arch-spandrel and the marble facings below the arch, the still quite original interior would have more importance. The exterior could contribute to the interior.(Recommended streetscape)`2.12 Streetscape No. 2Includes -The Olderfleet Building 1891Record Chambers 1888New Zealand Insurance Co. Building 1888Winfield Building 1891The Rialto 1890-1The Adelaide Steamship Co. Building 1905-6Robbs Buildings 1885This streetscape must be the most popularly appreciated collection of buildings in Melbourne, particularly those buildings extending from the Rialto to the Olderfleet Building. This latter group of buildings represent the most intact and striking examples, collectively, of the late 'Boom Period' of 1880-90, in Melbourne. The styles vary from freely adapted Venetian Gothic, Elizabethan to the Classic but the unifying elements are their mutual scale and the richness of their decoration. These facades of buildings are on the State Register.The inclusion of the Steamship Buildings, Phosphate House and Robbs Buildings in the streetscape creates two other stylistic brackets of building; the early Boom and the post Boom, 'Company Headquarters' phase.a) The Steamship Building, in its unpainted form, had many similarities to its uphill neighbours; the use of brick as a decorative material and the accompaniment of stone and cement dressings, plus its scale and loose stylistic affiliations (the use of Elizabethan elements) make it an integral part of the streetscape.Another factor is that of the ground level treatment; care has been taken to align the first storey cornice with that of the Rialto, given that this meant a lofty business chamber inside. Subsequent storey cornices align with the Rialto's, as does the punctuation of window openings at each level. In short, the Architect (D'Ebro) took some pains to achieve a similarity to the Rialto, in general massing, if not a similarity in the decorative enrichment.Phosphate House, however, is not such an immediate inclusion in the streetscape; there is a similarity of scale but the Gothic verticality of the facade marks a complete change from the Classic storey divisions and horizontal emphasis of the other buildings. These vertical ribs terminate, at least, at a horizontal 'cornice' which has been designed to correspond with that of the Steamship Building.However, at ground level, the consequence of the building being purely a headquarters of the 1930's is seen immediately. There is no show window or Business Chambers and indeed the line of the building's podium is thus much lower than its neighbour.The building is thus not an integral part of the Streetscape but it does contribute just a little more than just by its scale;- some gesture has been made via architectural detail, as described above, plus the obverse factor, i.e._ the bland foil it gives to the rich detail beside it. It is a well designed building and, as such, does not offend in any way.Robbs Building completes the Boom Period collection. This massive classical facade is a very suitable corner building. In scale, it relates across Collins Street, to Aberdeen House and across King Street, to the former New Zealand Load Building (now Security House). Its decoration and parapet line correspond to its late Boom associates, up the hill; the gap presently in between them could be filled by a set-back tower building without destruction of the common parapet line.The presence of this building and those on three corners mentioned constitute an Environmental Area; albeit this area is busy King Street.'.MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVESDigital Resource: https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=105372URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/11343/70213DescriptionThe Adelaide Steamship Company building located at 505-509 Collins Street, Melbourne. Built by master builders, Clements Langford Pty. Ltd in 1904. The company was originally established as Langford's small Richmond business around 1881. It became incorporated in 1923 and grew into one of Melbourne's largest building firms.Inscription: Name and date of building written in white beneath the photograph.Previous Control Number: UMA/I/2380Previous Control Number: OSBA/100.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEXRecord 74666 D'Ebro, C; Adelaide Steamship Co Melbourne VIC Office Buildings Langford, Clement - 275 Bridge Rd Richmond 1904 12 1 9500, MCC registration no 9500 [Burchett Index]. Fee 6.0.0offices Collins - 507 -.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2021Adelaide Steamship Companyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Steamship_Company.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)`Lost! Melbourne's Lost 100' iPhone application:The Adelaide Steamship Company Building was designed by architect Charles A. D'Ebro and completed in 1905 by contractors Clements Langford. Considered by D'Ebro to be one of his most significant achievements, general consensus amongst his colleagues was that the building's oak woodwork and mantels (influenced by the Art Nouveau and Beaux Arts) were amongst the best in Australia and superior to those in England. The site would serve as the headquarters of the Adelaide Steamship Company until 1962-3 and would also house the offices of the Australian Steamship Owners Federation for over 70 years. In 1977 the building was demolished by its new owners the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia as part of their plans for a large development..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1929)Saturday 25 November 1905 - Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149122914ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP CO.The opening of the Adelaide Steam ship Company's new premises in Collins street- past, was made the occasion for some congratulatory speeches to-day. Mr J. A. Boyd proposed the toast "Success to the Company," coupled with the name of the general manager, Mr. E. North cote. The latter, in responding, said that the company was formed some 30 years ago for the purpose of establishing steam communication between Melbourne and Adelaide. The steam coastal trade had increased 80 per cent, in the last ten years. No anxiety was felt in regard to the proposed railway to the West, as it was considered that railways helped to encourage settlement and travelling generally.The new building, which is situated on the southern side of Collins street, between William and King .streets, will be a nice addition to the numerous handsome structures in that portion of the city. It has been erected by Mr. C. Langford from the designs of Mr. D'Ebro..The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954)Friday 24 November 1905 - Page 6https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242186321ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANYNEW PREMISES OPENED.The handsome and commodious offices just erected for the Adelaide Steamship Company at 505 Collins street were formally opened this morning. A number of leading businessmen of the city assembled on the premises in response to the company's Invitation, and Inspected the fine building, the design and appointments of which were much admired.Afterwards the guests assembled in the largo room of the basement, where they were entertained.Mr J. A. Boyd, M.L.A., proposed the toast, "Success to the Adelaide Steam ship Company, ".coupled with the name of its general manager, Mr E. Northcote.Mr Northcote, in responding, sold that the company was formed some thirty years ago for the purpose of establishing steam' communication between Melbourne and Adelaide, which previously was afforded by small sailing craft only. He remembered that one of those .vessels, a brig called the Burra Burra, having a Governor on board, was so long in making the passage between the two capitals that -It was feared she had been lost. The steam coastal trade had developed enormously. During the last ten years it had increased 80 per cent. The company did not feel any anxiety, respecting the proposed railway to the west, as they considered that the railways helped to encourage settlement and travelling generally.(Applause.) .The toast of ''The Architect and Builder"; was also honoured and responded. to by Messrs C. D'Ebro and C. Langford.The new offices have a frontage of 42 feet,, and a depth, of 104 feet. There is a basement and a sub-basement to the whole block, the first having an entrance from Collins street. There are three floors above the ground floor, which -are subdivided to- suit the requirements of tenants. The lighting throughout is most effective. The style of architecture is a free Renaissance, with Flemish feeling.Mr D'Ebro, the architect of the building, says that it is the best finished and fitted he has designed, and is a good sample of what can be done with Australian labor and material.
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| Original | 00001 | 1 JPEG : 1,414 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |