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Little Bourke Street East Police Station, 43 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 105830

Level of description:

Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)

Type of materials:

Graphic materialsTextual material

Part of:

Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)

Access restrictions:

UnrestrictedOpen access.

Use restrictions:

UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.

General notes:

RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: VictorianDATE: 1888;ASSOCIATIONS: Victorian Government;DESIGNER: Henry Bastow, Senior Architect, Public Works Department; supervising architect G.W Watson ;BUILDER: R. Young.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryMahlstedt and Gee's Standard Plans of Melbourne (1887-8) show one R. Wizard, (bootmaker) in residence at a one-storey brick shop and dwelling at 43 little Bourke Street. Adjoining was a one and two-storey brick Police Station and stone lock-Up, built up to Harwood Place on the east. By 1895, when the M.M.B.W. Detail Plan was published of the area, a brick Police Station and numerous lock-ups were shown on this site and the adjoining block to the south.Contract 2733 of 1888 was won by R. Young, quoting 1997 pounds to erect' ... police station and lock-Up' in Little Bourke Street.The contract was financed by a general allocation for police station construction, authorized by the anonymously named John L. Dow in February 1888. G. W. Watson was the architect in charge of the Public Works Department Central District, acting under Henry Bastow, Senior Architect and the station's construction the result of the recent inquiry into the forces which inspired a building progranme to properly house the police.Built at a time of great expansion of police accommodation, this police station and barracks over, contrasts with the other two-storey brick stations (designed under Public Works Chief Architect, Bastow) which began to replace previous station buildings in order to satisfy at least one discomfort suffered by the Force, as cited by the Royal Commission of 1881.Directories of the late 1880s cite one Sergeant John Hehir in command, Sm. Constable Laurence Farnham was there around 1899 and Sergeant T. W. Kiley in 1920. For, no doubt, good reason, given the proximity to the 'back slums,' the gaming and licensing laws branches occupied the Station during the economic depression of the late 1920's and on into the late 1930's.DescriptionA three-storey, red and cream brick Italian Renaissance revival hipped roof, rectilinear form, but with cement dressings which follow Medieval prototypes, forming hood moulds over the segment-arched openings. The main elevation is composed in three bays, with window pairs in the side bays placing emphasis on the protruding central entrance element. Cemented string moulds mark the floor lines. The main door pair remains also with parts of the interior: the front rooms have been united as a restaurant. Its Renaissance revival form differs markedly from the other new barracks, particularly to the generally Medieval character of the Public Works Department designs, (see Bourke Street West, 1888, Flemington and Kilmore, 1893), although sharing their red brick construction.External IntegrityGenerally original, recent internal alterations.StreetscapeA major corner element and related in materials and form the adjoining 27-35, 37-41 little Bourke Street.SignificanceHistorically, a reminder of both the former high resident population in this part of the CAD and its predilection towards criminal activities, also a distinctive design from the Public Works Department (then generally engrossed in various Medieval revivals) and a surviving expression of the new facilities supplied to Police after the Kelly Trial and subsequent Royal Commission..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM.VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1566Early buildings - 1866 - building on site. 1880 - 2 storey building.1888 - 1 storey brick shop & dwelling, R Wizard, Bootmaker -replaced between 1888 & 1895 by Police Station, constructed by the Public Works Department. 1905 - 3 storey building, Police Station & cells at rear.Police station opened on 16 March 1885.References:Heritage Inventory; Melbourne Central Activities District: Archaeological Management Plan (8 volumes), Fels, M., Lavelle, S. & Mider, D., 1993, OCC. RPT.TRETHOWAN ARCHITECTURE, 2015. BOURKE HILL PRECINCT HERITAGE REVIEWHISTORYThe former police station was constructed in 1888 to the design of the Public Works Department (PWD) and islikely by G.W Watson, architect in charge of the Public Works Department Central District. It was originally built asa three storey station with numerous lockups located to the rear of the site. The construction of the station waslinked to the expansion of police accommodation in order to satisfy the results of the 1881 Royal Commissioninto the Police Force in Victoria. The building operated as the Gaming & Licensing laws branches throughout the1920's and into the 1960's. This was likely linked to the buildings proximity to the 'back slums' area, and the highresidential population of the area in the late 19th and early 20th century.FEATURESA three storey red and cream brick Italian Renaissance revival design with a hipped roof. The main façade iscomprised of three bays, with windows to the side bays that frame the protruding central bay. Notable cementrendered dressings over the segmental arched windows. The dressings are medieval in character, linking to thegenerally Medieval character of the PWD at this time. There is a modern extension to the rear of the site.ANALYSISThe buildings Cultural Heritage Significance is not adequately recognized. It is recommended that the grading ofthe building be increased to reflect its historic association with the police force in Victoria, and its links to theRoyal Commission and the history of predilection to criminal activities in the immediate area. In addition, thebuilding makes a notable aesthetic contribution to the precinct. It is significant as a PWD design in theRenaissance Revival style. Architecturally, it forms part of a similar group of red brick buildings and contributesgreatly to Little Bourke Street and the understanding of the area as a whole.RECOMMENDATIONSUpdate building grading to acknowledge contribution to the precinct.Building is worthy of further review before being considered for its own Heritage Overlay as individuallysignificant.Grading Contributory

Names:

City of Melbourne

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesMid-late Victorian period (1875-1900)

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1251891