City Watch House, 345-355 Russell Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
City Watch House, 345-355 Russell Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108557
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:__________________________________________________DATE: 1908-9;ASSOCIATIONS: Victorian Government;DESIGNER: Austin, George B H, Public Works Department;Period: Edwardian.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H1006Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The City Watch House was constructed in 1907-08 to the design of architect GBH Austin of the Public Works Department. The building was constructed on the site a former cell block of Old Melbourne Gaol. The two storey rendered front section is two rooms deep and originally contained offices on the ground floor with residential accommodation on the upper level. The rear section occupying the major part of the site contains the cell block and exercise yards. There have many small alterations to the building but it displays reasonable integrity retaining internal layout, external form and some distinctive original elements such as the bow truss steel grille roofs over the exercise yards.How is it significant?The City Watch House is of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?The City Watch House is historically significant as a site associated with prisons and the administration of justice in Victoria since 1842. The site is part of a precinct which includes the Old Melbourne Gaol, the former Magistrates' Court and the former Russell Street Police Complex. The building and its location demonstrate the inter-relationship of the various elements of the criminal justice system.The City Watch House is architecturally significant as an important example of the work of GBH Austin of the Public Works Department. Austin's use of the Romanesque style complements his design for the adjacent Magistrates Court. The revival of the pure Norman style of Romanesque, in contrast to the American Romanesque of mixed progeny developed in the late nineteenth century by the American architect HH Richardson, would by association have been seen as underlying the ancient heritage of English law and as the appropriate style for judicial buildings..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM___________________________oldmelbournegaol web site 2016City Watch HouseThe City Watch House was the place where felons were brought to face justice whether arrested in the streets of Melbourne for minor misdemeanours or being brought before the court for significant crimes. The Watch House was built in 1909 and operated until 1994 and its original interior is complete in every respect.___________________________Victorian Heritage DatabaseHeritage InventorySignificance:The City Watch House, constructed in 1907-08 to the design of GBH Austin of the Public Works Department. The building was constructed on the former site a cell block of Old Mebourne Gaol. It comprises two main sections, a two storey rendered front part, with the cell bock and exercise yards at the rear occupying the major part of the site. The front section is two rooms deep and originally contained offices on the ground floor with residential accommodation on the upper level; this section is now completely used for administration purposes and retains part of its internal arrangement despite being substantially altered. The cell block and exercise yards have also suffered many small alterations but display reasonable integrity retaining internal layout, external form and some distinctive original elements such as the bow truss steel grille roofs over the exercise yards.*The City Watch House is of historic significance being located on a site long associated with prisons and the administration of justice in Victoria. The site is part of a precinct which includes the Old Melbourne Gaol, the Magistrates' Court and the former Russell Street Police Complex. The building and its location demonstrate the inter-relationship of the various elements of the criminal justice system.* The City Watch House is an important example of the work of GBH Austin of the Public Works Department.* The City Watch House is of architectural importance as an unusual example of a small prison in an highly urban location. The Watch House has been designed to accord with contemporaneous building types of the central city, the design contracts with other prisons such as those at Beechworth, Kilmore and Castlemaine which are sited apart from the main areas of social and commercial activity and are concevied of as distinct entities.* The adoption of this specific style is itself highly significant, while the use of Romanesque styles in general was advocated for court houses and gaols because of their potentially 'grim and forbidding' aspect. The revival of the pure Norman style of Romanesque, in contrast to the revived Romanesque of mixed parentage and freer form populised in the late nineteenth century by the American architect HH Richardson, would by association have been seen as underlying the ancient heritage of English law.Archeological Potential: Potential/Disturbed___________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEPart of the justice precinct developed in Russell Street from the 1840's, this two-storey watch house was bUilt in 1891. Its gothic style complements the adjacent City Court.___________________________NEWSPAPERS:1906https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139193447THE OLD CITY WATCH-HOUSE.In connection with the old City watch-house, situated at the back of the Court house in Little Collins-street, Melbourne, Superintendent Pewtress gives the following interesting particulars:—"I was one of the fifty constables that came out in 1853 from London to establish a police force here in Melbourne besides the fifty constables there were also three sergeants and one inspector. We left; London in the sailing ship Earl Grey, in December, 1852, arriving here in May, 1853. It was a very difficult thing in those days to keep the men in the force, on account of the gold rushes, and consequently several deserted the force. In 1856 Sergeant Pewtress took charge of the city warehouse, which was built about I850, and stood at the back of the Court house in Swanston-street. It was a very primitive, one-storied building, consisting of four stone cells and an entrance-hall, where the charges were recorded. As crime increased in accordance with a rising population another wing and five cells were added. After a few years a still further wing and three cells were built, forming in all a triangular building containing twelve cells and offices. This watch-house was in charge of Sergeant Pewtress, who had two constables and one lockup-keeper as assistants. At the later end of the sixties this watch-house was found to be in a very in- sanitary condition, and quite inadequate to meet the requirements, so it was decided to rebuild and erect a more up-to-date build ing, to be in keeping with the new court house then recently completed. Sergeant Pewtress still remained in charge of the new watch-house until 1878, when he was promoted to the rank of sub-inspector, and transferred to Mansfield, where he witnessed the outbreak of the Kelly gang. It will be seen from the accompanying sketch that the second watch-house was a two-storied structure, the top story being occupied by the assistant-keeper and his wife, the latter holding the position of searcher of women prisoners (these numbering a great many during this period). On the ground-floor on either side of the doorway were waiting-rooms and offices for the purpose of receiving charges, & c,. and the ten cells led off the main passage. This lock-up was used up to the year 1889, when the city watch-house was transferred to the old Supreme Court buildings, at the corner of Russell and Latrobe streets. Many notorious criminals have from time to time been held in captivity within the bluestone walls of this old city watch-house. "Dyason," alias "Velvet Ned." one of the Cornhiil jewellery robbers (London), who was transported to West Australia, was twice within its walls. Morrison, alias "Pompey." a mate of "Velvet Ned's," was also in the cells in connection with the Tartakover jewellery robbery. Morgan, alias the "Friar," a well known Imperial convict. often convicted in this country for burglary, robbery, &c,. was also an inmate. Watson and Yates, alias "Ramgill," were also confined there in relation to the Web- ster jewellery robbery. Yates will be remembered in late years as the man who shot Constable Johnson on the Brighton road and then shot himself....1907https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242565049New City Watch-house.Mr T. Langdon, Chief Secretary, Mr G. C. Morrison, Under Secretary, Mr T. O'Callaghan, Chief Commissioner of Police,, Mr Connor, Inspector General of Penal Establishments, and Mr Meagher, Governor of the Melbourne Gaol this afternoon paid a visit of Inspection to the city watch house cells and the gaol. The visit was in connection with the proposal to erect a new watch house and cells, and tho provision of an entrance from the gaol of prisoners who have to appear before the city court..1908https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197357643
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108557 | 1 PDF : 2,429 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |