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Commercial Union Insurance Company Ltd. Building, later AUC Office, 409-413 Collins Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 102097

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:

Period: Inter-WarNotable features: Stone facing.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryThis was the Commercial Union Insurance Company Ltd. Building, designed by Peck, Kemter & Dalton, in association with design architect, Phillip B. Hudson, during 1939. The structural engineer was Clive Steele.The building owners and occupiers of ground, first, fourth and sixth floors, the Commercial Union, were an Englishcompany, selling insurance in the marine and accident areas and had located their offices among a phalanx of insurers and assurers, including the Liverpool and London Globe Insurance Co. (the diminutive 415-17 Collins Street) and the Australian Mutual Provident (415-25). By the 1970s, this company had generated the Commercial Union Assurance Company of Australia Ltd. (1960) at new offices in Temple Court, with branches in all States and nominal capital of 25 million dollars. Tenants here during the company's tenure were the British General Insurance Co., a number of solicitors and accountants (Clements Wilkinson & Co., Keith A. Ness, Herbert Turner & Sons, Norton & Faviell), Howden & McLean, architects, Commonwealth Chocolate and Confectionery manufacturers, and a seventh floor caretaker.One interesting detail of the ground-floor plan which possessed the usual two lifts, stair and foyer with the company's offices beyond, was the saw-tooth glazing plan which maximized the rear ground-floor space while still complying with the required angles of `legal' light from the light court on to Moylan's Lane.DescriptionA symmetrical multi-storey elevation clad on the upper level with sandstone and polished granite at the base. Composed in a classical revival manner, the facade utilizes Jazz-Moderne ornamentation at the top, creating the familiar stepped profile of side piers and central window bay. Gothic ornament is also used perhaps as a gesture to the adjoining Aldersgate House and Goode House at the corner. Window frames are in bronze and detail sparsely applied, including grooved friezes surmounting the implied podium.External IntegrityWindows have been replaced sympathetically (in pattern and materials) at ground level, replacing in plain sections the reeded ones adjoining, also bronze anodized aluminium doors and glazed screens have been introduced on the east as the main entrance. Marble facings to the lift lobby, a circular electrolier and ornamental copper and brass balustrading, together with the Tenants' Directory, are further original embellishments retained after recent renovation of the ground-floor level.StreetscapeResembles No. 401 Collins Street and compliments, by ornamentation, 405 to 407 Collins Street and Goode House at the corner. It is part of an impressive elevation, commencing at Market Street, which includes free stone facades for all except No. 417 Collins Street and similarly scaled fenestration in each.SignificanceOne of the early Moderne designs among the normally conservative financial institutions (refer Trustee Chambers, 1937), the head office (until the 1960s of a major insurance company and a contributor to a notable commercial streetscape..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYcite Keith and John Reid, CBD Study Area 7 Historic Buildings Preservation Council, 1976: page 71- 9 storey office building with basement, reinforced concrete structure, brick panel walls, stone faced façade. Façade important contribution to the streetscape (see Trustees Building 401-403 Collins St) Recommended at least façade to Historic Buildings Register..HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGSCITATIONSstates protected by 1982 IDO.Central City Heritage Study Review 1993:cites as notable buildingMelbourne Planning Scheme :cl43.01- part HO608: 409-413 Collins Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000 HO608 401-417 Collins Street, Melbourne..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)`The Age' Mural may see the light after 21 years in darkness November 17, 2003:`Temple Court was built in 1924 as an office building and is listed by the National Trust as a notable building. But the citation does not mention Waller's mosaic which was commissioned in 1963 by Commercial Union Assurance after it moved its headquarters to Temple Court. Commercial Union sold Temple Court to FAI Insurance in 1982 and the foyer was converted into retail space. The mosaic was covered for 21 years of its 40-year life..'.`The Argus': Saturday 14 December 1935Mr. R. G. Menzies has Joined the Melbourne board of directors of the Commercial Union Assurance Company Limited…'Saturday 21 December 1935`members of the Fire Accident and Marine Underwriters Associations yesterday afternoon to say farewell to Mr W R Herschell branch manager in Melbourne of the Union Insurance Society of Canton Ltd and also to wish bon voyage to Mr S T Davis of the Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd before his departure on a visit to England The chairman of the Fire Underwriters Association (Mr C W Seabrook) proposed Mr Herschell s health which was supported by the … toast of Mr Davis's health was proposed by Mr Seabrook and supported by the president of the council of Fire and Accident Underwriters (Mr W J Rice) and Mr Vance'14 January 1938Mr. Ernest O'Sullivan has accepted a seat on the board of the Commercial Union Assurance Co. Ltd., MelbourneWednesday 7 June 1939NEW COLLINS ST. BUILDINGInsurance ExtensionPlans are being prepared and tenders will soon be invited for a new building containing eight floors and basement for the Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd I at 409-13 Collins street on the south side between Queen and Market streets. The new building will be of steel and reinforced concrete construction and will be faced with Sydney free-stone above a granite base The façade treatment will harmonise with the adjoining new buildings The site has a frontage of 39ft to Collins street by a depth of 167ft 6in The front portion of the present building was built about 38 years ago and the rear section is more than 80 years old.The Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd will occupy the ground floor and some of the upper floors and other insurance offices will use the sub-ground floor and the first floor. The remaining space will be let as officesThe associated architects are Messrs Peck Kemter and Dalton and Mr Philip B Hudson'.The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Tuesday 31 October 1939 - Page 2https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11263157NEW NINE-FLOOR BUILDINGCollins Street PlansDemolition will be begun soon at 411-13 Collins street, between Queen and Market streets, to clear the site for the erection of a building containing nine floors for the Commercial Union Assurance Co. Ltd. The associated architects, Mr. Phillip B. Hudson and Messrs. Peck, Kemter, and Dalton, have let the building contract to J. C. Taylor and Sons Pty. Ltd., of South Richmond, who will complete the work in 12 months. The building will be of steel and reinforced concrete. The facade has been designed with a modern Gothic feeling, and will have a red granite base, with the superstructure in Sydney freestone. The site has a frontage of 39ft. to Collins street and a depth of 167ft. 6in. As it has a big fall to the rear It has been possible to plan a well-lighted lower ground floor in addition to the usual basement, i The Commercial Union Assurance Co. , Ltd. will occupy the ground floor, and the lower ground and first floors will be used by other insurance companies. Four floors will be available for letting, and , the top floor will be used for the caretaker's quarters. Mechanical ventilation, ' and heating will be installed. During rebuilding the company will occupy the old National Trustees building at Queen and Little Collins streets..Merrett, D. & Ville, S. (2009). Financing Growth:New Issues by Australian Firms, 1920-1939. Business History Review, 83 (3): 563-589..State Library of Victoria collection:Commercial Union of Australia building "Temple Court" and old Royal Insurance buildings, 420-8 Collins St.] [picture]* Author/Creator: Lyle Fowler 1891-1969 ;* Contributor(s): Commercial Photographic Co., photographer ;* Date(s): [1964]* Terms of use/Copyright: This work is in copyrightCite as: Harold Paynting Collection, State Library of Victoria.* Description: negative : flexible base ; 20.3 x 25.4 cm. approx.* Identifier(s): Accession no(s) H92.20/7608

Names:

City of Melbourne

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesPostwar periodStone buildings1940-1949Offices

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1194786