Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramway Board Office, 616-622 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramway Board Office, 616-622 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105946
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: 1937;ASSOCIATIONS: Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramway Board;DESIGNER: Alan G Monsborough, MMTB Chief ArchitectNotable features: 1. Stone facing (polished granite).GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 85 Lawrie Wilson & Associates, 1977. Historic Buildings Preservation Council Report on CBD Block No 6 Dec 1977 : 227__________________________________________________Lawrie Wilson & Associates, 1977. Historic Buildings Preservation Council Report on CBD Block No 6 Dec 1977 : 2271935Victorian Producers' Co-operative! Machinery Department (directory)1938- 39Melbourne and Metropo1itan Tramways Board (rate book)..Typical of the early modern architectural style buildings of the late 1930's in Melbourne, however, better examples exist elsewherein the City.RecommendationThe retention of this building is not justified.__________________________________________________Melbournebuildings web site:`The site went for sale in 1924 and was previously occupied by two double storey brick buildings, a merchant, L. Donnellan and a motor garage and yard along Godfrey Street. The MMTB, who owned adjacent buildings at 669-677 Bourke Street acquired the block and set about maximising the potential of the site to extend its headquarters, with the building completed in stages between 1938 and early 1939...The facades are each divided into three bays with the entrance in the centre bay framed by brown marble faux doric columns on either side of a recessed lobby doorway with rectangle surround in marble veneer with subtle cornice emblazoned with the words “Melbourne Metropolitan Tramways Board” in a gilded font. Each central bay extends vertically with piers and spandrels and the Little Collins facade culminates in a flagpole spire and setbacks roof profile.'__________________________________________________VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1581https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/94961836 - site occupied by Colonial Police Magistrate and Administrator of Settlement, William Lonsdale. 1840 - complex of buildings including Officers Quarters. Some buildings apparently sited partially under Godfrey Street. 1888 - three buildings one- and two-storeys to Little Collins Street. 1905 - two buildings, one- and four-storeys; also three buildings to Little Collins Street, including S Downie, Cooper.Heritage Inventory Significance: Site is part of Block 16, initially set aside for Government purposes. May therefore contain evidence of pre-Grid & early settlement due to peripheral nature of structures & poor documentation.Uploaded to VICTORIA HERITAGE DATABASE__________________________________________________Heritage VictoriaFORMER MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN TRAMWAYS BOARD BUILDING 616-622 LITTLE COLLINS STREET MELBOURNE, Melbourne City Not Recommended to VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER__________________________________________________Hermes 162434Typological StudyMelbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board Offices616-622 Little Collins Street MelbournePhysical Description 131/10/2011The Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramway Board Office is located at 616 Little Collins Street Melbourne (at the rear of the former MT&OC building in Bourke St.).The MMTB, who owned the adjacent MTOC buildings at 669-677 Bourke Street as a result of their takeover of the cable trams, acquired the block at the rear in 1924. This was previously occupied by two double storey brick buildings, a merchant, L. Donnellan and a motor garage and yard along Godfrey Street. The Board set about extending its headquarters, with the building completed in stages between 1938 and early 1939, to a design of its own architect A G Monsborough.[1]The striking six storey building is a combination of styles with a main facade facing Little Collins Street and arranged in three palazzo along Godfrey Street. It has elements of Moderne, stripped classical and art deco architecture. The facades are each divided into three bays with the entrance in the centre bay framed by brown marble faux Doric columns on either side of a recessed lobby doorway with rectangle surround in marble veneer with subtle cornice emblazoned with the words "Melbourne Metropolitan Tramways Board" in a gilded font. Each central bay extends vertically with piers and spandrels and the Little Collins facade culminates in a flagpole spire and setbacks roof profile.[2]Despite lack of heritage protection in 2010 it was adaptively reused with few exterior modifications and converted for residential use, strata titled and promoted under the name of "Grand City Apartments".The building forms a well preserved interwar and Victorian streetscape with neighbouring buildings including the Savoy Hotel on Spencer Street, the MTOC and former Mail Exchange which terminates the vista along Godfrey laneway. Similarity in style can be seen with the old SEC headquarters on Flinders Street which has also been converted to residential strata title.[1] Butler, Graeme, 1984, Central Activities District Conservation Study, 85, p. 227, City of Melbourne[2] Melbourne Buildings: http://melbournebuildings.com/former-melbourne-metropolitan-tramways-board-building-616-little-collins-street-melbourne/__________________________________________________Melbourne Buildings web sitehttp://melbournebuildings.com/former-melbourne-metropolitan-tramways-board-building-616-little-collins-street-melbourne/__________________________________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1937The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Thursday 16 September 1937 - Page 18https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11118805NEW TRAMWAY OFFICESOPENED TO-DAYThe new head offices of the Metropolitan Tramways Board in Little Collins street will be opened at 3.15 p m to-day by the Minister for Public Works (MrGoudie) The new building is of six stories and stands behind the present building on the site of the residence of Captain William Lonsdale who in 1836was appointed the first police magistrate and administrator of Melbourne.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244617302Image:FINE NEW HOME of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board and the administration centre of the services.The new Tramways building which was opened today, is in Little Collins Street. j.NEW TRAM OFFICES AIR CONDITIONED & HEATEDThe new offices of the Tramways Board in Little Collins Street were opened this afternoon by the Minister for Public Works (Mr Goudie). Of six floors and a basement, the new offices are of most modern steel and concrete construction.Importance has been laid upon the admission of al possible light and air to each office. Ninety-eight per cent, of the materials used are of Australian origin and workmanship.The basement is a garage, fitted with a large lift and turntable for the Board's j service motor cars. | An efficient air-conditioning plant has been installed. The whole building will be heated artificially, the plant, with boilers and automatic stokers being in the basement.On the ground floor are the main public offices, entered from Little Collins Street. The uniformed staff calling at the head office for medical examination ticket outfits, and for other purposes, will use the Godfrey Street entrance. The manager and his staff will be' housed in the second floor and the; 1 chairman, the board room, and the secretary and his staff will be on the third floor. Secretarial stuff will be on the fourth floor, technical staff and chief engineer on the fifth, and the drawing office on the sixth. There are separate luncheon rooms for the male and female staffs. The foundations have been made capable of carrying two additional floors.__________________________________________________
Related material link:
Names:
Places:
Form/Genre:
Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1254474
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105946 | 1JPEG : 453 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |