Money Order Office, 318-320 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Money Order Office, 318-320 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105875 1
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________DATE: 1887;ASSOCIATIONS: Victorian Colonial Government, Australian Government;DESIGNER: Peter Kerr, Public Works Department Chief Architect;BUILDER: T. Sutherland.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 76 NIGEL LEWIS DECEMBER 1976, HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE CENTRAL CITY OF MELBOURNE BOURKE STREET, EAST AREA 8 OF THE SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL , Page 6.NIGEL LEWIS DECEMBER 1976, HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE CENTRAL CITY OF MELBOURNE BOURKE STREET, EAST AREA 8 OF THE SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCILCOMMONWEALTH OFFICES M22 L4318-320 Little Bourke StreetThis building appears to have been erected in 1888 offices -and stores for the General Post Office. The building's ground floor is still used by the Post Office with the upper floors housing Commonwealth parliamentarians' offices. The building is of intact, restrained decoration for the high boom period is unusual, as being on the corner of a lane, the side facade has been finished with decoration as well as the Little Bourke Street facade.The main facade is relieved by a protruding central element capped at the penultimate storey by a pediment, and the projecting cornices marking the division into storeys. At each storey the facade is marked out by a trabeated system overlaying the arched windows sup· ported by piers. The common form of decoration has stylised Doric pilasters at the ground floor, ionic, at first floor and Corinthian columns at second floor level.The fourth floor has more individual and non-classical decoration and is designed as a separate feature. The ground floor was originally of splendid design with classical columns supporting on arcuated structure indicative of load bearing walls above; however the space has been subdivided by very shoddy, but fortunately temporary looking partitions. Restoration of this interior recommended.RECOMMENDATION:This building does not come under the Historic Buildings Act, being Commonwealth Property is a well-preserved pleasant example of 1880s style architecture and should be retained and restored.Cites:SANDS & McDOUGALL1888 vacant1890 320 Post & Telegraph Depart Stores1891322Money Order Office & Savings Bank1895 318-322 M.O. Office & Savings Bank - Gomm H.T. Controller1900 318- M.O. Office Ryan, James, ComptrollerDead Letter Office, O'Connel H.F. Inspector.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/65210Statement of SignificancePublic Works Department Assistant Architect, H.J. Kerr, prepared plans for this building as part of the General Post Office in 1889 under Chief Architect, Henry R. Bastow. The builder was James H. Sutherland and the contract signed in 1890. This five storey stuccoed masonry building housed a money order office and savings bank on the ground level, for which arcades were designed and offices on the upper levels. Known early as the Money Order Building, it became Commonwealth Offices after Federation and, from the 1930's, the Federal Members Rooms housing distinguished members such as R.G. Menzies and J. B. Chifley. The trabeated, four-storey facade possesses a progression of Corinthian, Ionic and Doric orders in pilaster form, set around a central pedimented bay rising three stories; the whole being adapted from Italian Renaissance architecture. The ground level entablature is enriched to provide an appropriately massive base for the elevation, whilst the intermediate placement of the pediment allows for the limited angle of vision from the narrow street. The deep bracketing of the attic storey window hoods also counters this problem. Despite the intrusive lift shaft overrun, added in 1932 under works Director Mackennal, the facade is a competent if conservative design, near to original, and the internal level arcading has survived. Its significance derives from this also, as one of the larger buildings constructed by the Victorian Colonial Government, and as the Melbourne office of Federal Parliamentarians.Classified: 07/04/1983.VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1289https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/92041839 - 1 storey brick house on site. 1866 - building on site.1880 Panorama - single storey building1888 - single storey buildings on site__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Heritage Inventory Significance: Source: Report to Minister Statement of SignificanceThe former money order post office and savings bank was constructed in 1890 to relieve the overcrowded facilities at the nearby general post office. A 6 floor building, it was designed by the architect Peter Kerr for the public works department of Victoria and built by James H Sutherland at a cost of nearly 19,000 pounds. It was used as the money order office until c.1919 and from 1917 was leased for offices to various Commonwealth Government Departments including the Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction. Between 1921-32 it housed a war museum and, in 1932, alterations were effected to provide offices for federal parliamentarians. This use continued until 1970 and further alterations were carried out in 1939, 45 and 49. The building is constructed of rendered load-bearing brickwork with the internal floors supported by an iron column and beam frame. The design utilised the most recent developments in fireproof construction including fireproof plaster ceilings, the encasement of the iron columns in fireproof plaster and a fireproof floor system of massed concrete cast over vaulted corrugated iron forms and integrally with the frame structure. The roof timbers are augmented by a wrought iron truss frame. Its planning is uncomplicated and "modern" in character with open-plan floors, grouped services at the rear, stairs and lifts at the front and rear and large repetitive windows along the east and west walls. The arcaded ground floor chamber is heavily embellished with plaster detail but the floors above gradually reduce in detail and ceiling height. It originally incorporated a reticulated hot water heating system, a further "modern" innovation that dispensed with the need for fireplaces and chimneys. The conservative detailing of the facade is complementary to that of the G.P.O. which had been extended by Kerr the year previously. It is Kerr's last major work in a career that included the Victorian Houses of Parliament and D'estaville. His son H.J. Kerr collaborated with him on the design and the drawings bear his signature as draftsman. The former money order office and savings bank is of significance as the last major work of the distinguished architect, Peter Kerr. It is an innovative building, reflective of the building technology of the time and consciously designed to sit well within its immediate urban environment. It has housed a variety of public institutions important to the city of Melbourne and has significant associations with the development of postal services in Victoria. The structure of the building is substantially intact from its original construction. The services and fittings have not survived. The lift overrun room at the south-west corner of the building, the extensions of the front stair above first floor and the replacement of the tiled ground floor with timber are later alterations that remain. The later partitioning has been removed..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)Illustrated Australian News (Melbourne, Vic. : 1890 - 1896)Tuesday 1 July 1890 - Page 11https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60443748NEW BUILDING FOR POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK AND MONEY ORDER OFFICEThe building is classic in design, harmonising with the General Post Office in four orders, viz., Doric, Ionic, Composite and Corinthian. It is six stories high. The ground floor is devoted to the Post Office Savings Bank and Money Order Office, while the first floor provides accommodation for clerks' offices to same.The upper portion of the building above the first floor is devoted to the stores branch of the General Post Office. Lavatories are provided on all floors. There are three lifts in the building, a passenger and two goods lifts. The building is constructed of brickwork and all external walls are to be cemented. The stairs throughout are constructed of blues tone, while the floors are all fireproof. The vertical columns and the lower flanges of rolled iron joists throughout are encased with fire proof plaster, so that any chance of the building being destroyed by fire is very remote. The total width of frontage to Post Office-place is 50 feet, while the depth to right of way is 79 feet. The total height from the pavement is 100 feet.Mr. Peter Kerr, of the Public Works department, is the architect in charge, while Mr. .T. Sutherland is the contractor. The ground, first and second floors are heated by a reticulation of hot water pipes, for which a boiler is provided in the basement.See also1932 NEW MEMBERS' ROOMS IN OLD MONEY ORDER OFFICEhttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4514357
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Record number:
1253495
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105875 1 | 1 JPEG : 518 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |