Working Men's College, also Francis Ormond Building and RMIT Building 1, 124-126 La Trobe Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Working Men's College, also Francis Ormond Building and RMIT Building 1, 124-126 La Trobe Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105490 7
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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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 2021:__________________________________________________Style: Gothic RevivalPeriod: VictorianConstruction date: 1. (Bowen Street) 1883-1887, 2. (La Trobe Street) 1890-1Materials: Barrabool sandstone (walls), Waurn Ponds sandstone (dressings)Architect: Percy Oakden , Leonard Terry, and Nahum Barnet (1883-7); Oakden Addison and Kemp.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H2157FRANCIS ORMOND BUILDING (RMIT BUILDING 1)Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The Francis Ormond Building originated as Melbourne's Working Men's College, which opened in 1887. The first stage (1885-86), on Bowen Street, was built by J Moore at a cost of ₤11,000, and housed the main lecture hall (now the council chamber), workshops, classrooms and caretaker's quarters. The design was the result of an 1883 competition won by the architects Percy Oakden (later an honorary director of architectural classes at the Working Men's College), Leonard Terry, and Nahum Barnet. The second stage of the building (1890-92), designed by Oakden Addison and Kemp and costing ₤13,700, comprised the Latrobe Street wing and the corner tower, and included offices, college council and instructors' rooms, classrooms and laboratories. The idea of a college to improve the education of the working classes was first proposed in 1881 by Francis Ormond (1829-89), a Scottish immigrant who had made a fortune from farming and became a great educational philanthropist. The Working Men's College owed its foundation both to the philanthropy of Ormond, and to the support of the unions. The three men most closely involved with its establishment were Ormond, Charles Pearson, a prominent public intellectual and member of the Victorian Lower House, and W E Murphy, secretary to the Trades Hall Council. F A Campbell was the first Director. An important innovation of the College was the system of certificates which a workman could obtain, with all the classes being held in the evening after their work had finished. The College provided a broad range of subjects, not only a narrow technical education, and classes were open to women as well as men. Following Ormond's death a public subscription raised £1200 for the bronze statue outside the building by the sculptor Percival Ball which was unveiled in June 1897. The Working Men's College became the Melbourne Technical College (1934), then Royal Melbourne Technical College (1954), the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1960) and is now part of RMIT University (1992), one of Australia's foremost universities, on a greatly expanded campus. The original Working Men's College building was called Building 1 of RMIT, and was renamed the Francis Ormond Building in 1981.The Frances Ormond Building is an asymmetrical three storey Gothic Revival style building of brick, faced with finely-worked sandstone on the two street elevations, on a bluestone base, with a slate roof and sandstone chimneys. The exuberantly modelled street facades are of rock-faced Barrabool sandstone with smooth-dressed Waurn Ponds stone around the openings. The most prominent feature is the square corner tower with a steeply pitched Second-Empire-inspired roof, with corner pinnacles and elaborate iron cresting on the short roof ridge. The earlier part of the building, on Bowen Street, is less simply decorated that the second stage, which includes the tower and the section along La Trobe Street. The earlier section has less ornate window openings, which lack the tracery, receding orders, hood moulds, and decorative bosses adorning the later section. The storeys are differentiated by different decorative treatments, and are separated by decorative string courses. There are several picturesque gables, including a steep parapeted gable inset with tracery above the La Trobe Street entrance. The Bowen Street entrance is surmounted by a parapeted balcony with gargoyles at the corners. Many internal features survive, including the stained glass decoration in the tympanum over the Bowen Street entrance, with the foundation date, 1877, the Gothic arched openings throughout and several staircases. The most impressive space is the Council chamber, originally a lecture theatre, which has an impressive timber ceiling and tiered seating. The statue of Ormond outside the Bowen Street entrance is a full-scale bronze figure on a high granite base. The new Melbourne Magistrate's Court built to the east of the college in 1911-13 created Victoria's best northern European medieval revival streetscape.How is it significant?The Francis Ormond Building is of architectural and historical significance to the state of Victoria.Why is it significant?The Frances Ormond Building is architecturally significant as an exceptional Gothic Revival style educational building, and as a major example of the work of the prominent Melbourne architects Terry & Oakden, Nahum Barnet and the firm of Oakden Addison & Kemp. With the adjacent court buildings it forms part of an outstanding medieval revival streetscape.The Frances Ormond Building is historically significant for its association with the development of education beyond primary level for the working classes in Victoria in the late nineteenth century. It is significant as a monument to its founder Francis Ormond, one of Victoria's outstanding nineteenth century philanthropists, reinforced by the statue of Ormond erected nearby. It is significant as the earliest part of what has become one of Victoria's most important educational institutions. It is significant as a demonstration of the commitment of working men and women to their self- improvement, with over eleven thousand individuals having contributed to the public fund established in the early 1880s for the construction of the first stage of the building..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source DARYL JACKSON EVAN WALKER ARCHITECTS PTY. LTD 1976 FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL; MELBOURNE: THE AREA BOUNDED BY VICTORIA, SPRING, LONSDALE AND SWANSTON STS (source 77) p32; CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 1467,3831.DARYL JACKSON EVAN WALKER ARCHITECTS PTY. LTD 1976 FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL; MELBOURNE: THE AREA BOUNDED BY VICTORIA, SPRING, LONSDALE AND SWANSTON STS (source 77)R.M.I.T. Building 1 Reference C7Address124-126 Latrobe StreetDate Built Begun 1883, completed 1891Architect Oakden, Addison and Kemp .Builder-1883 not known 1891 not knownOriginal UseClassroom and officesIntactness Facade is completely intact. The interior has had changes over many years but structure remains largely intact.Construction MaterialsThree storey building with four storey tower. Brick walls with stone facing. Timber floor and roof structure. Stone stair construction.Historical Basis The first building for the Working Mens' CollegeOther References Streetscape No. 1Recommendation That the building be included on the Historic Buildings Register.1 HistoricalThe idea of establishing a Technical College in Melbourne was first mentioned by the Hon. Francis Ormond in 1881. The following year a public meeting was held to carry the scheme to a practical issue. A suitable block of land was granted by the Government, b5000 subscribed by Mr. Ormond and a similar amount given by the public (a condition of Mr. Ormond's offer). In May 1887 the College was opened, and 986 students enrolled for the year (1).2 Architectural2.1 Building 1 was built in two stages. The first stage (the Bowen Street frontage) was begun in 1883 and completed in 1887 at a cost of ₤11,000 shared between Ormond's gift and public appeal money. The contract for the second stage (the Latrobe Street frontage, including the tower) was let on 3rd July 1890 (2). It was completed in 1891 at a cost of ₤14,000 financed by the Ormond bequest and a Government grant (1). Sutherland attributes the design of the first stage to Nahum Barnett (as the result of a competition) and later to Oakden, Addison and Kemp, in conjunction with Nahum Barnett (3). Certainly, the second section of the building is the work of Oakden, Addison and Kemp. A contemporaneous journal refers to "the picturesque, mediaeval looking tower of the Working Mens' College, which is being built in Latrobe Street, Melbourne. The stone employed is Barrabool, with Waurn Ponds dressings. The roof is being covered with slating, and the turrets with copper, and the height from the pavement to the top of the vane is-131 feet". (4) Over the last 30 years the Public Works Department has made alterations to the building, including a fire stair in 1945, additional storey to the NE wing in 1955 and extensive alterations to partitioning in 1962. In 1967 the stonework was restored (5).2.2 In a mixed Gothic style..Principal features are the square corner tower with a French looking steep roof with corner turrets corbelled from the storey below. Chimney set into the roof, a very short ridge and very elaborate wrought iron finials. The second and third levels are mostly elaborate pointed gothic arches and at ground level there is a pair of pointed arches below a square label mould terminating in a foliated boss at the bottom with a more Tudor character. The whole facade is in smooth dressed stone around the openings and a more rock-faced treatment in the carcass of the building. At first floor level the windows are elaborate, most of them are pointed, paired windows underneath a larger pointed window with the upper space filled by a cinquefoil circular opening. The smaller ones, single pointed windows with a trefoil opening and then a larger pointed arch above them. Most of the windows in the upper two levels are in two orders as there are two colonettes (successive), each carrying their own arch mouldings. In the case of the tower, the second storey level is in three orders. The bulk of the upper windows are single pointed windows (arched) so that the whole building varies in style from early English in the top levels down to Tudor in the bottom, and geographically from English in the bottom levels to French in the corner tower. Internally, the forms of gothic arches along the main corridors on the ground floor are still visible with panelling around the Latrobe Street door which almost looks as if it might be later than the building itself, with a dividing timber and glass screen just inside the door. The interior is unexceptional except that over the Bowen Street entrance there is a stained glass decoration in the tympanum with the foundation date, 1887, and flowers and shields as ornaments.2.3 As the winner of a design competition, the building was obviously well regarded at the time, and remains as a highly accomplished exercise in the Gothic manner, or, more correctly, manners, considering the many sources. The interior of the building is not exceptional, but remains intact, and is important as evidence of the "whole" Gothic structure.3 RecommendationThat the building be included on the Historic Buildings Register, on the basis of architectural and historical significance. The whole of the building should be specified.Footnotes(1) The Building, Engineering, and Mining Journal, 6/3/1897, p. 58.(2) Drawings held by Public Records Office.(3) A. Sutherland; Victoria and its Metropolis, Vol. 2, Melbourne, pp. 511, 533(4)The Builder and Contractor's News, 30/4/1891(5)Drawings held by Public Records Office..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1888https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193395710THE WORKING MEN’S COLLEGEA meeting of the council was hold last night at the college, there being present, Mr. F. Ormond, M.L.C. (in the choir), Professor Kernot, . J. Goodall, J. G. Barrett, J. J. M’Entee, H. A. Harwood, F. H Bromley and J Nixon.Donations of £5 5s. from Messrs. Langton, Holmes and McCrindle, and £5 5s. from John M'Donald were acknowledged. It was reported that some of the Ieadwork in the plumbing exhibit at the Exhibition bad been wantonly destroyed. It was decided that a reword of £5 should be offered for discovery of the offenders, and that the commissioners be written to on the subject. The matter of the new buildings was then proceeded with, and after some discussion it was decided that Messrs. Oakden, Addison and Kemp should be appointed architects.In reference to the land proposed to be given up for a public laboratory, it was decided to give up the portion suggested, provided the block marked for occupation by the Government Analyst and Agricultural Chemist could be obtained in exchange. It was decided to authorise a collector to visit the business places of the city with a view of collecting subscriptions towards the funds of the institution..1892https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60443860THE WORKING MEN'S COLLEGE.In this issue we have the pleasure of presenting views of one of the most important educational institutions in the colony — the Working Men's College. As is generally known, this college chiefly owes its existence, to the munificence of the late Mr. Francis Ormond, though the Government and the general public have responded liberally to calls for aid. The buildings, which are of Gothic design, were built from drawings prepared by Messrs. Oakden, Addison and Kemp, and the work has been carried out in three separate contracts. The main building is on the block of land, 140 feet square, fronting Latrobe-street. The rear portion of this was erected first, so as to enable the work of teaching to be commenced, leaving the front to be added later on, when more funds wore available. This important addition is now receiving the finishing touches.The first part of this block was built by Mr. Jas. Moore in 1887, the contract price being £12,000. About half of this sum was provided by Mr. Ormond, the remainder being raised by public subscription. The contractors for extending the building to the Latrobe street front are Messrs. McConnell and M'Intosh, their tender being a little under £14,000.Of this amount £11,000 comes from the Ormond bequest, the remainder being provided by the Government. In the older part of this building all classes of a non-technical character have been hitherto and will in future be conducted. Offices and board rooms will be provided in the new portion, where also will be found class rooms for the study of practical chemistry, a branch of study the management have up to the present been unable to provide for owing to lack of accommodation. It is one for which there is a great need, as, except at the University, there are no facilities in Melbourne for attending a science course.The Bowen street block occupies about one-third of the college land in that street. It is the intention of the council to extend the building to Latrobe street when funds are acquired, but in the mean time temporary workshops will be erected for the technical course students, the demand for more trade classes being very urgent. For this block the contractor was Mr. J. Corley, the necessary funds, about £15,000, being provided by the Government. In the workshops hero the machinery and fittings are of a very expansive kind, the cost being nearly £4000. The upper floor is occupied by the art classes, special care, having been taken to secure the proper amount of light. The materials used throughout are bricks, Moorabool Hill and Waurn Ponds stone.Thus the buildings are thoroughly substantial, a result which has-been attained without sacrificing beauty of design, as the facade is one of the handsomest in the city. Up to the present ₤45,000 has been expended on buildings and fittings. This expenditure has been amply justified, and, thousands of men and women are now on the rolls proving the necessity that existed for some such institution. In another column reference is made to the annual demonstration and distribution of prizes.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
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| Original | 105490 7 | 1 PDF : 1,001 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |