Melbourne Council Chambers, 90-130 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Melbourne Council Chambers, 90-130 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 110754
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 2024:__________________________________________________DATE: 1908-1910;ASSOCIATIONS: City of Melbourne;DESIGNER: J.J. and E.J. Clark (exterior); Grainger Kennedy & Little (interior);BUILDER: Richard Stockdale___________________________VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0001Statement of SignificanceLast Updated: 01/12/2000Victorian Heritage Register: VHR Number H1, HI Number H7822-1753Extent of Registration: To the extent of all the buildings including steps, palisade fences and gates; Town Hall and Organ; Administration building; the objects as specified; and the land as defined by the Heritage Council.The Melbourne Town Hall was constructed between 1867 and 1872 on the site of the earlier Town Hall which had been designed by James Blackburn and completed in 1853. A competition was held for the new building between 1864 and 1866 and was won by Joseph Reed. The building included a public hall, administrative offices, Lord Mayor's rooms and Council Chamber. The porticowas added in 1887-8 and was designed by Joseph Reed's firm at the time, Reed Henderson and Smart.The Administration Building was constructed in 1908-10 to accommodate the Council's growing administrative needs, and was the result of another competition. Grainger, Kennedy and Little won the competition and designed the interior, with the second prize won by J.J. and E.J. Clark who designed the exterior. This part of the building was to house the administrative staff, including the office of the Town Clerk, and also incorporated committee rooms and a new Council Chamber.On 2 February 1925 a fire in the Main Hall destroyed its interior including portraits of past mayors and the organ. The roof also collapsed. Stephenson and Meldrum designed a new hall, which was increased in size by extending it on to the site of the former Victoria Coffee Palace. The new organ was built by William Hill and Son. The decorations inside the hall include murals were designed by the artist Napier Waller.The Melbourne Town Hall including the Organ and the adjacent Administration Building, is of architectural, historic , social and technical (scientific) importance to the State of Victoria.The Melbourne Town Hall is of historic and social significance as the civic centre of Melbourne since 1867. It represents in its physical form the changing needs and aspirations of the citizens of Melbourne. Externally the building is of architectural importance as an early application of the French Second Empire style in Victoria as designed by prominent architect Joseph Reed. Internally, the hall and Collins Street entry foyer are of significance as an intact example of a major public space of the 1920s, which retain original fittings and decoration.The Town Hall is also historically significant as the site of several important meetings on the question of Federation, from the mid-1880s to the late 1890s. These meetings marked significant advances in the progress of the Federation movement and were attended by many prominent individuals who were intimately involved in the issue. Among the critically important meetings held at the Town Hall were the January 1890 Australian Natives' Association Inter-Colonial Conference on Federation, the series of meetings in mid-1894 to found the Australasian Federation League of Victoria, the public meeting attended by three colonial premiers in January 1895, and the huge public meeting of May 1898 that marked the climax of the pro-Federation campaign in Victoria for the first Federation referendum.The organ is of technical or scientific significance as an intact and scarce example of 1920s British organ-building craftsmanship. It is the only known Hill, Norman and Beard organ of a comparable type and size intact from this period. Few organs of this size are intact from this period, even fewer of a comparable secular/concert hall design.The organ is historically significant as part of the 1920s rebuild of the Melbourne Town Hall and its case, grilles, pipework, and console are integral to the main hall. The present organ is significant as a reminder of the nineteenth century tradition which saw Municipal Councils install large pipe organs in their town halls as part of a visible commitment to the musical and cultural life of their cities. The organ also has a strong association with the second of Melbourne's three City Organists, Dr W G Price, who held the position for almost twenty five years and was as a result, an extremely well-known and popular figure in musical circles in Melbourne.The administration building is of architectural significance for its functional and stylistic relationship to Melbourne Town hall. Externally it is an intact major addition to the Town Hall successfully designed with the purpose of creating and aesthetically coherent civic centre. Internally, the Council Chamber has been the meeting place of the City Council since 1910, and its design displays a post federation pride in Australian materials and skills. The offices and committee rooms of the second floor provide an intact and complementary suite of rooms around the Council Chamber, and emulate the detailing of the Town Hall building. The four Edwardian bathrooms within the building are of significance for their fine and substantially intact___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 78,page 1 for date___________________________Source 78, 78A John & Phyllis Murphy Pty. Ltd. Architects. Historic buildings study of part of the C.B.D. Melbourne. (part 1) 1976 Report to the Historic Buildings Preservation Council covering the area bounded by Little Collins, Flinders, Spring and Elizabeth Sts.___________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEThe Melbourne Town Hall was substantially completed in the period 1867-1870 to a design by Reed and Barnes. The adjoining AdministrationbUilding was completed in a complementary Renaissance Revival design in 1901 to a design by Grainger, Kennedy and Little. Melbourne's civicheart, these bUildings are exceptional examples of the work of both architectural firms.___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1906MELBOURNE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. A long discussion took place in the City Council to-day on the report of the committee of the whole council recommending that a block of administrative buildings be erected on the Swanston-street frontage adjoining the Town Hall, the estimated cost being £40,000. The motion was finally agreed to, and it was agreed that the cost should come out of the loan raised in 1890 for the erection of buildings. It was decided that competitive designs should be invited for the building..1908https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196105234TOWN HALL EXTENSION.- THE TENDERS OPENED. MR. R. STOCKDALE SUCCESSFUL.Tenders for the reconstruction of the Town Hall administrative buildings, which are to cover the block occupied by the old police court and other offices in Little Collins and Swanston streets, were opened yesterday. The lowest tender was that of Mr. Richard Stockdale, of South Melbourne, who, as did other tenderers, submitted alternative prices for constructing the buildings in Stawell stone and in Sydney stone..1910EARLY MELBOURNE RELIC.An interesting relic of early Melbourne was presented to the City Council on Tues day by the Governor (Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael ). It consisted of a box for the holding of seals, which was made out of a piece of red gum that had 60 years ago formed part of a corduroy road in Little Bourke street. The log was dug up -when workmen were constructing a tunnel some time ago for the carrying of electric wires. In a letter to the council Sir Thomas asked that the box be accepted in memory of the opening of the new administrative buildings at the town hall.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 110754 | 1 PDF : 1,730 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |