Church of England Mission, 261 Spring Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Church of England Mission, 261 Spring Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 110726
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: 1912-13;ASSOCIATIONS: Church of England Mission;DESIGNER: Bates Peebles & Smart;BUILDER: Farnsworth, G WStyle: Modern or Neo-GothicPeriod: Edwardian facade_________________________Register of the National Estate (Non-statutory archive) 1999Statement of SignificanceThe Church of England Mission, constructed in 1894 and extended in 1913, is significant as an illustration of the slum conditions in this region of Melbourne in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the religious bodies which cared for the poor. (Criterion A.4). (Historic Theme 4.4 Living with slums, outcasts and homelessness.)It is a rare but late example of an Arts and Crafts inspired building in the Central Activities District of Melbourne exhibiting free modern Gothic styling which is of considerable interest for being clearly distinctive from nineteenth century mission architecture (Criterion B.2).__________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites 77; CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 3813_______________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 74902 Bates, Peebles & Smart; Church of England Diocesan Mission Melbourne VIC Schools Farnsworth, George W - Punt Rd Sth Yarra 1912 05 10 3343-MCC registration no 3343 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.15.0brick school Little Lonsdale near Cumberland Place_______________________________________STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIAhttp://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/259132_______________________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEIn 1904 the Church of England purchased an old brick hall (a "dancing academy") for the Sisters of the Community of the Holy Name who had leased it since the 1880s for church work in the poverty-stricken area around Little Lonsdale Street . In 1913 the hall was incorporated into a new 3-storey mission convent designed by the architects, Bates Peebles and Smart.Substantially intact, the building remains as a symbol of the reformist movement in the society of t he infamous "Little Lon" quarter._______________________________________MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVEShttps://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/470615Accession[1968.0013] Consolidated records of Bates, Smart and McCutcheon Pty LtdIdentifierUMA-IT-000007979Scope and ContentChurch of England Diocesan Mission, Spring Street. 1912-1913… Plan, elevation section; Drawing No. S19 F3_______________________________________AUTRALIAN HERITAGE DATABASERegister of the National Estate (Non-statutory archive) 1999Statement of SignificanceThe Church of England Mission, constructed in 1894 and extended in 1913, is significant as an illustration of the slum conditions in this region of Melbourne in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the religious bodies which cared for the poor. (Criterion A.4). (Historic Theme 4.4 Living with slums, outcasts and homelessness.)It is a rare but late example of an Arts and Crafts inspired building in the Central Activities District of Melbourne exhibiting free modern Gothic styling which is of considerable interest for being clearly distinctive from nineteenth century mission architecture (Criterion B.2)....DescriptionThis building dates from 1894 but its current face dates from 1913 when the hall was incorporated into a new three storey Mission Convent. A chapel, offices, bedrooms, kitchen, dining and sitting rooms and a cellar were added to the front of the old dance hall and across an adjoining vacant lot in the 1913 reconstruction. A domed apse was also added to the rear of the hall, as a sanctuary. It is claimed that the Greek and Syrian Orthodox Churches conducted early services in the hall. The building belongs to the Federation Gothic style, embracing numerous stylistic elements of the Free Gothic style. It is a remarkably plain building, three bays wide, entirely constructed of red bricks. The ground floor incorporates two simple entrances with arched heads and shallow label moulds. Beside the door groups of lancet head windows produce a uniform ground floor image, which does not align with the bays above. Pilasters corbel from the first floor level to form a square topped bay with a large lancet arch recess on each side of the central gabled bay. The centre element of the Spring Street elevation contains two windows finished with a pediment at roof level surmounted by a Cross. The two doors of unequal size are finished with a neo-Gothic moulding.HistoryThis site was part of a Crown Grant to Henry Boorn Foot on 29th April, 1847. William Mather purchased the site on 20th August, 1847 and the first building was a brick house, three rooms and kitchen in the Melbourne City Council Rate Book of 1851 and was occupied by James Doyle, a commercial clerk. Part of the site was used as a wood yard and bottle washing establishment in the 1860s. In 1875, William Best purchased the property and applied for a permit, No 6834, on 19 July 1876 to build a room. The builders were Rawlins and Sayers. This room, in fact, was a brick hall used as a Dancing Academy. The premises apparently had an unsavoury reputation and are believed to have been eventually closed by the Police in the 1880s. The hall was a cigar factory for a short time before the Church of England Sisters of the Community of the Holy Name rented the premises for Church services and as a meeting place for local community activities. The north end of Exhibition Street was a slum during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and various charitable agencies had premises at this end of town, including the Salvation Army (at the former Synagogue in Exhibition Street), the Church of England (at these premises and in Little Bourke Street nearby at their Chinese Mission) and the Methodist Church. The Church of England purchased the property on 9th October 1904 and on 6th January 1913 applied for a permit to build additions at 261 Spring Street. The builder was G W Farnsworth and the architects were Bates, Peebles and Smart. The building remained in use with the Sisters until 1957. The simple function-related use of brickwork and the plain lancet windows are reminiscent of Webb's Red House for William Morris at Bexley Heath - a building which inspired the Arts and Craft movement in England. The ideals of that movement were honesty of materials, heroism of labour and tolerance of the individual - all in opposition to the disastrous social effects of the Industrial Revolution. These ideals were equally suitable in this location for this building constructed several decades later.Condition and IntegrityThe building is in fair condition. Awnings have been added, the gabled Cross removed, much of the external fabric of the polychrome brick dance hall has been covered over or demolished. (1988)Integrity of the building is good, though the condition is fair. The fabric awnings have been ripped. Some of the glazing has been replaced with fitted pieces of plywood. The building looks generally dirty and neglected. It is unclear whether the building is currently in use. (1996)Location261 Spring Street, Melbourne..BibliographyGould, M., 1992. C.A.D. 20th Century Buildings Typological Study 1900-1939.Commonwealth Department of Housing and Construction, 1979. Historical and Architectural Development of Commonwealth Centre Site. C.B.D. Area 4._______________________________________Architecture & Design web sitehttps://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/projects/office-retail/271-spring-street-office-building271 Spring Street Office Building____________________________Arch Daily websee https://www.archdaily.com/938929/271-spring-street-office-building-john-wardle-architectsArchitects: John Wardle ArchitectsArea: 20523 m²Year: 2019___________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1905https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65653291MISSION WORK IN STREETS AND LANES.There was a large gathering of ladies at "Cliveden" in connection with the proposal to purchase the Mission Hall in Spring-street, whose the deaconesses carry on the Church of England mission - to the streetsand. lanes, a mission which is a record of self-denying labour for comfort and assistance to that section of the community,...Although not a very imposing structure, it is so conveniently situated for the purposes required, that it is more desirable than many more pretentious buildings on other sites would be. The price required is £300, and from donations given at "Cliveden, and promises made, as well as other helpanticipated, it is expected that the hall will become the property of the Church of England at no very distant date....1911 CHURCH OF ENGLAND) MISSIONhttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11603040`…One of the properties was In Spring street, the gift of ... Miss Aubrey Rowen
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 110726 | 1 PDF : 691 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |