Posts Tagged ‘city of melbourne’

Colbran Lodge – 45 Moubray Street Melbourne near Punt Road a classical 1920s former Freemasons home and its gracious gardens has been demolished

The following application was lodged with City of Melbourne on 4th March 2010.

Alterations and additions to an existing nursing home, including demolition, buildings and works and reduction of car parking requirements

The very next day this beautiful building was gone forever.  Bulldozers unceremoniously carted away the rubble.

No heritage overlay applied to the building but the original renders depicted the classical portico and facade of the 1920s building being saved behind a six storey tower. However this proved to be false with complete demolition taking place. Apparently no consultation was required.

Perhaps a pastiche reconstruction is planned, but in any case this heritage building and its elegant ionic columns pilasters and pediment has unfortunately been lost.

The future of the Edwardian terrace houses on the site is looking equally grim.

Images courtesy of Walking Melbourne forums.

Developers the Far East Consortium have come forward with its proposal, mooted earlier on MHW to demolish the Victorian era Electric Lighting station (which is important to the city’s heritage and listed on the Melbourne Heritage Scheme) as well as possibly apply for Heritage Victoria’s permission to remove the state heritage listed water tank from its current location.

The development proposal involves 2,500 budget style apartments in four 1960s looking towers.

The Victorian and Edwardians buildings of the Electic Lighting Station were possibly the oldest buildings remaining on Spencer Street within the Hoddle grid.  Although they have never been given a proper heritage study and will obviously miss the City of Melbourne’s proposed 27 year late heritage review.

If approved (which council indicated in 2006 is more than likely), this would leave  Spencer Street with just one remaining Victorian era building within the Hoddle grid- the C grade former Great Southern Private Hotel (1890).  Put in context – that building has an equal heritage grading and therefore could easily itself be replaced in future which would make Spencer (apart from the Grand Hotel former railways offices) a completely 20th and 21st century street.  Whether this is an aesthetic or cultural improvement remains for future generations to decide.

A small irony is that the photo of the buildings to be demolished on the Melbourne City Council’s heritage database has a 1982 photo of the building with a sign on the front saying simply “Future Development Site”.  Heritage indeed.

While recent state government planning powers are denying local councils control over heritage it is good to see some councils take the opportunity to commission updated heritage studies in a bid to protect their places of cultural significance.

Several of Melbourne’s local government areas have recently announced or completed heritage studies, so I though it was worth doing a quick report card for the decade of the 2000s.

These heritage studies are imperative in ensuring that the heritage overlays of local councils are up-to-date.  They offer the only real protection to buildings aside from the legal protection offered by the Victorian Heritage Register.  As factors regarding heritage do change, Melbourne rapidly grows and resources are invariably limited, local government heritage studies should be conducted at least once a decade in my opinion.

City of Melbourne

Along overdue and much needed major study has been announced.  The last major study was done in the early 1980s.  In recent years the National Trust has openly pleaded with the council to update its records.  Nonetheless, the lack of a study has seen the loss of several buildings of local significance in recent years, vindicating the Trust’s push and highlighting the urgent need for councils to update them.  Not suprisingly backlash from laneway developments including the demolition of the Eastern Arcade and Lonsdale House has led to a key the focus being on preserving Melbourne’s laneways.  However commencement has not been announced and implementation of any findings may be years away.

Moreland City Council

On Melbourne’s northern fringe, Moreland is currently inviting the public to nominate buildings as part of its “North of Bell Street” study which closes 31 October 2009.

Banyule City Council

In March, Banyule a municipality in Melbourne’s northern suburbs around Heidelberg announced a major review of its 1998 heritage study.  The council has set up a page on its website for the Banyule Heritage Review Project.

City of Stonnington

Stonnington in Melbourne’s inner south east Recently released its Heritage Precinct  Gap Study which began in 2006.

Hobsons Bay City Council

Hobson’s Bay’s 2006 study was completed recently in the Melbourne’s inner west and its resulting inventory of heritage places has recently become searchable via the Victorian Heritage Register online.

Bayside City Council

A recently concluded Inter-War and Post-War Heritage Study study begun in 2008 by Bayside Council in Melbourne’s bayside southern suburbs which nominated many postwar homes however its initiative received backlash from residents.

Brimbank City Council

Brimbank council in Melbourne’s north west implemented a “Post-contact Cultural Heritage Study and Amendment” which was approved in 2007.

Shire of Cardinia

The Shire of Cardinia on Melbourne’s outskirts also conducted a major review in 2007.

City of Darebin

Darebin around Northcote and Preston conducted a review in 2007 focusing mainly on indigenous heritage, archeology and gaps in previous heritage studies.

City of Moonee Valley

Mooney Valley around Moonee Ponds released a review in 2007.

City of Kingston

Kingston completed its latest major heritage review in 2006.

City of Manningham

The City of Manningham around Doncaster area also conducted a major review in 2006.

Shire of Nillumbik

The Shire of Nillumbik representing the fringe area and townships around Greensborough released a heritage report as recently as 2006.

City of Port Phillip

The City of Port Phillip completed its East St Kilda (2004) and Elwood (2005) heritage studies some time ago.

City of Yarra

City of Yarra completed a significant heritage study in 2004.

City of Hume

The City of Hume commissioned a heritage study in 2003 which was released in 2004.

City of Whitehorse

The council representing the area around Box Hill completed their latest heritage study in 2003.

City of Maroondah

Maroondah in the Ringwood area produced a heritage study in 2003.

Councils with notably out of date Heritage Controls

The City of Melbourne (1982) is by far the grandaddy of them all in terms of unacceptably old heritage controls with the longest drought in heritage studies, however other councils that are notably behind include: Knox (1993); Frankston (1995-1997);  Wyndham (1997); Casey (1998);  Glen Eira (1999);  Greater Dandenong (1999-2000); Yarra Ranges (2000) and City of Monash (2000).

Apart from Glen Eira and Monash these councils are mostly on the metropolitan fringe.  Areas such as the urban fringe where there is little perceived heritage are possibly the most vulnerable – particularly those like Dandenong and Frankston which are designated as Major Activity Centres under the Melbourne 2030 and more recently Melbourne @ 5 million planning policies.

One of Melbourne’s finest eclectic interwar buildings the richly detailed Equity Chambers at 472 Bourke Street is currently under threat.

The City of Melbourne has previously considered a sensitive 10 storey extension to the rear, however a revised application involves aggressive demolition to most of the distinctive and unusually designed building with an 18 storey tower rising behind – virtually facading the heritage building.

While the towers are stepped down to Bourke Street with the lower balconied section a 5 storey addition,  it will angle out over the top of the heritage facade just metres from the street.

Equity Chambers was built in 1930 – 31 and the architects were Oakley & Parkes who were most known for their stark early modern buildings.  In contrast Equity Chambers is a richly decorated,  distinctively and unusually designed six storey building which is part Romanesque Revival, part neo-gothic and part Art Deco in many ways similar to many North American office buildings of the era.   The words “Equity Trustees Company” emblazoned on the lower frieze in a gilded deco style, however Equity Trustees have since moved to more modern 1980s buildings (Equity Trustees House) further down Bourke Street.  The building itself currently functions as Monash University’s Law Chambers.

The ground floor loggia and Roman vaulted lobby interiors, along with the Regent Theatre on Collins Street are some of the finest of its kind in Melbourne.  Inside there is also a large original auditorium space.

The building was graded B, in Melbourne City Council’s 1984 heritage study and is situated within a heritage overlay on the Melbourne Planning Scheme, however to my knowledge it has never been nominated to the Victorian Heritage Register and definitely is not state listed.

Given the upgraded size of the project, the planning minister may have the final say on whether the building will be saved.  Should the council choose to defend the building it may go to VCAT, if not, then it may go straight to the minister.  In the last year he has already approved the demolition of two buildings of similar vintage and status in heritage overlays – the Princess Mary Club and Lonsdale House.

Perhaps we should be thankful that in this case the developer has not proposed to remove the whole building.

However it may be worth writing to the City of Melbourne if you wish to express concerns about this proposal.

It is no wonder the City of Melbourne is approving the demolition of buildings on its own heritage lists.

It stands to make financial gains from selling Melbourne’s lanes.

Melbourne’s laneways are famous around Australia, if not worldwide, according to visiting Adelaide Lord Mayor Michael Harbison  who was recently given a tour by Melbourne’s lord mayor Robert Doyle.

But Victorians it seems, just don’t seem to get what all the fuss is about.

The lanes it is selling – home to the laneway festival and Melbourne’s laneway culture …. to widen it 4 metres for trucks.

At least the state government’s excuse is the global financial crisis, the City of Melbourne is rolling in the green stuff, testament to this is the massive amounts of money it is currently spending on its own brand.