100 Years Ago... Melbourne Footage from 1910
Have you ever wondered what Melbourne looked like 100 years ago? The following clip comes from a silent documentary first screened on November 22, 1910. Quaintly titled Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South, the film is the oldest complete documentary about Melbourne still in existence and comprises footage from a series of earlier films of Melbourne produced by Cozens Spencer and shot by Ernest Higgins. Opening with a cable tram ride over Princes Bridge towards the city, it takes us along Swanston Street, showing Flinders Street Station on the left and St Paul's Cathedral on the right. Melbourne's cable trams began running in 1885 and, by the time of filming, the network was already the fourth largest system in the world.
The producer of the film, Cozens Spencer, is one of the most significant characters in Melbourne's film history. He was passionate about bringing footage of Australian life to Australian cinemas, saying "a film showman in almost every country in the world must have at least a fair proportion of films made in the country in which he is in business. Patrons insist on it. They want to see in the pictures something of their own people and their own country. So showmen have to frame their programmes accordingly. Why should not Australian showmen have Australian films?" Like Cozens Spencer, I also think it is important to see something of ourselves in film, perhaps especially so when it comes to our history. We are inundated with historic images of Europe and America, but are too often unaware of the fascinating footage that exists of our very own Melbourne!
For more footage of Melbourne's past, see Melbourne Today (1931) (with sound).
References
Buckley, Anthony, 'The Man who Met Raymond Longford', Inaugural Longford Lycell Lecture, presented May 12, 2001
De Souza, Poppy, 'Marvellous Melbourne: Queen City of the South' (curator's notes), australianscreen (accessed at: http://aso.gov.au/ )
Melbourne Curious article published in the ACCI magazine 2010
I was recently asked to write an article by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) for the Spring 2010 edition of their magazine. In the article, I argue for a prime ministerial residence in Melbourne, like that of Kirribilli House in Sydney and the Lodge in Canberra. I suggest a number of beautiful heritage buildings in Melbourne that would be perfect for the role. The article can be accessed here (pp 22-23). If you would like to request an article, please email me at gillian.melbournecurious@gmail.com.
Rediscovering Little Lon
Previously, I introduced Little Lon, a notorious slum and red-light district, which existed in Melbourne from around 1840 to 1948. Despite its reputation as a “den of iniquity,” the area was also home to a vibrant community and network of buzzing laneways. Today Little Lon no longer exists; its laneways and cottages have been subsumed by modern redevelopments and its community has long moved on. Despite this, there are a number of ways we can rediscover Little Lon so that our connection with this unique part of Melbourne's history is not lost forever.
17 Casselden Place
Stumbling upon 17 Casselden Place is like being jolted back in time. One moment you are in 2010, surrounded by modern office buildings and city workers carrying iPads and take-away coffees. The next moment, you are faced with an unexpected glimpse into Melbourne's past - a tiny, redbrick cottage dating back to 1877. The cottage, known as 17 Casselden Place, is the last of a terrace of six identical homes built by John Casselden, a shoemaker and small-time developer. Whereas the other cottages have been demolished, 17 Casselden Place provides a rare and treasured glimpse into what life would have been like in the days of Little Lon.
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| Stepping back in time: Casselden Place, 2010 (my own pic) |
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| 17 Casselden Place, 2010 (my own pic) |
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| Row of cottages at Casselden Place (all but one are now demolished), 1950 (pic: SLV) |
Covering only 53 square metres, the cottage comprises two tiny rooms and an outside toilet, revealing just how cramped life must have been, especially with the large families that were typical of the era! It is not possible to view the inside of the cottage today as it now an architect's office. However, for a virtual tour of the interior (prior to its conversion into an office), click here.
The Urban Workshop
Books
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| The Urban Workshop, 2010 (my own pic) |
Located at 50 Lonsdale Street, the Urban Workshop is a 34-storey office tower built on the site of Little Lon in 2005. The ground floor of the Urban Workshop aims to remember, reinterpret and give new life to Little Lon: the laneways lost to title consolidation in the mid-20th century have been returned to the city as pedestrian thoroughfares passing through the foyer; and the project connects Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Streets with the reinstatement of Little Leichardt Street. While it would be ideal to have the original laneways and buildings of Little Lon still in existence, the Urban Workshop offers an innovative and stylish tribute to Melbourne's past. (It may be worthwhile noting that the construction of the tower took place 50 years after Little Lon had already vanished, and was not the instigator of its demolition!)
There have been two major-scale archaeological excavations of the Little Lon site prior to redevelopments. While most of the artefacts are held by Museum Victoria, the foyer of the Urban Workshop displays a fascinating selection of items from the 2002 dig. This is one of the most simply and beautifully executed exhibitions that I have seen anywhere in the world!
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| Artefacts exhibition in foyer of the Urban Workshop, 2010 (my own pics here and below) |
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The former Black Eagle Hotel is another important feature showcased beautifully by the Urban Workshop. Built back in 1850, it is one of Melbourne's oldest surviving buildings. Today it is used as a giftware shop, but since its construction it has also been a boarding house, Chinese furniture factory and a printing business. I love how the Urban Workshop seamlessly incorporates the building into its foyer. The use of glass mitigates the extent to which the modern tower may detract from the old-world beauty of the Black Eagle building.
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| Former Black Eagle Hotel at the Lonsdale Street entrance of the Urban Workshop, 2010 (my own pic) |
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| Back of the former Black Eagle Hotel, incorporated into the foyer, 2010 (my own pic) |
Finally, Madame Brussels is remembered with the inclusion of a laneway named in her honour. It seems entirely appropriate that a tribute to Little Lon should include Madame Brussels as she owned eight of the precinct's brothels and she is undoubtedly one of the most notorious inhabitants of the area! Unfortunately, the spelling is wrong: it should be Madame Brussels, not Brussells, as appears on the signposts and Urban Workshop website. I wonder why this was never checked!
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| Madame "Brussells" Lane |
Books
A number of interesting books also illustrate what life would have been like in Little Lon. John Leckey's Low Degraded Broots? Industry and Entrepreneurialism in Melbourne's Little Lon, 1860-1940 (2004) and Annie Hider's Growing Up in Little Lon both provide an interesting historical account of life in Little Lon. Furthermore, Chrissie Michaels' new novel, In Lonnie's Shadow (2010), is set in Casselden and Cumberland Place in 1891. For more information about the novel and its author, click here.
So, despite Little Lon having vanished a long time ago, there are still a number of ways to get a sense of this unique and fascinating part of Melbourne's history. The next time you are around the top of Lonsdale Street, I would really recommend having a quick look at 17 Casselden Place and the foyer of the Urban Workshop. If you have already visited the precinct, I would love to hear your thoughts! If you have a suggestion for a future post, please feel free to comment or email me.
References
Bate, Weston, Essential But Unplanned: The Story of Melbourne's Lanes (1994)
Hider, Annie, Growing up in the City (interview with Marie Hayes):
Leckey, John, Low, Degraded Broots? Industry and Entrepreneurialism in Melbourne's Little Lon, 1860-1940 (2004)
www.emelbourne.com.au
www.museumvictoria.com.au
http://www.50lonsdalestreet.com.au/Core/Splash/50Lonsdale.aspx
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/heritage/projects-and-programs/heritage_stories/Archaeology/casselden-place/about-the-dig
https://www.gbca.org.au/greenstar-projects/project-profile.asp?projectID=547
http://museumvictoria.com.au/littlelons/grow.html
http://sites.google.com/site/chrissiemichaelsorg/
Melbourne 'Then and Now' Video
Excellent video clip that morphs images of Melbourne's past with its present. I particularly love the shots of Elizabeth Street (1:13), Southern Cross Station (1:40) and the dramatic Back to the Future soundtrack! Thanks to Mary for sending me the link.
Museum Surprises (or how to get your child to turn off his Nintendo)
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| 7 Year Old Inspired by Durer |
Thanksgiving weekend is often one big overload; too much driving, too much food. This year I decided to break up our annual upstate NY Food n’ Family fest with a day trip. As a child my parents often took me to Williamstown Massachusetts and I wanted to take my kids to see it. The drive, I remembered, was always beautiful, hilly, full of steep inclines. There were terrifying moments with Dad, in the driver’s seat, making hairpin turns at 75mph while pointing out the window to show me the sights.
We'd usually go to the Sterling Clark Institute. I told my sons about this huge museum packed with French Impressionists. Mostly Renoirs. I didn’t like Renoir as a child and I’m still not a huge fan. But I was always enthralled by the huge painting of Nymphs and Satyr by Bougereau and a naive wood carving by Gauguin that hung over a doorway.
Neither of these pieces was there anymore. Even the Renoirs were on tour. And the museum itself, while impressive for a small collection, was pretty…well…small. But what they do they do well. And they currently are running a fantastic Albrecht Durer exhibit. http://www.clarkart.edu/exhibitions/durer/content/exhibition.cfm His skill was amazing, his imagination mindboggling, his fantastical woodcuts and engravings were ground breaking at the time. But for a seven year old I wondered how a day in the museum would compare with a day full of TV and Wii games.
I’ll tell you how it compared. My boy fell in love with the artwork. There was a Durer Drawing Day underway when we arrived. He and I were handed pads of papers, portable drawing boards, some supplies, and the opportunity to sit for a lesson with a “real artists.” We concluded that WE were “real artists” and skipped the lessons. We headed in to see the drawings. My son came face to face with some amazing pieces, some fantastic symbolism. Three-headed spewing dragons. Angels battling demons. Odd looking roaming animals. What more could a kid want?
He didn’t want to copy Durer's artwork. He wanted to be inspired. People sat all over the floor, drawing in corners, on benches, against the walls. I saw many children that were clearly gifted and spent hours on one piece. My boy’s drawings were quick and constant. He plowed through the drawing pad. He refused to leave. I dragged him to see other artwork but he was too moved by the Durers. He came back and drew his own demons. Angels. Gravestones. Skeletons floating into the sky. We went back to my mother’s house later and he dragged out the paints. He painted more.
I bought him a book of Durer’s woodcuts. “My first art book” he said proudly. It was a good Thanksgiving weekend. My boy is inspired and I’m truly thankful.
Melbourne Heritage in the News
Heritage Lost in a Forest of Towers
Rohan Storey (National Trust)
The Age - Opinion - 19 November 2010
(Pictures and captions added by me)
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| Plans for the Celtic Club (1890) to be mostly demolished and a 40-storey tower added |
Watered-down controls mean the city's past is overshadowed or gone. As a young heritage activist in 1990, I was shocked by the demolition of old city buildings, which I had taken for granted as protected, such as the art deco Australia Hotel.
Through that interest I ended up with a job at the National Trust, and I'm still there. Soon I came to understand and appreciate the rich heritage of the CBD, and the planning controls then in force.
The ''vision'' was pretty straightforward, and tailored to Melbourne's unique built-form character. Most importantly, areas such as Chinatown, Flinders Lane, Hardware Street and Bourke Hill were protected as heritage areas or by height limits, such as the 40-metre height limit over the central shopping area along Swanston Street, packed with heritage buildings.
Heritage value would be considered for all ''graded'' buildings, and they would be generally retained, not reduced to a facade. (The loss of the Australia Hotel turned out to be a glaring exception.)
Large developments were to have low podiums at street level, with any tower above well setback, so as not to dominate the street or adjacent heritage buildings. The basic control for these was a bonus system, in which the maximum floor area depended on the size of the site (the ''plot ratio'') and could be increased through providing benefits as such as heritage restoration, a new arcade, or bluestone footpaths. The bonus system is commonly used in modern Western cities, including London, San Francisco and even New York, the home of the skyscraper. This was all established by the Cain government in the early 1980s, and was supported through to the early '90s by the Melbourne City Council. But it was greatly undermined in 1997 as part of the Kennett-era reorganisation of local government and planning.
The new rules for the CBD kept most of the words of the ''vision'', but made nearly everything ''discretionary''; plot ratio became just one of many preferred ''outcomes'', with no bonus system. The podium-setback rules, retention of light to the streets and even height limits became just items on a list of ''preferred built-form outcomes''. Heritage value would not be considered unless the place had a ''heritage overlay'', and outside the precincts this was based on a list created in 1982.
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| Terraces from 1870s can be demolished at any time, despite their historical significance. |
The only mandatory control remaining in the CBD is the 40-metre height limit protecting the central retail area - the lanes and arcades are now stuffed with the ever more popular bars and cafes occupying the numerous heritage buildings.
The rest of the city has not been so lucky; after years of creeping concessions, the old vision is all but dead. Senior planners now openly admit they no longer consider plot ratio and apartment towers are blossoming like toadstools after rain. What's more, they are clustering together with barely room to swing the proverbial cat, rising straight from the ground and replacing heritage buildings that should have been listed years ago.
The northern fringe of the city and the ''little'' streets are fertile ground; there are seven towers of more than 40 storeys under way or permitted between Elizabeth and Swanston streets, north of La Trobe. Franklin Street is now decidedly gloomy in the winter months. The Melbourne City Council has been wringing its hands recently that Southbank is getting to be too much like Hong Kong - but at the other end of the city Hong Kong has already arrived.
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| The Stork Hotel (1855) was recently demolished to soon accommodate this 67-storey tower. |
With planning rules ignored, a small site such as the charming little Stork Hotel (just demolished) can now accommodate a 67-storey tower, no setbacks, no serious questions asked. Even a pair of 1870 terraces in Little Lonsdale Street near Exhibition Street can be replaced by a 35-storey tower. Never mind that there are two other towers, and more proposed, only a few buildings away. The latest shocker is the (unlisted) Celtic Club, 40 storeys straight up, with the Victorian facade kept like wrapping paper around the base - facadism at its worst.
Even the ''Paris end'' of Collins Street is suffering, with a tower proposed in front of Nauru House with little setback, and far exceeding the ''preferred'' plot ratio - more blocked light, and total domination of the heritage context, the opposite of the vision applied to 101 Collins 20 years ago.
I'm not against tall buildings, or even having lots of them, but they shouldn't steal light and air from pedestrians (or other tower-dwellers), dominate heritage streetscapes or replace buildings that should have been heritage listed long ago.
It's time the council and the Minister for Planning - who has final say over almost all the towers - looked again at their planning scheme, and not only promoted the preservation of heritage buildings and areas, but the liveability and unique built character of Melbourne. It's our city, too, and when our heritage buildings are gone we can't get them back.
Rohan Storey is architectural historian with the National Trust of Australia.
Little Lon: Melbourne's Vanished Community and Laneways
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| Lonsdale Street, 2010 (my own photo) |
Walking past these days, you would be forgiven for thinking that the city block bordered by Lonsdale, Little Lonsdale, Exhibition and Spring Streets is just like any other. Glass skyscrapers and concrete office blocks overlook a handful of nondescript shops and cafes catering to city workers. It all seems pretty ordinary. So ordinary, in fact, that you might never know that this was once Little Lon: a so-called "den of iniquity," a slum filled with brothels, opium dens and, yet, as recent evidence has shown, a vibrant community and network of laneways.
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| Lonsdale Street, 2010 (my own photo) |
Little Lon first emerged as a working-class, residential precinct in the 1840s and 50s. Initially, it attracted impoverished immigrants, mainly from Ireland, who were unable to afford housing in the more reputable parts of the city. By 1900, it was one of the most culturally diverse areas in Melbourne, with Chinese, Italian, Syrian and Jewish residents all living cheek-by-jowl in rows of small cottages. Little Lon was filled with cottage industries started up by its residents, such as cabinet making, clothing manufacturing and printing. Despite its sordid reputation for crime and debauchery, it seems that Little Lon was also home to a dynamic and resourceful community of diverse people.
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| Cumberland Place in Little Lon, 1901 (Museum Victoria) |
This is not to say that a seedier side did not exist. Little Lon was a notorious red-light district, with eight of its brothels in the nineteenth century owned by the delightfully spirited Madame Brussels! Poet C.J Dennis wrote about the slums and opium dens of Little Lon in The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915) and the Truth newspaper called it "the street of evil." In 1948, the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquired most of Little Lon, after facing pressure to clean up the area and abolish the slums. The next few decades saw the levelling and redevelopment of the site, including construction of the Commonwealth Centre ('Green Latrine' - now also demolished), Telstra's national headquarters, government office blocks and upmarket residential enclaves.
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| Melbourne Opium Den, 1896 (State Library of Victoria) |
At the time, better housing for the poor was urgently needed. However, it is now interesting to consider how the demolition of Little Lon led to a major part of Melbourne's history and character vanishing forever. The large office blocks subsumed laneways that were once inextricably connected to the lives and work of the inhabitants of Little Lon. The following two images show a 'before and after' aerial view of the block, firstly in 1925 and then in 2010.
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| Section of the Mahlstedt map of Melbourne, 1925, showing George Lane, Leichardt Street, Little Leichardt Street, Gorman Alley, Casselden Place, Griffin Lane and Surry Place. (State Library of Victoria) |
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| Google aerial view of the same area, 2010, showing the Telstra National Headquarters, Department of Human Services and other office blocks. |
As Melburnians, we delight in the fact that our city is made up of unique laneways - in which some of our best restaurants, bars and boutiques are hidden (click here to watch Streetfilm's video about this topic.) And yet, for those of us too young to remember, we seldom consider the vast network of lanes that have been subsumed by large, modern redevelopments of entire city blocks, including Little Lon, the Rialto Tower, Melbourne Central shopping centre, and the list goes on. Losing these lanes inevitably involves losing a sense of Melbourne's past. When the laneways vanish, our connection with (and understanding of) past communities is at risk of vanishing too.
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| Birthday party in Casselden Place, Little Lon, 1914 (Museum Victoria) |
In my next post, I will look at some of the interesting ways that we can try to gain an insight into the vanished community and laneways of Little Lon. I will visit the Urban Workshop at 50 Lonsdale Street, the one remaining home in Casselden Place and view the fascinating objects discovered during archaeological digs of the site. If you have an idea or any information about Little Lon, please email me!
References:
Bate, Weston, Essential But Unplanned: The Story of Melbourne's Lanes (1994)
Hider, Annie, Growing up in the City (interview with Marie Hayes): http://museumvictoria.com.au/littlelons/grow.html
Leckey, John, Low, Degraded Broots? Industry and Entrepreneurialism in Melbourne's Little Lon, 1860-1940 (2004)
www.emelbourne.com.au
www.museumvictoria.com.au
Commemorative Medallion: Flinders Street Station
In response to my special on Flinders Street Station, Roger from Downies Australian Coin Auctions took the opportunity to show me a medallion from his own collection. Struck in bronze and 51mm in diameter, this impressive medallion is one of only fifty made by Stokes & Sons in 1914. It commemorates the opening of the first steam railway in Australia in 1854, now Flinders Street Station.
The following photograph shows the Stokes & Sons factory in 1909 - only five years prior to the making of the above medallion. The workmen in the photo can be seen fitting a die (engraved device for stamping a design on coins or metals) to press a new order.
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| Stokes & Sons, 1909 (State Library of Victoria) |
I also discovered an artist's sketch of Flinders Street Station from 1854 - upon which it seems the medallion's image is based. As mentioned in my previous article, the original station comprised a couple of simple buildings, with only one railway line which travelled to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). The image on the medallion gives a wonderful sense of how the station would have looked originally; it really is unrecognisable compared to the Flinders Street Station we know today!
(Pic Credit: The Age Online)
Thanks to Roger and John for sharing this!
The Children’s Book Bandwagon
Detail of illustration of book I've written
Pretty much everyone is writing children’s picture books nowadays.
There are, of course, the celebrities: Madonna, John Lithgow, Julie Andrews, Kathie Lee Gifford, Tori Spelling…. Perhaps it’s their second career. I can’t fault them for that. I’m working on MY second career.
But my sneaky suspicion is that “how hard can it be?” popped up in their minds. Followed by “I bet this would make a great idea for a children’s book!” I'd like to think that my favorite children’s book authors never ever have that thought. They have a story to tell and the stories just happen to be for children. They don’t moralize. They don’t talk down to kids. And I’d bet that they don’t ever think “what child wouldn’t love to hear my story about a (insert favorite barnyard animal here)?”
This trend is not limited to celebs. I can say with great certainty that, myself included, almost everyone has thought of a “great idea for a children’s book.” How do I know? Because I’m an Illustrator. And practically not a week goes by that some friend or relative or friend-of-a -friend or friend-of-a-relative doesn’t ask me to illustrate their book. Maybe they’ve just been introduced to me. Maybe they’ve never seen my work. For all they know I could produce evil evil artwork that would make Hieronymous Bosch blush.* Doesn’t matter. They have a great book about a little (turtle, girl, rabbit, gender-confused child) that they know I can help them with.
I’ve only said Yes once. To a wonderful cousin who can write well and has good things to share with children. I really wanted to work with her and it’s been a great experience. In my experience most publishing companies prefer to find their own illustrators for books by first time writers. So truthfully the writers shouldn’t bother hiring me anyway. They should feel free, however, to recommend me to their publishers!
Right now I’m fine-tuning a few picture books that I’ve written. They have been pretty tough to fine-tune. Writing for children can be harder than it looks. I guess we can’t all be Tori Spelling, Bette Midler, The Prince of Wales, John Travolta, and Jimmy Buffet.
*I’m hoping to sprinkle my blog posts with references to artists. I know you all have all “Googled” your second grade nemesis, that good looking physical therapist you once met, that date that stood you up. So I know you can “Google” a few artists. If you don’t know Hieronymous then please look him up.
Metamorphosis
This is supposed to be My Year. The Year I've Been Waiting For.
My children can officially dress themselves in weather-appropriate ensembles. They are now old enough that they cringe at the sight of me in a Halloween costume. Particularly when I wave at them maniacally from the curb. They can find their own snacks without setting the kitchen ablaze. These were my first clues that it had finally arrived. The Year of Paula.
Like Kafka's Gregor I plan to metamorphosize. Hopefully my resulting transformation will be more of a positive experience for me than it was for poor Gregor. For starters, I hope not to repel people. In fact, I hope the opposite to be true. Hopefully this year and this blog will be the start of a journey that will take me to new wonderful places and help me meet fantastic people. I hope to make it a positive experience for those around me and I want to pass my excitement on to the children I teach and those that I raise. And I hope to avoid setting off the smoke detector in my kitchen as much as possible.
I usually measure my year in school years. September to September. I don't think I'll ever stop measuring my years this way and since I intend to teach art in elementary schools, I suppose it's fitting. So from September 2010 to September 2011 I will attempt to do the following:
My children can officially dress themselves in weather-appropriate ensembles. They are now old enough that they cringe at the sight of me in a Halloween costume. Particularly when I wave at them maniacally from the curb. They can find their own snacks without setting the kitchen ablaze. These were my first clues that it had finally arrived. The Year of Paula.
Like Kafka's Gregor I plan to metamorphosize. Hopefully my resulting transformation will be more of a positive experience for me than it was for poor Gregor. For starters, I hope not to repel people. In fact, I hope the opposite to be true. Hopefully this year and this blog will be the start of a journey that will take me to new wonderful places and help me meet fantastic people. I hope to make it a positive experience for those around me and I want to pass my excitement on to the children I teach and those that I raise. And I hope to avoid setting off the smoke detector in my kitchen as much as possible.
I usually measure my year in school years. September to September. I don't think I'll ever stop measuring my years this way and since I intend to teach art in elementary schools, I suppose it's fitting. So from September 2010 to September 2011 I will attempt to do the following:
- Update my illustration website. (Thank you to web designer Linda Bradler, designer to the stars. And me.)
- Start substitute teaching.
- Get certified to teach art.
- Finish illustrating the children's books I've written.
- Continue to keep my family fed in the half-hearted manner to which they've become accustomed.
- Not get so distracted with all the above that, instead of art, I create roadkill.
- Keep you updated on all of the above. Particularly the roadkill.
Could this man be the saviour of Melbourne's heritage?
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu has vowed to protect Melbourne’s heritage from Labor’s “wrecking ball approach to planning,” if the Coalition wins next month’s state election. “The Coalition’s plans for heritage and open space will preserve Melbourne’s liveability and put in place safeguards that provide certainty and reassurance to communities, councils and developers,” he said this week.
The Coalition’s plan to protect heritage includes limiting high-density residential developments to designated “activity” areas and preventing such developments from being built along major tram, train and bus routes. It also requires councils to prepare Municipal Heritage Strategies and encourages greater transparency in public land sales.
In principle, this represents a step in the right direction for Melbourne's planning processes. But we require more detail from Mr Baillieu if we are to gain a clear sense of how these principles would pan out when faced with practical considerations (including accommodation of population growth and containing urban sprawl). Further elaboration on the Municipal Heritage Strategies is also desirable, as the only description afforded so far is that they will comprise lists of heritage buildings. A list per se is not a 'strategy' so I am very eager to hear what is actually envisaged by the Coalition.
Earlier this month Mr Baillieu condemned the 91-metre tower Windsor development (approved by Planning Minister Justin Madden) and expressed concern over the decaying state of Melbourne’s once glorious Flinders Street Station. "Disgracefully, this once beautiful station has been allowed to become derelict, dirty and unsafe. Our heritage is in danger of being neglected and lost,” he stated. In the video clip below, Mr Baillieu proposes a $1 million architectural competition for the redevelopment and preservation of the station, if he wins the election. What do you think of this idea?
Earlier this month Mr Baillieu condemned the 91-metre tower Windsor development (approved by Planning Minister Justin Madden) and expressed concern over the decaying state of Melbourne’s once glorious Flinders Street Station. "Disgracefully, this once beautiful station has been allowed to become derelict, dirty and unsafe. Our heritage is in danger of being neglected and lost,” he stated. In the video clip below, Mr Baillieu proposes a $1 million architectural competition for the redevelopment and preservation of the station, if he wins the election. What do you think of this idea?
So far Mr Baillieu has offered promising principles. But to be convinced, I would like to hear more concrete plans, limiting the scope of wiggle room. For example, it would be helpful to hear Mr Baillieu's stance on the dozen heritage buildings currently at urgent risk in Melbourne's CBD, as recently identified by Melbourne Heritage Action group in The Age. If Mr Baillieu really is dedicated to preserving Melbourne's heritage, can he guarantee that these significant buildings will be saved?
National Architecture Week 2010 - Melbourne
Don't forget that this week is National Architecture Week in Melbourne (24th - 30th October)!
The theme for 2010 is the 'home', a simple but changing idea in a modern Australian city.
Information about the events, films, forums and walking tours comprising the event can be found on the official website: www.nawmelbourne.com
Flinders Street Station
Since beginning Melbourne Curious, I have received an overwhelming number of requests to feature Flinders Street Station. As Melbourne's most iconic landmark, this probably should not have come as a surprise. I must confess, however, that Flinders Street Station has never appealed to me like other Melbourne buildings. I have always found the redbrick and mustard coloured facade grimy-looking. The bland, modernised concourse inside the station also coloured my impression of the building as a whole. As a result, I had never looked into the building's history - until now! And I must admit I was completely blown away! I have become enchanted by the rich history of the building: were you aware that it was once the busiest station in the world? Did you know the rooftop was often used as a running track where joggers could be seen from Southbank? What about the beautiful old ballroom (which still exists) on the third floor? I hope to cover as much of this fascinating history as possible - if I have missed anything please feel free to email me. Enjoy!
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| Flinders Street Station, ca. 1934 (State Library of Victoria Picture Collection) |
The Melbourne Terminus
Trains have been arriving at the site of Flinders Street Station long before the construction of the iconic building we recognise today. In 1854, the Melbourne Terminus was the first city railway station built in Australia and was situated on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets. Originally, it comprised only one weatherboard building and a small platform. This serviced the first railway line in Victoria, running only to Sandridge (Port Melbourne). A number of additions were made to the terminus over the following years, including the introduction of a St Kilda line in 1857 and extra platforms from 1877 onwards. Nonetheless, the collection of low timber and brick buildings with simple corrugated iron roofs was a far-cry from the grand station that stands today!
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| Elizabeth Street entrance to Melbourne Terminus on Flinders Street, 1880 (State Library of Victoria) |
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| Commuters leaving platform on ramps ca. 1890 (The Age) |
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| Swanston Street/Flinders Street entrance (now the main entrance with dome) ca. 1900-1905. NB: The Princes Bridge Hotel on the right-hand side still exists, although it is now known as the Young & Jackson Pub. |
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| The Melbourne Terminus ca. 1890-1900 |
Melbourne Boom Time
In the 1880s, Melbourne enjoyed a boom-time following the Victorian gold rush. The city became larger than most European capitals, the population doubled in a decade, and a fortune was poured into the construction of impressive buildings that rivalled those of New York, Chicago and London. This era also saw the suburban railway network expand significantly. According to Jenny Davies, author of Beyond the Facade, the Melbourne Terminus was deemed “an eyesore, inefficient and uneconomical” and a new station was proposed.
The Competition
In 1889, a worldwide competition was held for the design of the new station. In May 1900, the first prize was awarded to two Victorian Railways employees, Fawcett and Ashworth, for their design entitled Green Light. As you can see below, the plans differ slightly from the current Flinders Street Station: a fourth storey and basement were added; and the beautifully ornate Art Nouveau arched iron roof on the Swanston Street concourse was never built (due to expense). While the station is most frequently labelled as Edwardian Baroque, Fawcett and Ashworth described their design as being influenced by the “French Renaissance” style. The French influence is most apparent in the symmetrical composition of the main Flinders Street block, the use of giant order, heavily rusticated piers, squat domes and broad arches. This aesthetic was combined with architectural features familiar in Melbourne at the time, including the red brick and golden-cream contrast, the use of banking, and the grouping of windows vertically under tall arches.
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| Fawcett and Ashworth's design (SLV) |
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| Flinders Street facade, 2010 (my own photo) |
A Melbourne Icon is Born
Flinders Street Station was officially opened to the public in 1910. By this stage, the railway lines reached Werribee, Rockbank, Diggers Rest, Craigieburn, South Yan Yean, Eltham, Croydon, Bayswater, Dandenong, Aspendale and Sandringham. At the time of opening, it was rumoured to be the busiest passenger station in the world! By the 1930s, Flinders Street Station had on average 241,130 passengers per week, putting it well-ahead of any other station in the world, including Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris (150,000 passengers) and Grand Central Station, New York (108,843 passengers).
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| Flinders Street/Swanston Street entrance, ca. 1900-1914 (SLV) |
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| Elevated view of Flinders Street facade looking east, 1916 (SLV) |
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| Illuminated to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, 1953 (SLV) |
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| Swanston Street concourse (PRO Vic) |
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| Bookstall (PRO Vic) |
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| Woman serving at a kiosk in the station (PRO Vic) |
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| Peak hour under the clocks. Clocks have been a feature of the station from the 1860s, leading to the Melbourne idiom "I'll meet you under the clocks." Originally, a railway officer manually operated the clocks, using a long pole to change them 900 times on average during an eight hour day. In 1983, there was public outcry after the clocks were replaced by digital indicators of train departure times. The original clocks were promptly reinstalled in one day! (PRO Vic) |
The Victorian Railways Institute
The Victorian Railways Institute officially opened in 1910 and its offices were located inside the brand-new Flinders Street Station. The organisation was created for the “self-betterment” of railway employees. It hoped to increase staff morale and workplace stability in order to reduce the likelihood of industrial upheaval - of particular concern after the 1903 rail strikes. The result was extraordinary! The institute provided lectures ranging from the technical (bookkeeping and accountancy), to the philosophical (“Nietzsche and the Present German Spirit” in WWI), to the bizarre (“Reminiscences of an Army Surgeon in the Turko-Servian and Turko-Russian Wars of 1876-78”)! The station housed the Institute’s clubrooms for a broad range of clubs, including debating, fencing, wine appreciation, poetry, cat lovers, and even “rose devotees”! The Institute also created some amazing facilities, including a beautiful ballroom, gymnasium, billiards room, lecture theatre, library and even a childcare nursery!
The Ballroom
The Ballroom still exists on the third floor of the station. The beautiful vaulted, pressed metal ceiling spans the full width of the building and the room can seat 400 people. In 1918, the ballroom held dance classes, ballroom competitions and socials every Wednesday night. By 1934, it was used practically six nights per week and was one of the most popular dancehalls in Melbourne. During WWII, many dances were held for Allied servicemen on leave. The Victorian Railways Institute decided to close the ballroom (as it was in need of repair) and the last dance was held on 10 September in 1983.
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| Ballroom in the 1950s (The Age) |
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| The (now derelict) ballroom in 1996 (Andrew de la Rue, The Age) |
The manner in which the ballroom has been left to deteriorate is appalling. Without any preservation measures in place, the room is at risk of deteriorating beyond repair through sheer neglect. The integral structure of the room is intact and, if repaired/preserved, there are many brilliant ways it could be used today: a beautiful restaurant; art gallery; museum about the history of the station or city; or a boutique shop! The ballroom is integral to Melbourne's character and history. It is a travesty that (a) it has been neglected for so long, and (b) it is not accessible to the people of Melbourne.
The Gymnasium
The Victorian Railways Institute also provided a gymnasium (in the traditional sense) for its employees! In addition to the gymnasium, the flat rooftop of the station was used frequently as a 440-yard running track! Apparently it was not uncommon to see people running on the roof of the station from across the river at Southbank!
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| Gymnasium (The Age) |
The Nursery
The Institute also provided a childcare facility for the use of rail travellers. When the nursery was opened in 1933, there were only three of its kind in the world (the other two being in Paris and Chicago). This service was often used by mothers coming from suburban train stations to the city who would leave their small children in care as they went about their day in town. An outbreak of Polio in 1937 led to the temporary closure of the nursery for one year (at this time, children did not even attend primary school, lest the disease spread, and classes were transmitted by radio to children's homes!) The nursery was permanently closed in 1942, allegedly because of war precautions. Regrettably, much of the nursery was demolished in the 1980s during renovations - yet another travesty!
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| Second floor childcare nursery (PRO Vic) |
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| Rooftop playground, opened in 1936 (PRO Vic) |
Degraves Street Subway
While the idea of a subway to decrease congestion had been bandied about since 1929, Campbell Arcade (or the Degraves Street Subway as it is now known) was officially approved in 1950. The Campbell Arcade entrance was opened in November 1954 and is now famous for its Art Deco pink ceramic tiled walls and black marble columns. The arcade still contains a number of shops (which are quite cute and quirky!) and exhibits artwork in glass boxes.
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| Campbell Arcade, 2010 (my own photo) |
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| Innovation in the face of a subway flood, 1965 (The Age) |
Demolition Attempts and Renovations
There have been numerous attempts to demolish Flinders Street Station, particularly during the 1960s and 70s. The fact that we have come so close to completely losing Flinders Street Station makes the mind boggle. It also reinforces the need for us to remain on our toes in the present day about other buildings that developers/governments tell us ought to be 'upgraded.' There are many ways to preserve historic buildings while increasing their functionality in a modern city. As a reaction to a 1974 plan to redevelop the site, Bill Howie of Radio 3AK said, "by all means, let's have a modern, progressive Melbourne... but in our haste let's not ignore the features that give the city its own special charm, for if we do, we will create for ourselves a soulless exercise in concrete and steel that may please the planners but do very little for those who work and live here." These sentiments ring just as true today!
Horrific Designs for 'Transport House' (1974) (PRO Victoria)
Nonetheless, a major redevelopment of the station took place in 1983. Nobody doubted that the station was in need of refurbishment: hot water was not widely available; the roofs leaked in heavy rain; and gaps in the windows were being blocked with stickytape! The renovation that was decided upon, however, was called "vandalism" by the City of Melbourne. In the 1990s the Swanston Street Concourse was also renovated in a similarly detrimental way, with the National Trust stating that it had assumed “the character of a modern shopping centre."
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| Characterless Swanston Street concourse, 2010 ("modern shopping centre") (my own photo) |
As Jenny Davies notes in Beyond the Facade, "if the budget had been $50 million in 1982, Flinders Street Station could have been restored to its turn of the century glory." Instead, only $7 million was allocated to the project and the developers decided to completely ignore heritage suggestions! Renovations of the great stations of Paris, New York and Washington demonstrate that it is possible to preserve old-world charm and grandeur of historical buildings while allowing for functionality and progression. Why we continue to denigrate our city's heritage for the sake of a myopic view of progression is beyond belief!
For More Information
I could not hope to cover every aspect of the history of Flinders Street Station in this post. If your interest has been piqued, I recommend having a read of Jenny Davies' excellent book called Beyond the Facade: Flinders Street, More Than Just a Railway Station. The detrimental renovations of the station and the appalling neglect of the ballroom are devastating. Hopefully we can learn from these mistakes and take action now! There are urgent threats facing other heritage buildings as we speak and we must act now if we are not to fall into the same traps! Click here for an eye-opening article on this topic by Rupert Mann, President of Melbourne Heritage Action, in The Age.
References:
Backhouse, Megan, 'Dance hall days' in The Age (February 2, 2008)
Davies, Jenny, Beyond the Facade: Flinders Street, More Than Just a Railway Station (2008)
Department of Transport Website: http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/60FC28D7E8B7CB46CA2576A8001AFA38?OpenDocument
Fiddian, Marc, Flinders Street Station: Melbourne's Taj Mahal (2003)
Mann, Rupert, 'Demolition job on city heritage' in The Age (September 13, 2010)
Millar, Royce and Silkstone, Dan, 'Push to reawaken city's sleeping beauty' in The Age (May 23, 2005)
Museum Victoria Website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/marvellous/powered/flindersst.asp
National Trust Website: http://www.nattrust.com.au/campaigns/flinders_street_station
Otto, Kristin, Capital: Melbourne When It Was the Capital City of Australia 1901-27 (2009) pp 332-7
Scott-Norman, Fiona, 'The beauty of gothic decay' in The Age (January 25, 2008)
Stephens, Andrew, 'Where the city finds its way' in The Age (July 24, 2010)
Victorian Heritage Database: http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/64960
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