Back to search results

SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY AND SIGNS PUBLISHING COMPANY
51 MAIN STREET WARBURTON, YARRA RANGES SHIRE

All information on this page is maintained by Heritage Victoria. Click below for their website and contact details.
Victorian Heritage Register
SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY AND SIGNS PUBLISHING COMPANY SOHE 2008
SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY AND SIGNS PUBLISHING COMPANY SOHE 2008
SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY AND SIGNS PUBLISHING COMPANY SOHE 2008
1 sanitarium health food company & signs front view jun1981
H0619 extent
On this page:

Statement of Significance

The Signs Publishing Company and Sanitarium Health Food Company buildings, Warburton, were built for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in 1936. The two buildings although largely performing different functions, comprise an integrated industrial complex. The Publishing Company produces packaging for health food products in addition to church publications.

Edward F Billson was the architect and the builders were TR & L Cockram Pty Ltd Billson is an important figure in the development of early modern architecture in Victoria. In 1914 he was Melbourne University's first architecture graduate and was Walter Burley Griffin's only articled student. As a long established and eminent family firm of master builders, Cockrams constructed many significant 19th and 20th century buildings throughout the State.

The Warburton buildings are important early examples of modern architecture in Victoria influenced by the contemporary European models. In particular they draw heavily on the personal style of Dutch architect WM Dudok which had in turn developed through the influence of the De Stijl movement and the work of Walter Gropius. There are obviously parallels between the three storey east end of the Sanitarium Health Food Company building and the Fagus Works designed by Gropius in 1911. The Sanitarium Health Food Co. building was distinguished in 1940 when it won that year's Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Street Architecture Award, the first awarded to a building outside the metropolitan area. The buildings and their rural setting reflects the health and fitness philosophy of the Seventh Day Adventist Church providing an insight into the historical importance of the church's missionary work and its role in the development of the Australian health food industry.

Show more
Show less

    • Permit Exemptions

      SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY AND SIGNS PUBLISHING COMPANY - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

Public contributions

Note: Developments may span multiple time periods
Timeline browser

< to 1849
< - 1849
1850 to 1879
1850 - 1879
1880 to 1909
1880 - 1909
1910 to 1939
1910 - 1939
1940 to 1969
1940 - 1969
1970 to 1999
1970 - 1999
2000 to >
2000 - >