Laverton Officers' Mess Building
LAVERTON VIC 3028 - Property No B5613
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Statement of Significance
With the exception of the dining room, with its exposed timber truss ceiling and wrought iron light fittings of ornamental and pseudo-historic character, the interior exhibits a mood of refined modernity relying on the manipulation of volume and line. Along the main axis there is a progression from the low entrance under a semicircular cantilever roof, through the light well with its circular gallery, to the impressive height of the ante room and annexe with its five metre high glazed wall. Smooth plaster articulated by fluted pilasters and flattened cornices, recessed circular light fittings set in concentric plaster vents, and the interplay of horizontal and vertical in the steel windows all contribute to the Moderne character of the interior.
The building reflects the belated recognition accorded to the RAAF immediatley prior to the Second World War.
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Veterans Description for Public
Laverton Officers' Mess Building - Veterans Description for Public
The Laverton Officers' Mess Building, was designed in 1938 by D B Windebank under H J Mackennal of the Commonwealth Department of the Interior (Works and Services Branch). Completed in 1939, in connection with the RAAF Laverton Base, the building has played a central role in the life of many military personnel for more than 60 years. The Laverton base developed quickly during the late 1930s, accommodating a number of new squadrons and a training depot, becoming the RAAF's largest establishment at this time.
The building was part of the expansion of the RAAF prior to the Second World War, illustrating the recognition of the permanent and prominent role of air power in Australia's defence. In contrast to the small scale timber frame informality of earlier structures, the building is a substantial structure of red brick and terracotta tile, formally composed around twin courtyards bisected by a tall entrance block, which creates a strong north-south axis.
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RAAF LAVERTON 3Victorian Heritage Inventory
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Cheetham Salt Works (Former)Hobsons Bay City
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RAAF Officers' MessNational Trust
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