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GAS REGULATING HOUSE
60-96 MACAULAY ROAD NORTH MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
GAS REGULATING HOUSE
60-96 MACAULAY ROAD NORTH MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is a remnant component of a once larger town gas distributing site. The Melbourne Gas Company became the monopoly gas manufacturer in Melbourne from 1 January 1878. Town gas was manufactured from coal at the Melbourne Gas Company's large plant in West Melbourne directly adjacent to the Yarra River where the coal was easily delivered by ship. The North Melbourne Outstation was established in 1887 as part of the distribution network from the West Melbourne plant via the (now demolished) 3 million cubic foot gasometer and the governing and pressure raising plant in the adjacent brick building. From North Melbourne gas was supplied to the Fitzroy and Essendon outstations as well as the north and north west regions. The Gas Regulating House was constructed of finely modelled brickwork. The window arches are in rubbed cream brick, cornice lines are in brick specials with pressed and shaped brick clay bracket work, and recessed parapet panels are in bi-chrome brickwork. The interiors are of hard plaster walls in panels with an acanthus capital to the intermediate engaged pilasters, lath and plaster ceilings with deep cornices and ceiling roses, as well as other features which give a domestic decorative appearance unusual in an industrial building.
How is it significant?
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The Gas Regulating House is of historical significance as a rare surviving component of a once large metropolitan gas supply infrastructure which is today almost completely obliterated, with only the supply pipelines remaining in use for natural gas distribution. The town gas industry, which was developed during the second half of the 19th century, improved living and working conditions and drastically changed the way of life of many Victorians.
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of scientific (technological) significance as a rare surviving example of a 19th century gas regulator, its importance compounded by the survival of some of its early regulating valves. Only one other metropolitan regulating house is known to survive, in St Kilda Road, but it has no equipment and is much smaller.
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of architectural significance as a fine example of a 19th century industrial building. The substantial character of the building, especially its unusually decorative interiors, reflects the importance of the new gas industry in the 19th century city.
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is a remnant component of a once larger town gas distributing site. The Melbourne Gas Company became the monopoly gas manufacturer in Melbourne from 1 January 1878. Town gas was manufactured from coal at the Melbourne Gas Company's large plant in West Melbourne directly adjacent to the Yarra River where the coal was easily delivered by ship. The North Melbourne Outstation was established in 1887 as part of the distribution network from the West Melbourne plant via the (now demolished) 3 million cubic foot gasometer and the governing and pressure raising plant in the adjacent brick building. From North Melbourne gas was supplied to the Fitzroy and Essendon outstations as well as the north and north west regions. The Gas Regulating House was constructed of finely modelled brickwork. The window arches are in rubbed cream brick, cornice lines are in brick specials with pressed and shaped brick clay bracket work, and recessed parapet panels are in bi-chrome brickwork. The interiors are of hard plaster walls in panels with an acanthus capital to the intermediate engaged pilasters, lath and plaster ceilings with deep cornices and ceiling roses, as well as other features which give a domestic decorative appearance unusual in an industrial building.
How is it significant?
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of historical, scientific (technological) and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The Gas Regulating House is of historical significance as a rare surviving component of a once large metropolitan gas supply infrastructure which is today almost completely obliterated, with only the supply pipelines remaining in use for natural gas distribution. The town gas industry, which was developed during the second half of the 19th century, improved living and working conditions and drastically changed the way of life of many Victorians.
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of scientific (technological) significance as a rare surviving example of a 19th century gas regulator, its importance compounded by the survival of some of its early regulating valves. Only one other metropolitan regulating house is known to survive, in St Kilda Road, but it has no equipment and is much smaller.
The Gas Regulating House at North Melbourne is of architectural significance as a fine example of a 19th century industrial building. The substantial character of the building, especially its unusually decorative interiors, reflects the importance of the new gas industry in the 19th century city.
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GAS REGULATING HOUSE - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
In Melbourne the first use of gas for illumination was in 1849. In 1850 the City of Melbourne Coke and Gas Co. was formed but it was not until 1856 that the gas was used to illuminate buildings. A second gas company was formed in 1861, followed by a third in 1873. These were amalgamated in 1878 to form the Metropolitan Gas Co..
The North Melbourne Gas Works were established in 1887 as part of the distributive network for the West Melbourne Gas Plant. The North Melbourne Works were established to capture incoming gas from the West Melbourne mains, store the gas in a gas holder and deliver it under pressure to local consumers and more distant plants such as the one at Fitzroy. The gas holders helped keep the gas lines pressured and provided a reserve of gas to even out the supply flows from West Melbourne. In the case of North Melbourne a 3 million cubic foot gas holder was constructed as a 3 lift type which employed a permanently standing frame of cast and riveted iron work in which the telescopic gas holder rose vertically.
Other buildings on the site included the regulator, the boiler room and chimney stack (now demolished) and a keepers residence which was later converted to the station house where meters and other gas appliances could be checked. This building was substantially demolished.GAS REGULATING HOUSE - 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.Specific Exemptions:EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMITS:
(Classes of works or activities which may be undertaken without a permit under
Part 4 of the Heritage Act 1995)
Policy: The purpose of the exemptions is to allow works which do not affect
the stated cultural significance of the site.
The exterior and interior Victorian period design, and the remnant
Metropolitan Gas Company equipment are important to the interpretation of the
cultural significance of this heritage place.
General Conditions:
1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner
which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of
alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the
place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or
object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the
Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive
Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending
or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the
responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the
responsible authority where applicable.
Exterior
Works which repair, and replace like material with like or original are permit
exempt.
The removal of equipment relating to the natural gas supply and delivery is
permit exempt.
Removal of all chain wire and modern brick fencing at the rear of the site is
permit exempt.
Interior
Works which repair the interior surfaces using like for like materials is
permit exempt. It would be expected that these works would rely on copying
existing adjacent Victorian period detail.
The removal or replacement of natural gas supply and delivery equipment is
permit exempt provided that such removal does not remove from the registered
site surviving Metropolitan Gas Company equipment.
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