REGISTRY OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES (1900-1904)
287-295 QUEEN STREET MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The former Records Office was built in 1900-1904 to the design of SE Bindley, District Architect of the Public Works Department. The contractor was Bartley Dinsmore. It was originally built to house official records including records of births, deaths and marriages, as well as legal records and wills. The building is in the Victorian Second Empire style, a style considered appropriate for a city striving for Parisian grandeur. The main building has a rusticated basement and first floor, a piano nobile with Corinthian columns and pilasters, and an attic storey hidden behind the balustraded parapet. The distinctive Mansard roof is capped with cast iron finials and elaborate zinc griffins. Typical of the style, the main facade has projecting centre and end bays. Internally the main staircase at the Queen Street entrance rises on granite columns through three floors and has marble balustrades to the first floor and cast iron balustrades to the piano nobile. The former Records Office is constructed of stuccoed brick and is joined to a single-storey strong room building at the rear by a courtyard. A caretaker's flat was built over the strong room building in 1938. Fireproof floor construction is used throughout the building, and iron roller shutters on the ground floor and in the strong room.
How is it significant?
The former Records Office is of architectural, historical and scientific (technical) significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The former Records Office is architecturally significant as the last grand statement in the Victorian Second Empire style of a city aspiring to the grandeur of European cities. The Records Office marks the end of the imposing classical style for public buildings in Melbourne and reflects an important development in the design philosophy of Public Works Department architects.
The former Records Office is historically significant for demonstrating the importance of record-keeping in carrying out the functions of Government. Its location near the Titles Office and the law courts illustrates the early relationship between all these arms of Government. The responsibilities of the first Registrar-General of the Colony of Victoria included registering land grants and collecting statistics of births, deaths and marriages. From 1858 the position also became the Registrar of the Supreme Court responsible for the safekeeping of legal documents relating to land transactions and court records. The Records Office originally housed records relating to all these functions of Government.
The former Records Office is scientifically (technically) significant for its use of fire precaution methods. The Traegerwellblech system of fireproof floor construction used throughout the building represents an advance in fireproof flooring techniques first tested in Melbourne in 1881. The system used deep corrugated iron designed to carry substantial loading and was curved into flat arches spanning between girders.
[Source: Victorian Heritage Register]
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REGISTRY OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES (1900-1904) - History
Heritage Inventory History of Site: Date of first documented occupation, 1880Heritage Inventory Description
REGISTRY OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES (1900-1904) - Heritage Inventory Description
1880 Panorama - 1 & 2 storey buildings1905 - 3 &4 storey (and basements): 'New Record Offices'.
Heritage Inventory Significance: THE RECORDS OFFICE, 287- 295 QUEEN STREET, WAS ERECTED IN 1900-04 BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. IT WAS DESIGNED BY S. E. BINDLEY, THE DISTRACT ARCHITECT IN CHARGE OF THE CENTRAL MELBOURNE AREA AT THAT TIME. THE CONTRACTOR WAS B. DINSMORE. THE TWO STOREY (ATTIC AND BASEMENT) BRICK AND STUCCO MAIN BUILDING IS FREE STANDING AND JOINED TO THE STRONGROOM BUILDING AT THE REAR BY A COURTYARD. THE STAIRCASE HALL AT THE QUEEN STREET ENTRANCE RISES THROUGH THREE FLOORS. THIS IS ONE OF MELBOURNE'S EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND FORMS A GROUP WITH THE NEIGHBOURING REGISTRAR- GENERAL'S OFFICE. IT IS AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF THE P.W.D.'S WORK DURING THE 1880'S AND 1890'S. THE FORM AND COMPOSITION ARE TYPICAL OF THE PRINCIPAL PUBLIC BUILDINGS ERECTED IN VICTORIA AT THE TIME . THE STAIR CASE HALL WITH STONE BALUSTRADE, GRANITE COLUMNS AND CAST IRON BALUSTRADE AND THE PICTURESQUE REAR COURTYARD ARE NOTABLE FEATURES. THE BUILDING HAS BEEN RECENTLY RESTORED AND THE STUCCO FACADE HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CLEANED. OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE.
Archeological Potential: Potential/Disturbed
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FORMER CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERYVictorian Heritage Register H0024
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FORMER PRIMARY SCHOOL NO. 2365Victorian Heritage Register H0970
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TRADES HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0663
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