CUSTOMS HOUSE
400 FLINDERS STREET MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
This place is included on the Victorian Heritage Inventory, for its potential to contain historical archaeological remains associated with the settlement and growth of early Melbourne. Under the terms of the Heritage Act 2017 there is protection for all historical archaeology sites and objects in the state.
Please visit the Heritage Victoria website to find out more about the Heritage Inventory.
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CUSTOMS HOUSE - History
Heritage Inventory History of Site: Date of first documented occupation, 1835CUSTOMS HOUSE - Assessment Against Criteria
Criterion A
The historical importance, association with or relationship to Victoria's history of the place or object.Criterion B
The importance of a place or object in demonstrating rarity or uniqueness.Criterion C
The place or object's potential to educate, illustrate or provide further scientific investigation in relation to Victoria's cultural heritage.Criterion D
The importance of a place or object in exhibiting the principal characteristics or the representative nature of a place or object as part of a class or type of places or objects.Criterion E
The importance of the place or object in exhibiting good design or aesthetic characteristics and/or in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration of features.Criterion F
The importance of the place or object in demonstrating or being associated with scientific or technical innovations or achievements.Criterion G
The importance of the place or object in demonstrating social or cultural associations.Criterion H
Any other matter which the Council considers relevant to the determination of cultural heritage significanceHeritage Inventory Description
CUSTOMS HOUSE - Heritage Inventory Description
The current building on Flinders Street dates to the 1870's. The archaeological remains lie to the north of the extant building.The initial excavation in the North-East corner uncovered the remains of 1890's bluestone toilets. A few artefacts such as a clay pipe and bottles were found in deposits near the toilets.Excavation near the Customs House revealed remnants of the 1841 Customs House. It appears to be made of sandstone base with a brick superstructure. This is similar to the few surviving 1840's buildings in Melbourne. An examination of the plans of the Customs House indicates that the walls relate to the Housekeepers bedroom and sitting room. The walls uncovered run north-south, no return walls have been found to date. Further excavation revealed the north and east walls. Some artefacts associated with the demolition of the building were found. They include, bristol glaze, salt glaze blacking bottles with stamped makers name J. Bourne and Sons (1850-1860), a pocket knife, black bottle glass.John Pascoe Fawkner's house on site 1835. 9 rooms on ground floor, 3 rooms & 3 attics above. House demolished about April 1838. Excavations for Customs House marked out by Russell, began 1839. In 1841 "rubbish dumping" was officially permitted in the "hollow beside the Custom House". Early the same year a portion of the Custom House was complete & occupied by Customs Officers. Present building 3 storeys completed 1876. Incorporates an 1858 building and the smaller one of 1839.
Heritage Inventory Significance: The remants of the 1841 Customs House have been preserved below the back courtyard. The remains are small but very significant. They are one of the few traces of 1840s Melbourne which has been uncovered. The building boom of the 1880Æs removed much of the early settlement of Melbourne. Little remains of the early Port Phillip settlement and the remains are a valuable interpretative tool to inform Victorians about their early history.The former Melbourne Customs House was constructed in two separate stages between 1856-58 and 1873-76. The initial design was prepared by Knight and Kerr but the final design, which was an incorporation of the earlier, was prepared by Johnson, Clark and Kerr from the Public Works Department. The three storey rendered building was conceived in the style of Italian Renaissance Revival which was popular amoungst mid-nineteenth century public buildings. It features giant IOonic columns, a simple projecting cornice, a fine wrought iron fence and a cobbled rear courtyard.The former Customs House, the finest example of its type in Victoria, is an extraordinary example of the Italian Renaissance style with remnants of the Greek Revival influence. It is an example of the work by three of the Victorian Public Works Department's most talented and accomplished architects - Peter Kerr, Arthur E. Johnson and John J. Clark. The buildling which is essentially as completed in 1876, displays an exceptional level of craftsmanship in the execution of stone and plaster detailing. There is an unsusual application of external architectural details, such as the giant columns and th entablature, repeated internally in the Long Room. The wrought iron fencing, which surrounds the building on three boundaries, is an important element in the definition of the Customs House reserve set aside for the purpose early in Melbourne's History. The building demonstrated an association with the Customs Department's successful implementation of the 1864 protectionist trade policy. As the headquarters of the federal Department of Customs for 1901, the building also demonstrates the important role played by the issue of customs in the federation movement. Present Customs House building incorporates remnants of older structures giving it the oldest foundations of any Melbourne Public Building. Site associated with notable individual, J P Fawkner (remains of his occupation may survive subject to amount of site levelling/ disturbance for construction of the subsequent Custom House buildings).
Archeological Potential: Extant bldg Fabric,Remnant Structure,Site
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FORMER ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMY MEDICAL CORPS TRAINING DEPOTVictorian Heritage Register H0717
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MITRE TAVERNVictorian Heritage Register H0464
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MELBOURNE SAVAGE CLUBVictorian Heritage Register H0025
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