List of demolished buildings and structures in Melbourne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia, was an important Victorian-era city and erected "some of the world's most majestic buildings" of the era.[1][2] Many grand buildings survive from the period, particularly public buildings, including the State Library of Victoria (1856), Parliament House (1856), the General Post Office (1867 and 1887), the Royal Exhibition Building (1880), and commercial buildings such as the Windsor Hotel (1884), the Block Arcade (1893), and the Rialto Building Group (1888–1891). However, many other architectural gems of Melbourne's central city from the Victorian and other periods were lost in the 1950s-70s when Melbourne, like many other cities, sought to reinvent itself as a modern metropolis.[2]
Whelan the Wrecker was by far the most successful demolition company in the period, and was responsible for almost all of these losses, but often saved items such as statuary for resale.[3][2]
In response to the many losses (in particular the threat of demolition of the Windsor Hotel), the Historic Buildings Preservation Act 1974 was introduced, establishing the Historic Buildings Preservation Council who determined which places were deemed to be of the highest 'State level' significance.[4] Local heritage controls were introduced in the early 1980s, confirmed under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, which puts local councils in control of Heritage Overlays. This has resulted in many significant buildings that cannot meet the strict criteria for listing under the act being listed at a local rather than state level.
Some Councils have however been slow to protect places, and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal can overturn a listing, and Planning Minister has always had powers of intervention,[5] which are sometimes used to allow demolition involving projects considered to have a high economic value. As a result, significant buildings continue to be demolished in Melbourne in the name of progress.