This photograph shows the removal of the mansard roof from the Dennys Lascelles wool store (cnr Moorabool and Brougham Streets; now the National Wool Museum). This photo was taken by Mr Cyril Cameron (known as 'Cam'), the father of the donor of this item. Mr Cyril Cameron came from the family property 'Burnside' near Glenthompson in the Western District. He joined Strachan & Co. as an office boy in Aug. 1914 and then joined the 8th Battalion, 1st AIF in January 1915. He returned to Australia in early 1920 and started work at Strachan's again. He did the wool classing course (one year, evening?) at the Gordon in 1920-21. He became Head Wool Valuer at Strachan's in 1938 and retired in 1970. His office at Strachan's was on the top floor, directly overlooking what is now the entrance to the National Wool Museum (formerly Dennys Lascelles woolstore). He died in 1983. Mr Cameron took this photo from his office in Strachan's. The date written on the back of the photo (1932) is in Mr Cameron's handwriting.Photograph, showing the mansard roof being removed from the Dennys Lascelles wool store, Geelong, 1932.Dennys Lascelles / Geelong / Wrecking tower / 1932strachan, murray and shannon ltd dennys, lascelles limited, cameron, mr cyril

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages.From the Victorian Heritage Register Database - Citation for Halstead, 23 Bambra Road as at (as at 12/10/2020) https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/276 Halstead is believed to be the oldest standing residence in Caulfield constructed in 1857 with subsequent additions during the 19th Century. The house was built for and owned by James Dickson, a stock agent, until his death in 1880. Although on a much reduced parcel of land, Halstead is one of the few remaining remnants of Caulfield when it was an area of mansion houses occupied by town residing squatters, professional and business men. It is important for its place in the socio-economic history of south eastern suburban Melbourne, the inland pattern of development stretching from Malvern through Murrumbeena. Architecturally the single storey building displays a history of alteration and addition. Its main front presents with a single storey cast iron verandah across the full width, including the two pavilion wings at each end. Located towards the rear on the Halstead Street side is the substantial three storey tower with its Mansard roof and cast-iron balustrade which makes the house clearly visible from Halstead Street and Bambra Road. Because of internal alteration the importance of the building relates to the exterior only of the main house. Halstead is believed to be the oldest standing residence in the city of Caulfield. https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/43645 "Halstead" is regionally important as a surviving large villa from the early Victorian (1850's) period, offering insights into the lifestyles of the privileged in Caulfield at that time. The later tower is of architectural interest for its use of Medieval Romanesque enrichment.Page 32 of Photograph Album with four photographs of the exterior of this double storey house, focussing on different angles for the house's tower.Hand written: "Halstead" Bambra Road [top right] / 32 [bottom right] trevor hart, caulfield north, bambra road, 1850's, halstead, james dickson, mansion, villa residence, cast iron verandah, pavillion wings, halstead street, victorian, tower, balustrading, decorative brackets, mansard roof, brick, cast iron, slate roof, curved windows, single storey mansions, streetscapes, medieval romanesque style, slate roofs, gardens, cast iron work

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages.From the Victorian Heritage Register Database - Citation for Halstead, 23 Bambra Road as at (as at 12/10/2020) https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/276: Halstead is believed to be the oldest standing residence in Caulfield constructed in 1857 with subsequent additions during the 19th Century. The house was built for and owned by James Dickson, a stock agent, until his death in 1880. Although on a much reduced parcel of land, Halstead is one of the few remaining remnants of Caulfield when it was an area of mansion houses occupied by town residing squatters, professional and business men. It is important for its place in the socio-economic history of south eastern suburban Melbourne, the inland pattern of development stretching from Malvern through Murrumbeena. Architecturally the single storey building displays a history of alteration and addition. Its main front presents with a single storey cast iron verandah across the full width, including the two pavilion wings at each end. Located towards the rear on the Halstead Street side is the substantial three storey tower with its Mansard roof and cast-iron balustrade which makes the house clearly visible from Halstead Street and Bambra Road. Because of internal alteration the importance of the building relates to the exterior only of the main house. Halstead is believed to be the oldest standing residence in the city of Caulfield. https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/43645: "Halstead" is regionally important as a surviving large villa from the early Victorian (1850's) period, offering insights into the lifestyles of the privileged in Caulfield at that time. The later tower is of architectural interest for its use of Medieval Romanesque enrichment.Page 33 of Photograph Album with one landscape photograph of the exterior of Halstead, taken from the street.Hand written: 33 [bottom left] trevor hart, caulfield north, bambra road, 1850's, halstead, james dickson, mansion, villa residence, cast iron verandah, pavillion wings, halstead street, victorian, tower, balustrading, decorative brackets, mansard roof, brick, slate roof, curved windows, single storey mansions, cast iron work, medieval romanesque style, slate roofs, gardens

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages. HISTORY:-- From Victorian Heritage Database citation for Labassa https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) Labassa, Caulfield is one of Melbourne's most lavishly decorated nineteenth century mansions. It resulted from the extensive remodelling in 1890, of an earlier house, known as Sylliott Hill, which was begun in 1862-3 for lawyer, Richard A. Billing. The land at the corner of Balaclava and Orrong Roads was first acquired in 1854 by William Lyall, transferred to his partner, John Mickle, in 1859, who also acquired the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road, and the three allotments were conveyed to Billing. His first eight-roomed house was extended significantly in 1873 into a twenty-roomed house by architects Crouch and Wilson, who were possibly also responsible for the first house. This reflected Billing's success as a barrister, and he resided at this property until his death in 1882. In 1883 prominent Melbourne businessman, Alexander William Robertson, leased the Sylliott Hill property from Billing's widow, and in 1885 he purchased the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road. He purchased the Billing's property in 1887 and renamed the 6.31 hectare property, Ontario. In 1889-90, Robertson commissioned the German born architect, John A. B. Koch, to extensively remodel the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion. The existing house was extended and altered, largely resulting in the nineteenth century mansion as it now appears. After Robertson's death in 1896, the house was tenanted until it was eventually sold to the mining millionaire, John Boyd Watson, in 1904. He renamed the property Labassa and carried out repair and re-decoration work to the house. In the early twentieth century, many large estates were subdivided into smaller allotments as the demand for land grew and it became difficult to maintain such large estates. After Watson's death in 1911, portions of the Labassa estate were offered for sale, with Mrs Watson retaining a 1.73 hectare portion containing the house. In 1913 forty-six allotments were auctioned at Labassa Estate, with the formation of Labassa Grove and Ontario Street to the east of the property. Labassa was first recorded as containing flats in 1923 and in the late 1920s, the owner, Robert Hannon, built a red brick block of flats adjacent to the house. Subdivision continued, until the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) purchased the house in 1980 and subsequently purchased adjoining sites, one to the south-east in 1984 (house demolished in 1988) and to the west in 1988. Labassa as it now stands is substantially as it appeared when Koch completed the work in 1890. The original two storey house was transformed into a French Renaissance style mansion, with the addition of a two level L-shaped arcaded verandah and two prominent terminating bays to the south and the east. The building is of unpainted cement render with dressed bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet and steep, slate covered, flat topped mansard roofs behind. A truncated conical roof is a feature of the south bay and a helmeted head is incorporated in the parapet over the east bay. The main south and east facades incorporate many cast cement details, including sculptures, elaborate cornices, swagged Corinthian columns and caryatid consoles flanking the entrance porch, as well as pink marble panels and imitation marble, or scagliola, on curved surfaces. At the rear of the building is a two storey wing and a single storey cottage, the former being connected to the main house by a tower. This section of the house was constructed in 1873. The estate at its peak included stables (1873), conservatory (probably 1890) and a tennis pavilion (probably 1890). All of these outbuildings survive, with the stables and conservatory being converted for residential use after 1922. Internally a range of decorative treatments remain from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, both from the Robertson and Watson periods of occupancy. These include wallpapers, ceiling decoration, chimney pieces, mouldings, joinery and decorative glass. From Victorian Heritage Database citation for H0135 Labassa 2/2A Manor Grove Caulfield North https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural significance as the most prominent example of a small number of houses built in Australia in the French Renaissance style. It is of further note due to the German interpretation of the style and the use of Hellenistic sources, via Germany. It is exceptional for its lavish treatment externally, including marble, scagliola, caryatids, swagged columns, mansard roofs and ornamental cresting. Labassa is of architectural significance as the most important surviving example of German architect, John Koch's domestic work. He undertook a large variety of work in Melbourne, including a number of houses, however Labassa is the most lavish example of his work. Labassa is of aesthetic significance for its outstanding assemblage of late nineteenth and early twentieth century European style interior decoration, which remain remarkably intact. These include a trompe l'oeil ceiling, painted ceilings, embossed imitation leather and other papers, chimney pieces, ceramic tilework, oak parquetry and stained glass, including a tripartite window by Ferguson and Urie, probably dating from the 1873 period. Labassa is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the wealth acquired by a number of prominent Victorian families in the second half of the 19th century. The early development of the property, Sylliott Hill, was due to the wealth acquired by Richard Billing, barrister and fifth Victorian to be appointed Queen's Counsel in 1878. The significant development in 1890 of Ontario, is illustrative of the wealth of Alexander Robertson, a partner in Cobb and Co., a director of Goldsborough Mort & Co., and a pastoral speculator. John B. Watson, whose father had acquired great wealth from the goldfields of Bendigo and subsequently invested in city and country properties, was the third resident to impact on the house, particularly the interiors. The Labassa estate is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the development that occurred in such suburbs as Caulfield in the 1880s due to the land boom, its proximity to Melbourne and the establishment of the Melbourne to Gippsland railway in 1879. It is also illustrative of an estate which succumbed to the pressures of subdividing in the early twentieth century, as properties became difficult to maintain and demand for land close to the city grew. It was typically divided into flats in the 1920s and was used as such for about sixty years. It is of historical significance for its associations with the remnants of the earlier estate which remain extant. These include the stables, conservatory (H2005) and tennis pavilion which all remain on separate sites. Also significant are the remains of early electrical wiring and fittings. Labassa was one of the first houses in Caulfield to be electrified and some of the original wires remain. [Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]Page 128 of Photograph Album with four photographs (two portrait and two landscape) of Labassa.Handwritten: "Labassa" 4 Manor Grove [top right] / Neg 232 8 Oct 1966 [under bottom right photo] / 128 [bottom right]trevor hart, bracketed eaves, slate roof, bay windows, decorative brackets, caulfield north, labassa, richard a. billing, balaclava road, orrong road, sylliott hill, william lyall, crouch and wilson, alexander william robertson, ontario, 1880's, john a. b. koch, mansion, john boyd watson, labassa grove, french renaissance style, l-shaped arcaded verandah, bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet, flat topped mansard roofs, conical roof, elaborate cornices, corinthian columns, caryatid consoles, marble panels, imitation marble, scagliola, tower, conservatory, stables, tennis pavilion, mouldings, decorative glass, caryatids, swagged columns, ornamental cresting, trompe l'oeil ceiling, embossed imitation leather, oak parquetry, stained glass, tripartite window, triple window, ferguson and urie, 1870's, flats, 1920's, electric wiring, 1860's, verandahs, curved windows, arched windows, italianate, terraces, gargoyles, ornamentation, ornate entrance, la bassa, manor grove, st kilda east, victorian, cast iron work, john koch, richard billing, architects, electrification, john mickle, land subdivision, mrs watson, labassa estate, robert hannon, national trust of australia (victoria), sculpture

This photograph is part of the Caulfield Historical Album 1972. This album was created in approximately 1972 as part of a project by the Caulfield Historical Society to assist in identifying buildings worthy of preservation. The album is related to a Survey the Caulfield Historical Society developed in collaboration with the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Caulfield City Council to identify historic buildings within the City of Caulfield that warranted the protection of a National Trust Classification. Principal photographer thought to be Trevor Hart, member of Caulfield Historical Society. Most photographs were taken between 1966-1972 with a small number of photographs being older and from unknown sources. All photographs are black and white except where stated, with 386 photographs over 198 pages. HISTORY:-- From Victorian Heritage Database citation for Labassa https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) Labassa, Caulfield is one of Melbourne's most lavishly decorated nineteenth century mansions. It resulted from the extensive remodelling in 1890, of an earlier house, known as Sylliott Hill, which was begun in 1862-3 for lawyer, Richard A. Billing. The land at the corner of Balaclava and Orrong Roads was first acquired in 1854 by William Lyall, transferred to his partner, John Mickle, in 1859, who also acquired the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road, and the three allotments were conveyed to Billing. His first eight-roomed house was extended significantly in 1873 into a twenty-roomed house by architects Crouch and Wilson, who were possibly also responsible for the first house. This reflected Billing's success as a barrister, and he resided at this property until his death in 1882. In 1883 prominent Melbourne businessman, Alexander William Robertson, leased the Sylliott Hill property from Billing's widow, and in 1885 he purchased the adjoining allotment in Balaclava Road. He purchased the Billing's property in 1887 and renamed the 6.31 hectare property, Ontario. In 1889-90, Robertson commissioned the German born architect, John A. B. Koch, to extensively remodel the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion. The existing house was extended and altered, largely resulting in the nineteenth century mansion as it now appears. After Robertson's death in 1896, the house was tenanted until it was eventually sold to the mining millionaire, John Boyd Watson, in 1904. He renamed the property Labassa and carried out repair and re-decoration work to the house. In the early twentieth century, many large estates were subdivided into smaller allotments as the demand for land grew and it became difficult to maintain such large estates. After Watson's death in 1911, portions of the Labassa estate were offered for sale, with Mrs Watson retaining a 1.73 hectare portion containing the house. In 1913 forty-six allotments were auctioned at Labassa Estate, with the formation of Labassa Grove and Ontario Street to the east of the property. Labassa was first recorded as containing flats in 1923 and in the late 1920s, the owner, Robert Hannon, built a red brick block of flats adjacent to the house. Subdivision continued, until the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) purchased the house in 1980 and subsequently purchased adjoining sites, one to the south-east in 1984 (house demolished in 1988) and to the west in 1988. Labassa as it now stands is substantially as it appeared when Koch completed the work in 1890. The original two storey house was transformed into a French Renaissance style mansion, with the addition of a two level L-shaped arcaded verandah and two prominent terminating bays to the south and the east. The building is of unpainted cement render with dressed bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet and steep, slate covered, flat topped mansard roofs behind. A truncated conical roof is a feature of the south bay and a helmeted head is incorporated in the parapet over the east bay. The main south and east facades incorporate many cast cement details, including sculptures, elaborate cornices, swagged Corinthian columns and caryatid consoles flanking the entrance porch, as well as pink marble panels and imitation marble, or scagliola, on curved surfaces. At the rear of the building is a two storey wing and a single storey cottage, the former being connected to the main house by a tower. This section of the house was constructed in 1873. The estate at its peak included stables (1873), conservatory (probably 1890) and a tennis pavilion (probably 1890). All of these outbuildings survive, with the stables and conservatory being converted for residential use after 1922. Internally a range of decorative treatments remain from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, both from the Robertson and Watson periods of occupancy. These include wallpapers, ceiling decoration, chimney pieces, mouldings, joinery and decorative glass.From Victorian Heritage Database citation for H0135 Labassa 2/2A Manor Grove Caulfield North https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/278 as at (26/10/2020) HOW IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural, aesthetic and historical significance to the State of Victoria. WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Labassa, Caulfield is of architectural significance as the most prominent example of a small number of houses built in Australia in the French Renaissance style. It is of further note due to the German interpretation of the style and the use of Hellenistic sources, via Germany. It is exceptional for its lavish treatment externally, including marble, scagliola, caryatids, swagged columns, mansard roofs and ornamental cresting. Labassa is of architectural significance as the most important surviving example of German architect, John Koch's domestic work. He undertook a large variety of work in Melbourne, including a number of houses, however Labassa is the most lavish example of his work. Labassa is of aesthetic significance for its outstanding assemblage of late nineteenth and early twentieth century European style interior decoration, which remain remarkably intact. These include a trompe l'oeil ceiling, painted ceilings, embossed imitation leather and other papers, chimney pieces, ceramic tilework, oak parquetry and stained glass, including a tripartite window by Ferguson and Urie, probably dating from the 1873 period. Labassa is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the wealth acquired by a number of prominent Victorian families in the second half of the 19th century. The early development of the property, Sylliott Hill, was due to the wealth acquired by Richard Billing, barrister and fifth Victorian to be appointed Queen's Counsel in 1878. The significant development in 1890 of Ontario, is illustrative of the wealth of Alexander Robertson, a partner in Cobb and Co., a director of Goldsborough Mort & Co., and a pastoral speculator. John B. Watson, whose father had acquired great wealth from the goldfields of Bendigo and subsequently invested in city and country properties, was the third resident to impact on the house, particularly the interiors. The Labassa estate is of historical significance as an illustrative example of the development that occurred in such suburbs as Caulfield in the 1880s due to the land boom, its proximity to Melbourne and the establishment of the Melbourne to Gippsland railway in 1879. It is also illustrative of an estate which succumbed to the pressures of subdividing in the early twentieth century, as properties became difficult to maintain and demand for land close to the city grew. It was typically divided into flats in the 1920s and was used as such for about sixty years. It is of historical significance for its associations with the remnants of the earlier estate which remain extant. These include the stables, conservatory (H2005) and tennis pavilion which all remain on separate sites. Also significant are the remains of early electrical wiring and fittings. Labassa was one of the first houses in Caulfield to be electrified and some of the original wires remain. [Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]Page 129 of Photograph Album with three landscape photographs of Labassa. One of the photographs is of Labassa's drive and gates.Handwritten: 4 JUNE 1910 / SALE JUNE 28 1910 "LA BASSA' / "AUSTRALASIAN" FORMERLY "ONTARIO"/ RES OF JOHN B WATSON / 15 ACRES 3 ROADS [under bottom left photo] / 4 JUNE 1910 [under bottom right photo] / 129 [bottom left]trevor hart, bracketed eaves, intricate lacework, slate roof, bay windows, decorative brackets, caulfield north, labassa, richard a. billing, balaclava road, orrong road, sylliott hill, william lyall, crouch and wilson, alexander william robertson, ontario, 1880's, john a. b. koch, mansion, john boyd watson, labassa grove, french renaissance style, l-shaped arcaded verandah, bluestone plinths, balustraded parapet, flat topped mansard roofs, conical roof, elaborate cornices, corinthian columns, caryatid consoles, marble panels, imitation marble, scagliola, tower, conservatory, stables, tennis pavilion, mouldings, decorative glass, caryatids, swagged columns, ornamental cresting, trompe l'oeil ceiling, embossed imitation leather, oak parquetry, stained glass, tripartite window, triple window, ferguson and urie, 1870's, flats, 1920's, electric wiring, 1860's, verandahs, curved windows, arched windows, italianate, terraces, gargoyles, ornamentation, ornate entrance, la bassa, manor grove, st kilda east, gates, cast iron work, richard billing, architects, john koch, electrification, victorian style, drives, john mickle, land subdivision, mrs watson, labassa estate, robert hannon, national trust of australia (victoria), sculpture

Christmas card made from white stippled cardboard with a serrated edge, folded centrally with a photo of Rx and R class locomotives on the front of the Adelaide to Melbourne Express at Adelaide Railway Station c1900. The train later became known as The Overland. The first two carriages are Mansard Roofed Carriages. The photo has been printed as an illustration and then glued to the front of the card. On the inside of the card is a Greetings message from the Council and Members of the South Australian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society. See December 1999 issue of Newsrail for some information about the locomotives and carriages. Year not known, probably late 1960's. Would have been sent to Les Denmead by someone in the ARHS SA Division. See Newsrail Dec. 1999tramways, trams, adelaide, passenger trains, christmas cards, sar, arhs

Parry Collection In 2003, the Bendigo Town Hall was returned to its 19th-century splendour after an extensive restoration and renovation program including plasterworks, murals and gold leaf worked by artists and artisans. The original Bendigo Town Hall was designed in 1859 by Bendigo's town clerk, George Avery Fletcher. A council chamber was added in 1866 and a hall for the trading of grain, known as the Corn Exchange, was added in 1871-72. Although the architecture of the additional buildings adhered to that of the original building, the completed building was unpopular with both the citizens and council of the era. In a series of major works from 1878 to 1902 the Bendigo Town Hall was transformed by the architect William Vahland who was given the task of converting the hall into something worthy of Bendigo's leading position as the "City of Gold".[2] His work included extensive new offices, enlargement of the main hall and council chambers, the introduction of an interior decorative scheme, a clock tower and mansard roof. The exterior facades were also remodelled in the classical style. Vahland commissioned Otto Waschatz, who had just decorated the Royal Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, to design the hall's interior which featured decorative plaster adorned with 22-carat gold leaf, reflecting the opulence of the "city built on gold". The end result, completed in 1885, was one of Vahland's most significant works and has been considered the finest "boom style" building of its kind in Victoria.Bendigo Town Hall Self Tour and conservation timeline brochure. 1. A yellow paper map with the history of the town hall on one side and a self guide tour and plans on the other side. 2. A glossy 4 page guide to the history of the town hall and timeline.history, bendigo, merle lummis collection, bendigo town hall

Bendigo's Grandest Buildings are the Public Offices (1883-7) and the Law Courts (1892-6). Like the Town Hall they were described as Italian Renaissance in Design, but have high mansard roofs which give them a distinctly French air. They are so pompously Bendigonian that they stand well with Vahland's work, but in fact they originated in the Public Works Department, the architect for both being W.G. Watson. The building containing the Public Offices and Post Office has a frontage of 155 feet to Pall Mall and 100 feet to Williamson Street, and it was designed to include the post and telegraph offices and the postmaster's quarters. Public access was from the porch facing Pall Mall, and on the first floor were the police, water supply and crown lands departments, reached by a stair from the porch on the short façade. It was the largest building of its type outside of Melbourne, and was built in the grandest fashion of ornately stuccoed brick on a foundation of Harcourt granite, faced above ground level with bluestone. The floors of the porches and landings of the main stair are of encaustic tiles, the interior woodwork is of French polished cedar, and the major public rooms have coffered and enriched ceilings and cornices, and ornamentally panelled walls divided by pilasters. The building is surmounted by a tower rising to 130 feet, containing a great clock made by Thomas Gaunt of Melbourne, the chimes played on five bells weighing a total of three tons.bendigo, buildings, state offices

When the Commonwealth Post and Telegraph Act was passed in June 1902, and a national Postmaster General's Department (the PMG) was established the responsibility the nation's mail and telephone services fell on local Post Offices. The Bendigo Post Office was designed by Public Works architect George W Watson and constructed between 1883 and 1887. The two story brick structure with basement has unpainted rendered facades and a 43m high clock tower complete with 6 bell carillon. The facades are elaborately decorated with Corinthian pilasters, balustrading, lions' heads and the state mansard roof with cast iron ridging and finials. (VHR #4739). Situated on Pall Mall it has always been called the Bendigo Post Office even though it was not until 1891 that the name Bendigo was given to the town. The Bendigo Post Office housed much more than just postal services and the building contained many early government departments and services needed for a growing district. The building celebrated its centenary on the 30th September 1987 to much fan fare with Ted Rankins, the then Postal Manager planning many of the week long events including tours of the post office, a grand parade with cake and staff in period costume, a ball at the Shamrock and a barbeque in Rosalind Park. The Post Office ceased providing postal services in 1997 after the privitisation Australia Post and Telstra but continues to play a central role for the community, providing important services to visitors and locals alike. Currently it is occupied by Bendigo Tourism and includes two exhibition spaces including the Living Arts Space and Djaa Djuwima a dedicated and permanent First Nations Gallery. Activities at the Post Office are supported by City of Greater Bendigo staff and a dedicated group of volunteers. These items are part of the postal collection donated by the Rankins family in memory of the last postal manager at the Bendigo Post Office, Ted Rankins. 0364.1: Single sided printed 'Order of Proceedings' flyer; Outlines the running of events for the celebrations on Wednesday 30 September, 1987 at the Post Office with the centenary logo centre top in crimson ink. 0364.2: Single sided, four-colour printed, DL size invitation for celebrations marking the centenary of the Post Office on Wednesday 30 September, 1987. 0364.3,.4,.5,.6,.7: Printed cake bag with centenary logo and image of Bendigo Post Office printed on front in crimson ink. 0364.8,.9,.10,.11: Square note paper with centenary logo and border printed in crimson ink. 0364.12 Envelope: Australia Post envelope with Bendigo 100th anniversary images. Date stamped and addressed to Mr Edmondston Postmaster, Elmore. bendigo post office, bendigo tourism, city of greater bendigo tourism, post office collection, ted rankins collection, city of greater bendigo volunteers

Bendigo Town Hall, Heritage Victoria ''A Goldfields Palace Blue Leaflet'' with coloured photographs and white text. Photographs courtesy of Westox Pty Ltd and the City of Greater Bendigo. 2002. Front page features the extensive work that would be undertaken for the restoration. A time line beginning 1851, gold discovered in Bendigo. 1854 German-born W. C. Vahland arrived in the colony. 1855 Town of Sandhurst (Bendigo) became a municipality. 1856 First Town Hall was a small timber building on View point. 1857 Vahland sets up his architectural practice with Robert Getzschmann. 1859 A new, two-storey Italianate Town hall designed by George Fletcher, Town Surveyor, was built. 1866-77 Two-storey extension added to the north of the building to house the council chamber. 1871-72 Addition of the Corn Exchange comprising two storeys and a basement to the north of the building. 1878-87 Major remodelling of the exterior and interior carried out to the designs of architect W. C. Vahland. The work comprised major extensions and the addition of three towers and mansard roof, reconstruction of the main stair, decorative plasterwork by Otto Waschatz (decorated Royal palace, Copenhagen), and council chamber painted by W. J. Straugher. 1902 Painting of the main hall by Coulter and Smith of Bendigo. 1913-15 Remodelling of offices. 1926 Replacement of main Hargreaves Street hall entrance, foyer and balcony with stage. 2000 Restoration works to the Town hall commence. The middle pages and the back show some of the conservation works that were required.bendigo, tourism, town hall restoration, 4-2000 www.heritage.vic.gov.au