Local Government
Perth
Region
Metropolitan
There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.
Location
28 Barrack St Perth
Location Details
Also PART OF 3480 REGISTERED AS PART OF 1973 Alternative Address: 589 Hay Street, Perth
Other Name(s)
Dept of Land Admin Offices - DOLA
Construction Date
Constructed from 1874 to 1907
Demolition Year
N/AStatutory Heritage Listings
| Type | Status | Date | Documents | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage List | Adopted | 20 Dec 1985 |
Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Other Heritage Listings and Surveys
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | More information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Description | ||||
| Register of the National Estate | Permanent | 21 Mar 1978 |
|
Heritage Council | |
| Classified by the National Trust | Classified | 11 Jun 1973 |
|
Heritage Council | |
| Perth Draft Inventory 99-01 | YES | 31 Dec 1999 |
|
Heritage Council | |
| Local Heritage Survey | Completed\Draft | Category 1 |
Category 1 |
||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 13 Mar 2001 | Category 1 |
Category 1 |
|
| Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 28 Mar 2023 | Category 1 |
Category 1 |
|
Statement of Significance
The principal buildings within the Civic Precinct are closely associated with numerous notable persons and events in the history of local and State administration.
The place is associated with the symbolic felling of a tree in 1829 to mark the foundation of the Swan River Colony.
The principal buildings within the precinct, the Town Hall and the Central Government Offices, are fine examples of the aesthetic character of nineteenth century colonial administrative offices.
Within the precinct, the Town Hall is associated with the State's history of convict transportation, and the Central Government Offices with the later period of self-government.
Physical Description
A complex of government offices fronting Cathedral Ave and St. George's Tce constructed between 1874 & 1905. The first two floors of the west and east wings of the treasury building were designed by RR Jewell in the Victorian Georgian Style. The southern wing (GPO) the Lands and Surveys Building and the third floors of the east and west wings of the Treasury were designed by Poole, Grainger and Beasley in the Victorian Second Empire Style. The Titles Office (north wing) designed by Poole in the Federation Free Classical style breaks continuity of the Victorian Second Empire style used throughout the rest of the complex.
History
The Central Government Offices are a complex of Victorian public buildings erected from 1874 to c 1905. The northern half of the west wing was commenced in 1874, and in 1882 the lower two storeys of the east wing were built. Two sections were designed by the contemporary government architect, R.R Jewell. The section linking these two wings was built from 1887 to 1890 to designs by G T Poole and was at that time used for the General Post Office. The third storey was added in 1896, 1903 and 1905. The north-eastern section of the complex was built in 1896, also under Poole's supervision The present imposing complex is a unified group in the Victorian Second Empire style (except for the north-eastern section which is in a Federation Free Classical style) with mellow brickwork, elaborate stuccoed decoration and projecting pilasters. This group of early civic buildings occupies nearly an entire city block.
The location of Central Government offices was one of the first locations to be developed after the colony was granted Representative Government in 1890. The first buildings to be built were for government use including a barracks and armoury. After this, a post office was established on the site and the Town Hall was constructed between 1867 and 1870. The Treasury building construction started in 1874 with a southern wing added in 1889. The Lands Department building was constructed in 1893 and the Titles office was built in 1897 to accommodate the staff who were surveying land and providing titles for it as a result of the Gold Boom when more land was being developed. All three buildings were designed by George Temple Poole. The buildings were all altered in the early twentieth century to provide more office space for these departments. In the second half of the twentieth century Government departments moved from the building for new buildings and the site was vacant for twenty years. In 2011 works began on the site’s redevelopment for a luxury hotel and Government offices in a new tower, restaurant and retail spaces on the ground floor. These works resulted in the demolition of some of the original parts of the buildings.
Integrity/Authenticity
Medium integrity.
Medium level of authenticity as the place has been changed internally.
Condition
Good
Associations
| Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Temple Poole; Hilson Beasley; John Grainger; Richard Roach Jewell | Architect | - | - |
References
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q 720.9 | Architecture in Western Australia | Royal Australian Architects | 1958 |
| Q 720.994 | AUS Historic Public Buildings of Australia, pp 242-247 | 1971 | |
| Q 720.9 | OLD Western Heritage, pp 17, 34, 70, 72-74 | App Cby Oldham, R. J | 1967 |
| 720.9941 | COW Perth and Suburbs - Buildings Classified and Recorded by the National Trust , pp 13 | COW by Cownie, Marie and Stewart recorded by National Trust | 1979 |
| Central Government Offices Conservation Plan Building Management Authority | For Government Property Office | 1994 | |
| 720.9941 | HAR Vanishing Ink | HAR by Hare T | 1975 |
| Q 720.994 | SMI Treasures Of Australia, pp 131 | Smith, R and Flower, C | 1983 |
| PHD Thesis (UWA) New Architecture of the Gold Boom in W.A. Government Buildings under direction G.T. Poole, pp 171-178 | By Van Breman I | 1990 | |
| 720.9941 | WES Western Towns and Buildings), pp 113, 138, 139, 200, 203, 218, 270 | WES by Pitt Morrison, M and White , J (Ed) | 1979 |
| HCWA Assessment, Australian Heritage Council 'The Heritage of Western Australia', p 34 | HCWA by Macmillan | 1989 | |
| Q 720.99411 | EMA Portraits of Perth | Cedric, Emanuel and Ward, Kirwan | 1977 |
| Q 709.941 | 1988 Essays of Art and Architecture in W.A. , pp 78-79, 80, 81 | 1998 | |
| Q 720.9941 | OLD George Temple- Poole, pp 111-118 | Oldham, Ray and John | 1980 |
State Heritage Office library entries
| Library Id | Title | Medium | Year Of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7811 | St George's Cathedral vision & Perth establishment precinct. | C D Rom | 2005 |
| 7378 | New performing arts venue : site evaluation report. | Report | 2004 |
| 6981 | A visitors' guide to Perth and suburbs : 1949 issue. | Book | 1949 |
| 10012 | Old Treasury Buildings Perth: archival record | Archival Record | 2012 |
| 9567 | Old Treasury buildings redevelopment, volume 1: part A - schematic design report; part B - drawings; part C - consultant reports. | Loose-leaf | 2008 |
| 3963 | Old Treasury Building Property Memorandum | Report | 1998 |
| 10130 | Old Treasury Buildings; Postal Hall Roof Curtains archival record. | Archival Record | 2013 |
| 10125 | Old Treasury Buildings - archival window schedule | Archival Record | 2013 |
| 9929 | A new library and plaza for the City of Perth. | Other | 0 |
Place Type
Individual Building or Group
Uses
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | GOVERNMENTAL | Office or Administration Bldg |
| Present Use | VACANT\UNUSED | Vacant\Unused |
Architectural Styles
| Style |
|---|
| Victorian Second Empire |
| Federation Free Classical |
| Victorian Georgian |
Construction Materials
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | BRICK | Common Brick |
Creation Date
17 Aug 1995Publish place record online (inHerit):
ApprovedLast Update
06 May 2024Disclaimer
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.