The Old Versus the New - a photo on Flickriver

            Once a local landmark, and admired for its dizzying clock tower height, the Melbourne General Post Office on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets is now dwarfed by the State Bank Centre; former Commonwealth Bank headquarters on the diagonal corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets.

The first Melbourne General Post Office was built on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets in the centre of the Melbourne grid of streets in 1852.  It was replaced in 1859 by the current, much grander building.  The architects Crouch and Wilson won a competition to build it, but a scandal was caused when the government adopted the second-placed design of A. E. Johnson.  The Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, William Wardell, is also known to have influenced the final design.  The initial two storey building was completed by 1867. As a result of severe overcrowding a new design by Mr. Johnson added a third storey and tower by 1887, with the work supervised by Peter Kerr of the Public Works Department.  The new Mansard roofs gave the building a touch of the French Second Empire style.  The first level features Doric columns, the second level features Ionic columns and the third level which was built in 1887 features Corinthian columns.  Between 1906 and 1907, additions were made to the Elizabeth Street facade consisting of two storeys and a basement constructed by Swanson Brothers.  The original intention to extend as far north as Little Bourke Street was never realised. In 1919 the original sorting hall was converted to a light filled public space following designs by two architects, Walter Burley Griffin and J. S. Murdoch.  The Melbourne General Post Office was the venue for Postal and Telegraphic conferences in 1892 and 1897, in the lead up to Federation, at which the colonial postal authorities discussed rationalising international postal routes to Australia.  

In 1992, Australia Post announced that the Melbourne General Post Office building would no longer serve as a postal center with plans to move to newer, more modern and more suitable premises.  In 1993 plans to transform the space into a shopping plaza were granted, however this never eventuated. 
 
In 1997, more plans were put forward this time to develop a five star hotel including a ten level extension, but these plans were seen through.  By September 2001, the Melbourne General Post Office building was still looking for a modern day purpose when a fire significantly damaged its interior.  It took three years to restore the building to its former glory and the ceiling was repainted a lighter shade in accordance to the original design.  

In 2004, it reopened as a retail centre featuring a range of shops from large retail chains to small boutique shops.  It also featured Venetian style dining along the colonnade.  In 2014, retail fashion giant H&M opened Australia’s flagship store which occupies three levels and almost 5,000 square metres of the Melbourne General Post Office building.

The State Bank Centre at 385 Bourke Street is a high-rise office building consisting of 41 floors.  Completed in 1983 it was designed and constructed by the building firm Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb, which today is now Designinc Melbourne.  It is the former head office of the State Bank of Victoria and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.  The Commonwealth Bank's main Melbourne branch is still located on the prestigious corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets.  The lower levels of the building also house the Galleria shopping plaza.

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Melbourne (show map)

Taken on: December 23, 2019

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Melbourne GPO

GPO

post office

building

architecture

1859

A E Johnson

architecturally designed

landmark

clock

time

clock face

mansard roof

Second Empire

Second Empire building

Second Empire architecture

1850s

window

windows

clock tower

ornate

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arched windows

arched window

Melbourne CBD

Elizabeth Street

Bourke Street

Bourke Street Mall

Elizabeth St

Bourke St

Melbourne

Victoria

Australia

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mid Victorian

Victoriana

Nineteenth Century

19th Century

William Wardell

Melbourne architecture

commercial building

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Victorian Second Empire style

Victorian Second Empire architecture

Victorian Second Empire

Victorian Second Empire building

stone

concrete

1980s

1983

high rise

skyscraper

State Bank Centre

Twentieth Century

20th Century

Eggleston MacDonald and Secomb

Eggleston MacDonald & Secomb

Designinc Melbourne

Designinc

State Bank of Victoria

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/4.9, 1/160 sec, 18.6mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/4.9
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	18.6mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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