4 TREASURY PLACE
When it was apparent that a more permanent national capital was still many years away, debates began in Parliament regarding the expense of renting ever more properties for the expanding Commonwealth government. A decision was made to erect the first purpose-built Commonwealth Office building and Victoria generously provided land at the eastern end of the Treasury Reserve in January 1911. By 1910 Commonwealth departments were dispersed all over the city and there was some suggestion in Parliament that an attempt should be made to accommodate all government departments in the new building. This was never achieved, departments expanded into the spaces vacated.
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| Commonwealt Offices, facing north-east. (Image: SLV) |
The Commonwealth Minister for Home Affairs, King O'Malley, had charge of the project. He succeeded in alienating many during his career and in this instance fell foul of the Victorian Public Works Department, after rejecting their proposed designs for the building, and the Master Builders' Association, for employing direct labour to build it. When wet weather delayed construction, O'Malley further outraged the MBA by paying wet weather rates to the workers on site. The first stage of the building was ready for occupation in July 1912 however, and the Prime Minister's office, Treasury, Attorney General and Postmaster General were all installed by August. The second stage facing St Andrews Place was completed in 1914.
John Smith Murdoch, the Commonwealth's first architect, designed the building. It is similar in scale and proportion to the Victorian Public Works Department proposal, but the style is a more elaborate, curvaceous Edwardian Baroque. Accommodation included the Prime Minister's residence as well as offices for several Commonwealth departments. Fireproof construction of reinforced concrete and rendered brick walls was employed to protect the building and the basement, planned as Strong Rooms for the Commonwealth Treasury's gold reserves and bank notes. The interiors are simply detailed, the greatest attention shown in the entry foyers and public access areas. The ground floor entry level features three colours of Bruthen marble and refined timber joinery.
The Commonwealth Offices still provide office accommodation for federal ministers as well as the Governor General when he is visiting Melbourne. The building is currently undergoing renovation and restoration. The project is scheduled for completion in April 2001.