The Old Treasury Building on
Spring Street Spring Street may refer to:
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* Spring Street (Manhattan), New York City, USA
* Spring Street, Melbourne, Australia
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* Spring St (website), a US based lifestyle website
Subway and trolle ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, built 1858-62 as a home for the Treasury Department of the
Government of Victoria
The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and ...
as well as the Governor In Council, now houses a range of functions, including a
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...
of Melbourne history, known as Old Treasury Building Museum.
History
The Treasury Building was constructed between 1858–62, and is considered one of Australia's finest
Renaissance Revival buildings, constructed in
palazzo form and built from wealth accumulated during the
Victorian Gold Rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capit ...
. One original purpose was to house some of that wealth in the 'gold vaults' in the basement, but by the time it was finished the rush was over, and they were used to store government documents instead.
The building was designed by young architect
J. J. Clark who was just 19 years of age. The oldest surviving designs for the building date back to 1857, and many of J J Clark's drafts are on display throughout the building. Clark later went on to design many government buildings both in Victoria and elsewhere, notably the
Brisbane Treasury in
Queensland
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, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, considered to be another fine example in a classical style. Architectural historian
Miles Lewis
Professor Miles Lewis (born 1943, Amersham, UK) is an Australian academic serving as a Professor in the Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning, at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is one of Australia's most notable Architectur ...
once described The Old Treasury as the "finest public building exterior in Australia".
While the building itself was completed in 1862, a shortage of funds meant that the forecourt remained unfinished. Until 1868 the front steps and terrace were temporary, with individual staircases leading to the three main front doors. These were replaced with the grand forecourt still standing today.
It is the cornerstone of the Treasury Reserve government precinct adjacent to the
Treasury Gardens and creates an important
vista terminating
Collins Street, the financial spine of the city.
When the official treasury offices were moved next door to 2 Treasury Place in 1877-78, the building was nicknamed the 'Old Treasury'.
As a leading public building in Melbourne, located in a prominent position with open space around it, the Old Treasury has been the focus for many celebrations and major public events. The arrivals and departures of the Governors of Victoria were occasions for expressions of loyalty to the Crown and sometimes for political statements.
In recent years it has been the destination for the
Grand Final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. S ...
parade of AFL footballers.
The building is also notable for its role when Melbourne was the temporary capital city of Australia after Federation, with the National Executive Council meeting there.
Previously in February 1899, a "secret" Premiers' conference was convened, when it was decided Melbourne's
Parliament House would be the temporary capital until the location of the
Australian National Capital was officially decided.
Establishment of a museum
During the 1970s, the Victorian government, led by Premier
Dick Hamer was developing policy for museums in Victoria. In 1981, Hamer's Arts Minister, the Hon.
Norman Lacy, established a Museums Development Committee to develop a comprehensive museums policy for Victori
He then also proposed to the Executive Committee of Victoria's 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 1984 that a new Museum of Social and Political History be established at the Old Treasury Building.
Finally in 1994 after restoration of the building, the Old Treasury Building Museum was opened with exhibitions detailing the
history of Melbourne, the
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capit ...
, and the history of the building.
Operations of the buildings and the museum are vested in an Old Treasury Building Reserve Committee of Management, and is a registered charity. The Museum has changed name a number of times, becoming the Gold Treasury Museum, the City Museum at Old Treasury and then the Old Treasury Building Museum again. Since 2011 it has presented programs in partnership with
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV).
In the media
The Old Treasury Building features in the climactic sequence of the film ''
Knowing'' (2009). Though set in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Massachusetts, the movie was shot in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
(the two cities are officially recognised as being
sister cities). A number of other Melbourne landmarks are also featured.
Occupants
The Old Treasury was built to house the Treasury Department and store gold, but also provided offices for the leaders of the young colony, including the Governor, the Premier (at the time called Chief Secretary), the Treasurer and the Auditor General.
Since its construction in 1862, it has also held the office of
His Excellency
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the ri ...
the
Governor of Victoria
The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and t ...
, who still holds weekly meetings of the
Executive Council, consisting of the Governor and at least two
Ministers of the Crown, that is, the leaders of the governing party. The ''Governor in Council'' as this meeting is called, is the formal enacting of
legislation
Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...
when the Governor's signature and the
Great Seal of Victoria is put in place on the
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Pla ...
. Various other appointments and other regulations are also formally made at this weekly meeting, upon the advice of the
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
and
Parliament of Victoria.
In addition to the museum, the Old Treasury Building is now home to Leadership Victoria, th
Office of the Victorian Government ArchitectThe Victorian Marriage Registry and offices for most living former Premiers of Victoria.
References
* The Treasury Reserve. Frances O'Neil. Department of Infrastructure. 2000.
External links
Old Treasury BuildingPublic Records Office VictoriaA Submission for a Museum of Social and Political History at the Old Treasury Building to the Executive Committee of Victoria's 150th Anniversary Celebrations in July 1981
{{Melbourne landmarks
Museums in Melbourne
History museums in Australia
Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre
Government buildings completed in 1862
1862 establishments in Australia
Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne
Italian Renaissance Revival architecture
Landmarks in Melbourne
2010 establishments in Australia