October 2018

One of the many big colleges built on reserved land on a big curve around the top of the Uni. This one was the #Methodist / Wesleyan reserve. It’s impressive but plain and that tower is a bit top heavy; I see now that it’s got a whole extra tall top level that wasn’t in the original design of 1887, by #TerryandOakden, described then as in #PerpendicularGothic. Only the left (south) wing was built at first, opening March 1888 – the rest, including the tower, was built 1920-23, designed by A S Eggleston (a lay Methodist preacher), who made the tower more symmetrical and taller – maybe these odd changes are the reason this building is only locally #heritagelisted.

Rather nice Tudor/Gothic Revival details – the entry archway is from stage 2, while the window is from the first stage. The new wing broadly matches the old, except there’s arched windows at one end, marking the impressive double height Chapel (not my photo). The front fence looks original, but actually was put here in the 1990s, relocated from the 1916 Queen Victoria Hospital in the city.

The original design is often attributed to Oakden Addison & Kemp, but the firm only got that name in 1887, and the newspaper report on the original design says it’s the earlier firm, though Addison and HH Kemp were there, so might well have had a hand.

• victorian