First posted instagram January 24, 2020 

This curious building in the middle of St Vincent’s Hospital on Victoria Parade was built as the Hall of Science in 1889 by the Australian Secular Association, a pretty radical organisation who lectured on ‘freethought’, which was basically seen as anti-religious – and they had their meetings on Sundays. They didn’t hang on to it very long though, and St Vincent’s bought it in 1913.

It’s ironic that the new owners are a Catholic institution, who successfully argued against it being added to the Victorian Heritage Register in about 2011 – which was a big surprise to me, I mean how many Secular Halls do we have ? The Heritage Council thought that since it wasn’t used much, the historic importance was slight, but then they built it didn’t they ?

And a lot happened in and about the hall itself – the Secularists were led by English ‘Freethought’ figure Joseph Symes, who fell out with the Trustees of the Society, and the pro- and anti-Symes factions came to actual blows over the occupation of the hall in June 1890 (during which a secularist was shot and killed by accident), and they kept fighting over it for the next few years, both on the ground and in the courts. Symes eventually got it back in 1897, but it wasn’t the same, and he left Australia in 1904. Fascinating.

It is heritage listed as Contributory by the City of Yarra, but that might not prevent demolition, but maybe they’ll just keep the facade ? They’ve already demolished the c1912 Druids Wing next door, and apparently theyre planning to demolish the other side, so it doesn’t look good. Though you could fairly easily build over it, even columns through the roof would be ok.

Free Thought Hall, Victoria Parade, c1958, Uni Melb Archives

Update 2023: In Jan 2021 a glassy boxy too big I think 10 storey building for the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery was announced, replacing the 1950s cream brick former nurses home on the Nicholson Street corner. Construction started late 2022, and at the same time they demolished most of the hall, but seem to have left maybe 8m of roof. (Image Graeme Butler)

Streetview 2023

Not sure if this is the actual plan here, but something like this likely. Meanwhile, this is the Aikenhead Centre design on the corner :

26 August 2025

I knew this was happening as part of the St Vincent’s Aikenhead Centre, and it is an awful looking compromise- and they’ve done the thing of exposing the side, to give it ‘space’ ? but just makes it look like there’s only a facade, though there is in fact a few metres depth of roof too (thanks to @annettecooper8700 for the pics).

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