Original post 10 October 2019

Three blocks, the Pacific, Atlantic and the Orion on the pointy corner of Grey & Barkly, #StKilda, built 1934-5, and all by the prolific #BernardEvans. Here he’s doing something that looks a bit like early #IGAnderson, who did an unbuilt design for this corner, possibly in his Spanish/Gothic/Deco as seen on the 1930 Brunswick Market. These are built on the site created by the demolition of the first St Kilda Town Hall, built 1859.

Some photos July 2026

Orion was described at the time in 1934 as ‘modernistic’, an unusual style for architect #BernardEvans, then in his early 30s, who went on to a long an eventful career. He designed many flats, into the 1950s, then commercial buildings, was twice Lord Mayor of Melb in 1959-61, designed the 26 floor CRA tower in Collins, in 1962 the tallest in the city (dem 1988), championed the city square in the late 60s, and finally retired under somewhat of a cloud of possible conflicts of interest in the early 70s.

The old St Kilda Town Hall

• Uncategorized