4 May 2018:
Some more #LostMelbourne, but partially rescued too – these #atlantes once held up the 1880 #colonialbank #doorway, now an entry to the 1972 #Melbourneuniversity #undergroundcarpark. The #ColonialBankofAustralasia head office was one of the grand 19thC City banks, built 1880, cnr of Elizabeth Street and #littlecollinsstreet, oddly not amongst the grand banks of #collinsstreet (think because here already), but facing towards them, and made up for it with very elaborate design by the prolific architects #smithandjohnson. Image 2 is only photo I could find, from 1918.
The bank was absorbed by the NAB, so they sold the building, and a rather innocuous small 30s building replaced it, #HoddleHouse.
The elaborate entry was donated to #Melbourneuniversity, but seems not the statuary on top. First used as entry to an existing faculty, then that was dem in the early 70s when the carpark was being planned, so here it is. Main image Wikipedia, bank image State Library Vic., then one from Early Melbourne Architecture showing first setting at melb uni, last one mine.
The State Library has this lovely print of the design from 1880, but doesn’t say where from.
2026 more detail on the rescuing :
The Colonial Bank was absorbed by the NAB in 1918, and in early 1932 perhaps due to the depression they sold the old HQ, to be replaced by Hoddle House.
Newspapers soon reported that the bank had donated the entry sculptures, thought to be by James Gilbert and carved in bluestone, to Melbourne University, possibly as part of a building /architecture display. In the event though it was just the doorway, with its muscular atlantes, and not the carving on top, representing Labour and Commerce, that was reused as an entry to the existing medical faculty building. Then when that was dem in the early 70s and the famous Mad Max 1972 #Melbourneuniversity undergroundcarpark was being built, it was moved there to serve as an entrance, losing the pediment in the process.
All pics @library_vic, except last image Wikipedia.
Storey of Melbourne 