24 July 2024
Collins Street Baptist Church, designed by Reed &
Barnes, completed in 1862. Heritage Victoria describes it as “modelled on a Roman temple and is Reed’s finest and purest achievement in the giant Corinthian Order”, and it is pretty impressive and delicately detailed. Set on a raised podium, with quite a few steps, like a grand public building. Nice original lamps too, but pity about the glazed screen, maybe some homeless were camping out ? It wasn’t open when I took the pics a few weeks ago. Inside is quite plain (pic from the internet), a big square room that could seat 1000. Found pics on FB going back in time, 1943, 1900 and c1870, when it looked more impressive with only low or setback buildings either side, and a long fence. Interesting to note that there are two other Baptist Churches almost matching in date, by other architects; one in Albert Street East Melbourne (not far from the Collins St one), designed 1858, front not built till 1865 (my pic), and Ballarat, completed 1867 (the internet). They both look just as fine, though the Collins Street columns have better entasis (the slight curve). East Melbourne now just a facade, and Ballarat was converted to a home in 2020 with floors inserted, not a great result imho.
25 July 2020:
This very cute and curious little shop in Collins Street was built by the Baptist Church in 1929, architects #GawlerAndDrummond, to add a bit of income – but it also provides access to a corridor running back to an 8 level, small floor area building called Central House that only looks into lanes and light wells, which they thought would be offices for them, but has always been at least partly rented out. The floor directly behind the church connects through, and is used for robing etc, the floor above is a meeting room, the basement has / had a big kitchen.
The name reflects their long gone Central Hall, their meeting room, which faced little Collins, and was replaced in 1928 by an extension for the Victoria Hotel, with a new Central Hall at ground level, which became the Grosvenor Cinema 1942-68. Central House currently houses some Baptist outreach services, but also a printing firm (2024). Last 3 photos 2024. Some commenters on Instagram said the shop was L’Officiel ‘upmarket womens wear’ in the 70s, then Trellini boutique in the 80s.
Storey of Melbourne 