17 June 2025

The vey fine State Government Offices behind the Treasury Building are the result of a competition held in 1962, and here are many of the losers ! Never seen them before, published in Cross Section magazine in March and April 1963.

The oft-told story is that Yuncken Freeman won despite not conforming to the brief, which called for a tower right behind the Old Treasury, but it’s clear they weren’t the only ones. Their design is the most elegant as well.

Pics 1, 2 are the entry from Godfrey Spowers Hughs Mewton & Lobb, I rather like it, in that view anyway. Second prize went to McKay & Potter (pic 3), with an overly long low block, third to Leith & Bartlett (4, 5), looking a lot like the winners, YF, pics 6-8 (mine from 2019).

Of the rest some are almost neoclassical (not the best from Best Overend), some boring typical 60s, some a bit wild (Stephenson Turner, who’d have thought?), but I still think we got the best. The magazine is available through the Uni Melb library, which also has a few of the original photos used, hence the two clear B&W pics. There must have been a lot of models !

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