January 2026
The 2016 trend has just led me to this – the demolition of Dallas Brooks Hall in Albert Street. I’d pretty much forgotten about it, and don’t have and can’t find any good pics, except a the demo ones by @tristan_davies. Pic 3 is mine I think.
It was built in 1969, and designed by Godfrey Spowers in modern ‘classical’ style, but with the beam half way up and the curvey detached cornice thing, it just didn’t work. The 1968 National Library in Canberra is much better. The interiors here weren’t much either.
The @nationaltrustvic tried nominating to Heritage Victoria but they said no. The @cityofmelbourne weren’t interested either, though it had a long history as a place of important meetings and live music. It replaced the first big bluestone PLC, which had moved to Burwood. The hall was replaced by the huge glassy Eastbourne, completed 2019, which I havnt actually seen I now realise.
Storey of Melbourne 
Looks like a giant city jungle
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The internal planning of the building was noteworthy. An axial foyer running north-south through the building with an open stairs rising through the building, secured by decorative sliding screens with masonic devices. This also divided the semi-public spaces Hall, supper rooms etc. From the Lodges which oppupied the western wing of the building. Prior to demolition these were very intact, exhibiting very high quality mosaic tile work and bespoke furniture. Dallas Brooks Hall, with its excellent acoustics and furnishings was also very intact, and retained most of its original signage and foyer furnishings. The largest lodge room in the building was the Hall itself. While it pales in comparison to the similarly classical lodge in San Francisco which was visited by the architects, it was still a significant loss, especially when the building could have been retained as a podium or interconnected with a development to Victoria Parade.
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Didn’t know any of that !
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