UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
CROSS-SECTION
Issue No. 37 November I, 1955.
Traffic at peak periods in Melb's Swanston-st was organised into "platoons" by police amplifiers & with control lights synchronised to let platoons through with- out stopping, if 22 mph ("no more, no less, drivers") could be maintained. Movement was greatly improved, at least in Swanston-st if not in intersecting streets.
/There was talk by Melb CC of a pre-Christmas start on the £3m bridge for King-st, parallel to Swanston-st.
Christmas, 1955, they appeared to mean. /Melb CC engineer, Mr L Frazer resigned. (His traffic plan diagram, incl the King-st bridge was reproduced in C-S Oct '54). He will join a private practice. The Council "was stunned."
11" At a managerial conference in Melb, a rep of Bergers Ltd stated that 80% of their products go to amateurs, & the amateur painter enquires more about quality, less about cost, than does the professional.
11 The paint-manuf'r-sponsored Festival of Colour Exhib'n (C-S Oct '55) moved from Brisb to Syd. Its 14 rms were re-erected at the Trocadero & mannequins showed spring fashions in them.
The new 92-acre-flr-area works for H J Heinz, near Dandenong & 21 miles from Melb (C-S Nov '52) neared completion. Work commenced in Jan '53.
Since then 5,500 tons of cement, I+m bricks, 2+ acres of asb cam, 2a acres of glass have been installed. The result is impressive from all angles. These 2 illustrations show the size of project (above, from Princes Highway)
& the neatness of design sustained in most areas.
To the sth, this 50,000 gal water tower, & adjacent treatment plant (left), cope with I mil gals per day, while the 3 steam generators, coal fired, can produce 150,000 lb steam per hour. (Hassell & McConnell, arch'ts; E A Watts, bldrs; £3m)
11 At Herberton, Q'land, hospital, an 1£11,000 kitchen block was opened.
11 At Padstow, Syd, a hotel which cost £80,000 was opened. The grd flr wall & columns feature brightly coloured tiled finish; the saloon bar is panelled
in
Q'land maple. It has a beer garden. (Lipson & Kaad arch'ts; Tyler Bros, bldrs). /Mr Peter Kaad left for
USA & other countries, +o study hotel planning.
IT The NSW Rural Bank opened a branch of Banks- town, Syd. It is brick & granite clad, & appears to have been designed about 15 yrs ago. Another branch was opened at Fairfield, others are under constr'n at Rockdale, Penrith, Katoomba & Spit Junction. (Rural Bank arch'I dept; E J Brown Ltd, bldr at Bankstown)
These are 3 of the 14 exciting structures to be erected in Adelaide's Botanic Park for the bth Arch'I Conven- tion in May next yr. Off-site work will begin this
month. The team of 10 arch'ts handling the exhib'n are led by Mr Keith Neighbour. The aim is to house exhibits (bldg trades, plastics, house fittings, timber, etc) in structures which will themselves be exhibits of advanced technique, materials & design, all carefully distributed in wooded surroundings. The illustrations are of the International Pavilion & of the Timbers Pavilion & the Exhib'n Entrance.
11 At the 49th annual convention of the Master Build- ers' Fed'n, in Brisb, the most-repeated comments were on the industry's buoyancy & its shortages. Vic MBA estimates that the State could use another 20,000 bldg workers. The Vict'n MBA pres, Mr W Longmuir, de- scribed to the convention the Melb Univ scheme, for a school of Bldg Science (C-S Aug '55), commenting that "such a scheme could result in better equipped bldg executives, raise the status of bldrs immeasurably."
11 At Wahroonga, Kuring-gai, NSW, a £9,000 kinder- garten was completed . . . £345 per sq, brick constr'n with an alum'n roof. It is planned for occasional use as a community hall. (Mrs E Cullis, Syd, arch't; Miller
& Henry, bldrs)
IT Remodelling of Economic Stores Bldg, Perth, was partly completed & the basement reopened. (Oldham, Boas, Ednie Brown & partners, arch'ts)
11 New studios & offices for st'n BPR were opened at 340 Hay-st East Perth, costing £30,000. (Henderson &
Thompson, arch'ts)
IT Adelaide's satellite town north of Salisbury will be officially opened by the SA premier this month, by which time 7 shops & 150 houses should be occupied.
There have been at least 8 names suggested for it.
This depot for Com'Ith Sugar Refining Ltd, at Wes+
Heidelberg, Melb, features neatly exposed steel frames painted black, for both admin block, left, & store, right. (Yuncken, Freeman Bros, Griffiths & Simpson, arch'ts; Frank Dixon, struct eng'eer; W C Burne & Sons, bldr)
11 Improvements begun at Willowburn, the mental hospital at Toowoomba, Q'land, will cost £100,000.
Drwgs & spec were completed for this, the 1st resid'I college for Syd Univ of Technology, at Kensington.
It is designed to reflect something of the Aust'n way of life, according to its authors, Messrs Neville Ander- son & 2 other members of the U of T's staff. Inner courtyards are surrounded by verandahs giving access to lobbies, in their turn to rooms. Landscaping &
sculpture "will enhance the appearance of the court- yards."
II
Several mnths ago a Glasgow bldr, Mr John Law- rence, demonstrated the constr'n of a 7-rm house whose external walls are made of his Bellrock gypsum panels. A process he patented makes the gypsum plaster weatherproof. Erection of the house took min'm labour & only 7 days. Since then he has licensed the erection of his Bellrock houses in France, Egypt, Iraq & 2 African countries, & "has begun negotiations in Aust & New Zealand." /In SA the reinf gypsum wall constr'n developed there, & used now in Vic, was put into use by the Housing Trust. It needs a veneer.IT
On the George-st frontage of Farmer & Co's Syd retail store, extensions are under way, in appearance matching the existing facade. In Dank-st, Waterloo, a 2-storey delivery depot for Farmer's is being built.(Robertson & Marks, Farmer arch'ts; Trussed Concrete Steel Co (Aust), struct eng'eers; Howie Moffat &
Co, bldrs)
IT
The grd-flr of Bebarfalds retail store, in George-st Syd, was remodelled. Old enclosed window display has been replaced with views into selling areas. The altera- tions were designed & constructed by Frank G O'Brien Ltd, Syd; interior fittings by T S Gill & son, Melb.IT
At Liverpool power house, Casula, NSW, a 250 ft steel chimney-5 lengths welded together on the site—was erected in one
hour.
TT
At Charters Towers, Oland, a memorial chapel will be built seating 300, for All Souls School. (Ford Hutton & Newell, Townsville office, arch'ts)This design was approved by the NSW licensing court, for a hotel at Revesby. The 68 ft circular lounge will be domed with prefab'd structural panels built up of laminated timber and Masonite, site-covered with alum'n. There are 14 bedrms. (David King, McKiernan
& Burgess, arch'ts; estimate £140,000)
The Senate com'tee examining Canberra (C-S May '55, for comments on Griffin's layout) tabled its report.
Six of the 7 senators recommended appointing six permanent "planning & works directors" to guide future development, they being responsible to a Senate Stand- ing Com'tee of 7. Dissenting Senator Wood de- nounced all these controllers as extravagences & recom- mended an immediate redesign of Canberra's town plan "by a first class town planner."
¶ The Hobart Chamber of Commerce set up a com'tee to support & examine town planning.
R A Syd pest-control contractor Mr T Maxwell, demon- strated a system of permanently-installed poison sprays for combating white ants. He attaches Dunlop Flexa- vin plastic tubing, pierced near every stump, to all bearers. Outside the bldg a point of attachment takes poison from a stirrup pump, administered by the house- holder at regular intervals.
This shopping centre for New Adiminaby, Snowy Mts, will keep parking & pedestrians off main roads & leave generous planting space. (Prof Dennis Winston, Syd, town planner)
IT
The Perth Road Board asked its engineer to design several alternatives for bus shelters. They will compare them with a design proffered by an advertising com- pany to be erected at the Co's cost in return for advertising rights.This is a Sports pavilion which Claremont (WA) Coun- cil proposes to erect at the municipal oval. It will have a social rm 62 ft by 42 ft, protected from west sun by concrete louvres. Change rms, property rms, a press box, a broadcasting box, & a 22 ft cantilevered roof on the oval side, to shelter spectators, complete the plan. (Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol, arch'ts) 11 The Commercial Travellers Assoc'n & Club in St-
Georges-terr, Perth, was remodelled at a cost of
£30,000. (Hobbs, Winning & Leighton, arch'ts; Gardi- ner & Mackie, bldrs)
IT
A £40,000 army drill hall will be completed this month in Canning-highway, Victoria Park, Perth. At Swan barracks, in central Perth, a 2-storey brick bldg is being built, matching a 1938 wing.IT
In Perth, extensions are under way at Wesley College (a science wing, £23,928; C W Whiteside, bldr) & at Scotch College, Claremont, (3-storey classrms, £23,689;W Fairweather & son, bldrs). For both projects the arch'ts are Messrs Forbes & Fitzhardinge.
IT
A steel-frame canteen & recreation bldg was begun at Holsworthy, NSW, for the army. (Com'Ith Dept Works, arch'ts; C S Kool, Mosman, bldr; £9,875).At Williamtown, airmen's sleeping blocks. (C D W;
Judt Bros, Broadmeadows, bldrs; £96,933)
Perth City C's lack of publicity for zoning proposals drew Press rebukes & Parl'ts refusal to sign. The zoning plan has been available for inspection for nearly a year, but only the legally-required notices to this effect had been given & citizens had ignored them.
11 A concentrated bevy of artistic talent began work on a 60-ft mural in the interior of the half-competed new Wilson Hall, Melb Univ. Designed by Mr Douglas Annand, Syd's internationally-known artist, the mural combines 6-inch-relief work, in plaster, with applied colour. The sculpting is being done by Mr Tom Bass, (C-S Mar '55) assisted by Mr Alan Ingham, a former assistant of Henry Moore. Mr Jack Fergusson, of Melb, will help Mr Annand with the painting.
IT Hotel Illinois is building in Paramatta-rd, Fivedock, Syd. It is costing £130,000, should be completed by Feb. The Saloon bar will be "panelled in knotty pine to provide a club atmosphere." The site was 40%
larger until Cumberland County C reserved portion for the Western Expressway. (David King, McKiernan
& Burgess, arch'ts; Cody & Willis Ltd, bldrs) IT An international transmitter st'n will be buil+ at St Mary's NSW, & Messrs E S Clementson's tender of £100,569 was accepted by the Com'Ith Dept of Works.
4 Pastoralist Mr H P McCormick will subdivide his 640-acre property at St Mary's, NSW, near the muni- tions factory site (C-S June '55), & invest !£5m in the building of 2,500 houses for munitions makers.
If A newsreel theatrette is being built in the basement of the Savoy Hotel, Perth. It will seat 400, cost £30,000.
(Colin Rule, arch't; P Murphy, bldr). /In St-Georges- terr, No 231 is being remodelled from medical suites into a Naval & Military Club. (Oldham, Boas, Ednie Brown & partners, arch'ts; Sloan Constr'n Ltd, bldrs)
This is one portion, about 1/5 of the total lengths, of concrete retaining wall being poured at Richmond, Melb, in prep's for an enlarged railways viaduct & a new Richmond station. The Vict'n Railways, presumably working out the design in the days when this project was first planned, preferred to use this mass-concrete design, taking advantage only of concrete's weight &
not its immense strength if properly reinforced. Alterna- tive designs could have saved over half of the conc.
IT Four concrete silos 105 ft high, at Paramatta, NSW, were poured simultaneously & completed in 6 days.
The cylindrical forming was raised continuously, at 9 inches per hour, by hydraulic jacks. At Moree, NSW, the same contractor, Concrete Silos Ltd, were con- structing a mill bldg 110 ft by 25 ft high in a similar way, using 90 jacks. /In Adelaide concrete pile footings were poured for 2 large bldgs: the MLC offices (C-S April '54) & the "general section" of the Queen Eliza- beth hosp, Woodville (C-S May '53). In both cases metal cylinders were driven (some as deep as 32 ft),
& as cont poured in & rammed, the cylinder withdrawn.
s
When completed at Milston's Pt, this bldg will become a landmark close to Syd Harbour Bridge. It is com- mercial offices, proprietor M R Hornibrook Ltd of Brisb.
To Alfred-st it has 13 firs, glass faced in alum'n frames, the top 4 stepped back because of Regs. To a rear lane 15 firs face west & will have 12 ft vertical alum'm louvres. The all-glass faces are possible since Syd's Regs about spandrels between firs were amended (C-S Apr '54). Constr'n is site-poured concrete in a flat- slab system. (Brewster & Murray, arch'ts; E C Ever- ingham & Platt, struct eng'eers; Hornibrook McKenzie Clark Ltd, bldrs, £475,000)
ii A Methodist church was opened at Bayswater, SA.
52 ft by 28 ft it cost £6,000. Designed by an arch'I student, Mr J Brando. H R Chatfield, bldr.
IT
The Shell Theatrette, Adelaide, was remodelled.Plastic-covered seats sport 5 different colours. (Forbes
& Fitzhardinge, arch'ts)
IT When Sth Aust'n Rural & Industries Bank opens its new branch at Lake Grace next mnth, this Bank will have had a new branch each mnth since July this year.
A neat rectangle in plan, an array of glass rectangles in elevation, these 4 bachelor flats overlook the Yarra, Richmond & Melb. A wide west overhang is held down by slim, raking rods. (Grounds, Romberg &
Boyd, arch'ts; W H Hunt, bldr)
Architects Hobbs, Winning and Leighton designed the Rivervale Hotel four miles from Perth to take fullest advantage of the West Australian climate.
W. Fairweather & Sons were the contractors for the two-storey brick and ribbed concrete hotel.
Dunlop Semastic Tiles were selected for the colorful custom-designed floors of bars, dining room, bedrooms and halls where fresh pastels on walls and ceilings complement the modern colors of the tiles.
Dunlop Vinyl Tiles were chosen for their high resistance to spillage and greases in the kitchen.
Both types of Dunlop Tiles withstand heavy foot traffic. This, combined with ease of maintenance makes them the ideal selection for hotel floors.
The comprehensive color and pattern range of Dunlop Vinyl and Semastic Tiles has produced an effect of spaciousness, airiness and modern efficiency.
Where beauty and utility must combine
• DUNLOP VINYL TILES • SEMASTIC TILES • RUBBER FLOORING • RUBBER TILES • FLEXIMERS • LINK MATS
• STAIR TREADS • LINOLEUM and LINO TILES
DUNLOP DUNLOP ,p vtc4
And yet another PLANNED INSTALLATION with
DUNLOP FLOORING
FOR COMPLETE ADVISORY AND LAYING SERVICE, CONTACT—
MELBOURNE: Dunlop Floorings Pty. Limited, 130 Flinders Street. Phone MF 0371 SYDNEY: Dunlop Rubber Australia Limited, 27-33 Went- worth Avenue. Phone B 0969 ADELAIDE: The Dunlop Flooring Centre, 131-133 Pirie Street.
Phone W 1641
BRISBANE: Dunlop Rubber Australia Limited, Centenary Place. Phone FA 0271 PERTH: Dunlop Rubber Australia Limited, 424 Murray Street.
Phone BA 8141 HOBART: Dunlop Rubber Australia Limited, 27 Argyle Street.
Phone B 6581
LAUNCESTON: 18 Paterson Street. Phone 1650 F18
[ A D V E R T I SEM ENT
