Colonial Architect Joseph Reed
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Some Joseph Reed designed buildings Building Location Style Colonial architect Joseph Reed The Construction of the Church of All Nations 170-174 Collins Street John Gill Baptist Church designed the church in 1845, Reed Classical 150th Anniversary Celebrations 1862 designed its portico in 1862. State Library of Victoria Sandstone, Classical with 328 Swanston Street 1854 Corinthian portico Background Commercial Banking 251 Collins Street. Façade Joseph Reed (c1823 – 1890) came to Melbourne from Cornwall Company of Sydney 1862 incorporated into the Old Commerce Stucco, Renaissance when he was 30. A year later, 1854, he won the competition to 1862 building, Melbourne Uni, 1935-38 design the Public Library. He formed successive partnerships: Wesley Church 128-148 Lonsdale Street Bluestone, Gothic 1857-58 Reed & Barnes from 1863 Royal Society 1858 1-9 Victoria Street Stucco Classical Reed, Henderson and Smart 1883-1890 Gatekeeper’s Lodge Grattan Street entrance to Straw coloured bricks Reed, Smart, Tappin 1890 1860 Melbourne University with sandstone, Tudor Most authorities say the major designs came from Joseph Independent Church 122-136 Collins Street Brick, Polychrome Reed until about 1883, when Barnes retired. Reed’s former 1866-67 (now St Michael’s Uniting Church) Lombardic Romanesque partnership now trades as Bates Smart McCutcheon (BSM). St. Jude’s Church of Corner Lygon and Palmerston Brick, Polychrome Gothic BSM has deposited their collection of historical drawings, Joseph Reed (c1823 – England 1866-69 Streets, Carlton including those for CAN, in the Melbourne University Archive. 1890), the designer of Rippon Lea Mansion Brick, Polychrome the CAN church in 1869 192 Hotham Street, Elsternwick We are grateful to both organisations for providing the images 1868-81 Lombardic Romanesque of the drawings reproduced here. and 1882. Wesleyan Methodist Bluestone, Norman 180 Palmerston Street, Carlton Church 1869-70 Romanesque Plastered walls Joseph Reed’s architecture Melbourne Town Hall Corner Swanston & Collins Streets (rectangular pillars Reed used a variety of styles for his designs. They are remarkable for their diversity. The 1869-80 projecting from the wall), buildings were constructed in brick and stone, some were stucco (rendered), some National School Faraday Street, Carlton polychrome while others a single colour, and their styles included Romanesque, Gothic, Brick, French Renaissance 1869-77 Reconstructed 1877 Classical, Tudor and Scottish Baronial. His Scots Presbyterian Church Sandstone & limestone, buildings range in scale from the modest 140-154 Collins Street 1873 Gothic gatehouse at the Grattan Street entrance to the University to the grandeur of the Melbourne Trades Hall 1873 2 Lygon Street, Carlton Stucco, Classical Town Hall and the Exhibition Building. Congregational Church 357 Rathdowne Street, Carlton Brick, Polychrome Gothic 1878 In executing a given design, he was faithful to the Wilson Hall Melbourne University, Parkville style he had chosen, executing its features with Sandstone, Gothic 1878-82 Destroyed by fire 1952 consistency. His designs do not draw attention to Exhibition Building and the architect. Nicholson Street, Carlton Stucco, Classical with the Carlton Gardens UNESCO World Heritage site 2007 Florentine dome He returned from a visit to Europe, in 1863, 1879-1880 inspired by the brick architecture of Lombardy, Ormond College Melbourne University, Sandstone and brick, Italy. He then produced designs, based on this 1881-82 49 College Crescent, Parkville Scottish Baronial gothic Joseph Reed designed St Jude’s Anglican inspiration, for St. Judes, the Independent Church Church, opposite CAN in Lygon Street, in Church of Our Lady of the Rathdowne Street, Carlton Opposite in Collins Street, Rippon Lea and the Faraday the polychrome Lombardic style. Sacred Heart the Carlton Gardens. Red brick Classical Street School. 1910 Designed by Reed, Smart & Tappin At times he produced two designs and But where is the foundation stone? The foundation layers of the building, above ground allowed the clients to choose. He might level, have been searched for without success. There are two theories: then use the one not chosen for a Through road rebuilding over the last 150 years, the level of the surrounding ground subsequent commission. It seems that St. has been raised enough to cover the stone. Judes and the Independent Church Collins Street were an example of two such The more likely explanation is that the stone has no inscription. different styles (Gothic and Lombardic), The reports in the Argus and the Chronicle don't mention any inscription. It seems that, both in polychrome brick. in the latter part of the 19th Century, several church foundation stones were not In their article for 'Carlton: A History', inscribed. The minutes of the Board of Management of the North Carlton Presbyterian Renate Howe and Tom Hazell wrote: Church, one of the congregations that forms CAN's heritage, record documents placed "Carlton is a museum of the ecclesiastical in a leaden jar in their foundation stone in 1870, but again don't mention an inscription. architecture of Joseph Reed and the various This church was demolished in the 1970s. architectural firms with which he was When researching for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Wesley Church associated. His firm designed almost every Lonsdale Street Melbourne, Rev. Bill Gillard and his colleagues found a reference to the major church building in Carlton, including location of its foundation stone and found it lacking an inscription. Other buildings with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, St. Jude's, foundation stones lacking inscriptions are the St. Kilda Town Hall (1859), the 1861 the Congregational Church and the Church Jubilee Primitive Methodist Church at Chewton, east of Castlemaine, and Wesley of the Sacred Heart.” Even his design for the College Melbourne (1866). 1880 Royal Exhibition Building, in Carlton Gardens, has hints of ecclesiastical design in Reed and Barnes 1869 drawings for the blue- The lack of an obvious foundation stone on the church is in stark contrast to the CAN it cross-shaped plan and Florentine dome. stone church. This south elevation shows the Centre building next door which has three inscribed stones. Two were laid on the 18th The Exhibition Building, and its garden original two entrance doors at each end of the February 1933, one by Rev. E. H. Sugden and the other by Fred J. Cato. The third stone setting designed by William Sangster and portico. The pencil shape in the top left corner was laid in the Ruth Sugden Tower on 19th July 1933 by Dr. Alan B. McCutcheon to was probably part of a sketch used during Joseph Reed, were inscribed in the UNESCO commemorate the life and construction by John Pigdon. The spire was World Heritage list in 2004, in recognition never built. (Bates, Smart, McCutcheon and work of Ruth Hannah of being the only remaining Palace of University of Melbourne Archives) Sugden (1860-1932). Industry from a nineteenth century world Following the practice of fair on its original site. other churches lacking an inscribed foundation stone, The colonial architect’s legacy CAN has had a stone in the Joseph Reed is regarded as Victoria’s pre-eminent colonial architect. Much of his floor of the portico success was achieved by participating in competitions, maintaining clients for a lifetime inscribed with the words: and being chosen for important commissions. His best works are often considered to be “TO THE GLORY OF GOD his city churches and Wilson Hall (1878-82), unfortunately destroyed by fire. We are This stone was unveiled by fortunate that most of his other buildings remain. Rev. Alistair Macrae on 11 April 2010 to mark the Where is the foundation stone? 150th anniversary of this congregation. The original Reed and Barnes 1869 drawings for the bluestone church. This Both the Argus newspaper and the Wesleyan Chronicle record that the foundation foundation stone of this south elevation shows the original two entrance doors at each stone for the new bluestone church was laid by Mr. S. G. King on Tuesday 27th July church, exact location end of the portico. The pencil shape in the top left corner was 1869. The Argus reported, “A glass bottle was placed under the stone containing the unknown, was laid on 27 probably part of a sketch used during construction by John Melbourne daily papers, the annual missionary reports, the Wesleyan Chronicle, and July 1869.” Pigdon. The spire was never built. (Bates, Smart, McCutcheon other publications relating to the Wesleyan body.” and University of Melbourne Archives) .