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Australia House and Government of Victoria Offices

A Grade II Listed Building in City of Westminster, London

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.5129 / 51°30'46"N

Longitude: -0.1157 / 0°6'56"W

OS Eastings: 530849

OS Northings: 181009

OS Grid: TQ308810

Mapcode National: GBR LC.5V

Mapcode Global: VHGQZ.Y75L

Plus Code: 9C3XGV7M+4P

Entry Name: Australia House and Government of Victoria Offices

Listing Date: 1 December 1987

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1357166

English Heritage Legacy ID: 208535

Also known as: Australia House
Australian High Commission, United Kingdom [London]
Australian High Commission, United Kingdom

ID on this website: 101357166

Location: Holborn, Westminster, London, WC2B

County: London

District: City of Westminster

Electoral Ward/Division: St James's

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: City of Westminster

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St Mary le Strand with St Clement Danes

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: Building Australian High Commission Historical cultural heritage site Australian Government body

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Description


TQ 3080 NE and 3081 SE CITY OF WESTMINSTER ALDWYCH, WC2
60/14 ;73/6 (South side)

Australia House and
Government of Victoria
Offices

G.V. II

High Commission offices. 1912-18 by A. Marshall Mackenzie with sculpture
by H. Palmer, incorporating the Government of Victoria offices of 1907-09
by Alfred Burr. Portland stone on steel Frame,slate roof. Monumental
Beaux Arts - Imperial Baroque on a trapezoidal island site as part of the
Aldwych-Kingsway development. 6 storeys including mezzanine and attic
storey and 2 tiers of dormers in steep mansard. 6 windows wide on convex
Aldwych front and 7 windows wide to Strand with vast single bay entrance
front to splayed apex of site and the Government of Victoria Offices
incorporated as west terminal pavilion fronting Melbourne Place. The
splayed apex contains main entrance with lofty architraved doorway with
cornice on consoles flanked by large pedestals bearing pyramidal groups of
over life size allegorial figures carved in stone. The vertically grouped,
bronze framed,3 floors of windows above flanked by colossal Roman Doric
columns in antis between pilasters, the whole double stepped in advance of
channelled flanks. Above the deep main entablature and set in front of the
blind attic, framed by dies, is a huge bronze group of Apollo and quadriga
rising from the sea. The return elevations have channelled podium with
ground floor and mezzanine arcade. Above rises a colossal order of coupled
Roman Doric columns in antis, as above entrance, screening 3 storeys of
bronze framed windows. Above the main entablature the grouping of the
colossal order is echoed in the pilastered dies advanced from the recessed
attic storey. The lower tier of dormers have pilaster-terms and block
cornices while the upper tier are treated as oeil de boeuf. Roof ridges
metal-cased in the form of be-ribboned fasces stopped with cartouches. The
Government of Victoria Offices have arcaded ground floor and mezzanine with
boldly pulvinated banding. Vertically grouped 1st and 2nd floor windows
with segmental cornices on consoles, 2 and 3-light 3rd floor windows, the 3
storeys framed by giant order of banded Ionic quoin pilasters. Lofty attic
with quoin piers and attic and blocking course. Interior has marble lined
principal ground floor rooms along main axis leading to grand staircase.


Listing NGR: TQ3084981009

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