Australia House And Government Of Victoria Offices

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