Housing Commission of Victoria
Encyclopedia
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
known as the Housing Commission) was a State Government body responsible for public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Responsible to the Victorian Minister for Housing
Victorian Minister for Housing
In the Victorian political system, the State Minister for Housing is a State Government cabinet position responsible for Housing. The Minister for Housing is responsible for the Office of Housing ; and is one of four state ministers responsible for the Department of Human Services .The Housing...
, it was established in 1938 and existed until replaced by the Victorian Office of Housing.
Its most notable legacy was the tens of thousands of buildings either acquired or constructed to provide more affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
for residents of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and other Victorian towns, including the construction of 40-45 individual precast concrete high-rise apartments in inner Melbourne. Though the Commission arguably often operated with the best of intentions, few would agree that its influence was benign or that its original ideal of replacing slums with modern and functional housing (and communities) was met.
History
The Commission was established over the Housing Act 1937 in response to slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
housing in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and worked under the Slum Reclamation and Housing Act 1938. The mission was 'slum abolition' driven by the zeal of Christian and other social reformers, but later became 'slum clearance' and 'block demolition'.
The Commission presided over the construction of the Melbourne Olympic Village
Heidelberg West, Victoria
Heidelberg West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Heidelberg West had a population of 5097.-Suburb:...
in 1956, and made its mark on the Melbourne skyline during the 1960s in the form of high-rise blocks of flats on various sites around inner Melbourne, the largest of which being Lygon Street
Lygon Street, Melbourne
Lygon Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, Australia running through the suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street's name has become synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafés located in the Carlton part of the street...
in Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
and Atherton Gardens in Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
. Approximately twenty of these precast concrete
Precast concrete
By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment , the precast concrete is afforded the opportunity to properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees. Utilizing a Precast Concrete system offers many potential advantages over site casting of concrete...
20 to 30 storey height buildings were constructed around Melbourne, until the type of development fell into disrepute, mainly for sociological reasons. By 1970 nearly 4000 privately owned dwellings had been compulsory acquired
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
and replaced by nearly 7000 high rise flats.
Production then moved to low rise walk up and single dwelling units, with about 10,000 homes using locally engineered design and erection methods constructed using the technology. Public housing was also built in regional Victorian cities, such as Wangaratta
Wangaratta, Victoria
Wangaratta is a cathedral city of almost 17,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the...
, Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
and Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
.
Slum Reclamation
In the midst of the economic conditions caused by the Great Depression, the overcrowded conditions in the inner suburban areas of Melbourne had created a ‘housing crisis’. Oswald BarnettFrederick Oswald Barnett
Frederick Oswald Barnett was an Australian social reformer.-Early life:Born on 28 September 1883 in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, Barnett was the son of working class parents. He attended the Albert Street Primary School until 1898 when he joined the Education...
, active in campaigning against slums and his ‘study group’ led the Victorian Government to establish the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board (HISAB) in July 1936, to investigate housing conditions in these areas. HISAB’s 1937 report found 3,000 houses ‘unfit for habitation’ and recommended the establishment of the Housing Commission with John O’Connor the Commission’s first chairman, while Oswald Barnett, Oswald Burt and Frances Penington were appointed as part-time commissioners. In the next few years, the Commission moved thousands from the slums to new housing, improving conditions but also encountering problems along the way.
The Housing Commission of Victoria was established under the Housing Act 1937 to improve existing housing conditions and to provide adequate housing for persons of limited means; the Slum Reclamation Act 1938 and the Reclamation and Housing (Financial) Act 1938 provided the framework for the Commission’s work. On the passing of the legislation, the Victorian Premier, Albert Dunstan
Albert Dunstan
Sir Albert Arthur Dunstan, KCMG was an Australian politician. A member of the Country Party , Dunstan was the 33rd Premier of Victoria. His term as Premier was the second-longest in the state's history, behind Sir Henry Bolte...
, declared the beginning of the Commission’s activities as a ‘war on slums’, but also recognised the magnitude of the task before it. The legislation not only gave the Commission powers for housing construction and improvement, but also made it ‘a planning authority in its own right’. The Commission’s chief concerns however, were the ‘slum pockets’ which required ‘excision’ for the ‘common good’. The Commission developed a ‘Plan of Action’ in March 1938, concentrating its attention on 1,240 houses in lanes, rights-of-way and slum pockets, referred to in HISAB’s earlier report. Slums were to be reclaimed and people rehoused.
To house the people moved from the slum areas, the Commission needed to provide new homes. The Commission’s first estate was the Garden City development at Fisherman’s Bend. Next was the development of flats at Pigdon Street, Carlton, though the original proposal for three storey flats was reduced to two storeys after local opposition. The Commission then began to acquire cheap land in the northern suburbs of Coburg, Brunswick, Preston and Northcote as well as in inner suburban areas such as North Melbourne, Fitzroy and Richmond. These estates and acquisitions were the first of many.
The Commission’s acquisition plans were ambitious and it was bound to come across difficulties. The synchronisation of the ‘demolition program’ was proving difficult and by June 1940, only 53 families had moved in to new houses while only 99 houses had been ordered for demolition. The Commission also had difficulties dealing with local municipalities, in acquiring properties in the North Melbourne reclamation area as well as with the labour movement, who believed that the government should subsidise loans to enable workers to buy homes rather than rent them. The rehousing of those from the slums was a difficult task.
As a landlord, the Commission also experienced problems. Tenants were initially reluctant to move, while rents on the estates were more expensive than in their former accommodation. At Fisherman’s Bend, there was tension between tenants of the Commission’s estate and those who had bought homes under an earlier housing program; vandalism was also a problem, both at Fisherman’s Bend and in the West Brunswick estate. Frances Penington, who was also a social worker, advocated for community facilities to be built at the estates to alleviate some of these problems, these were built after protracted debate by others on the Commission. Transportation costs from the new estates to places of employment were also an issue. Despite these issues, residents ‘adjusted to their new homes and locations’ and appreciated the ‘better home environment’.
By 1942, building had halted as the Commission shifted its focus to post-war planning. It continued to acquire land though, taking advantage of low prices by purchasing land in industrial areas in the western suburbs as well as in the middle class eastern and southern suburbs. The Commission, in its planning authority capacity had also drawn up plans for the future development of Melbourne but by 1944, it was lacking resources to deal with backlogs of council plans. The Commission recruited Frank Heath from its advisory Architects Panel to deal with these problems but it was stripped of its town planning powers later in the same year. The Commission’s 1944 report found that housing was required in ‘large numbers as quickly as possible to house those recently returned to civilian life and catch up on the lag of construction over the war years’. The era of slum reclamation was over.
While the Commission was planning for the future, so were its commissioners. Barnett and Burt published Housing the Australian Nation, reviewing the slum reclamation, but also putting forward their plans for a national housing policy. Barnett, Burt and Heath published We Must Go On calling for a fairer society and centralised planning. By now, housing for growing numbers was the main concern.
The Housing Commission achieved a lot in these early years. The Commission had reclaimed slums and provided housing for many in new estates. In doing this though, it also encountered difficulties. With the end of the war approaching, the increasing housing shortage as well as the large numbers returning from war meant that the Commission shifted its focus from reclaiming slums to become a housing provider.
1960s high rises
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
that contain around 40-45 high rises in total. The largest sites contain 4 buildings each; Elizabeth St, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Atherton Gardens, Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
and Racecourse Rd, Flemington
Flemington, Victoria
Flemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, situated between the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland. Its Local Government Areas are the...
. Other large sites contain 3 buildings; Boundary Rd, North Melbourne and Malvern Rd, Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
. The high-rise buildings vary between 20-30 storeys in height and come in a variety of shapes, when viewed from the air these appear as; S, T, Y, I, L and C-shape, the most common being the S-shape. The high-rises have become pop-culture icons, being synonymous with ambitious government projects and ideas that become compromised, and are used for various film and photographic work.
Sites
- BrunswickBrunswick, VictoriaBrunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
- Barkly Street (Corner of McKay St), 1 building (S-Shaped)
- CarltonCarlton, VictoriaCarlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
- Elgin Street (Corner of Nicholson St), 2 buildings (I-Shaped)
- Lygon StreetLygon Street, MelbourneLygon Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, Australia running through the suburbs of Carlton, Carlton North, Princes Hill and Brunswick East. Lygon Street's name has become synonymous with Italian restaurants and cafés located in the Carlton part of the street...
(Lygon St), 4 buildings (2 S-Shaped, 1 Y-Shaped, 1 T-Shaped)
- CollingwoodCollingwood, VictoriaCollingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
- Hoddle Street (Between Perry & Vere Streets), 2 buildings (S-Shaped)
- Wellington Street (Between Perry & Vere Streets), 1 building (S-Shaped)
- FitzroyFitzroy, VictoriaFitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
- Atherton GardensFitzroy, VictoriaFitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
(Brunswick StBrunswick Street, MelbourneBrunswick Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne, known for cafés, live music venues and alternative fashion shops.-Geography:Brunswick Street runs north-south through the inner northern Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Fitzroy North, from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end, crossing...
), 4 buildings (S-Shaped)
- FlemingtonFlemington, VictoriaFlemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, situated between the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland. Its Local Government Areas are the...
- Racecourse Road (Racecourse Rd), 4 buildings (4 S-Shaped)
- FootscrayFootscray, VictoriaFootscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
- Gordon Street (Corner of Shepherd St), 1 building (T-Shaped)
- KensingtonKensington, VictoriaKensington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
- Derby Street (Corner of Ormond & Altona St), 2 buildings (1 L-Shaped, 1 I-Shaped)
- North Melbourne
- Boundary Road (Boundary Rd), 3 buildings (1 S-Shaped, 1 Y-Shaped, 1 T-Shaped)
- Canning Street (Corner of Boundary Rd), 1 building (I-Shaped)
- South MelbourneSouth Melbourne, VictoriaSouth Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
- Park Street (Corner of Ferrars St), 1 building (C-Shaped)
- NorthcoteNorthcote, VictoriaNorthcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin...
- Heidelberg RoadHeidelberg, VictoriaHeidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....
(Near Merri CreekMerri CreekThe Merri Creek is a waterway in southern parts of Victoria, Australia which flows through the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It begins in Wallan north of Melbourne and flows south for 70km until it joins the Yarra River at Dights Falls...
), 1 building (S-Shaped)
- PrahranPrahran, VictoriaPrahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
- Malvern RoadMalvern, VictoriaMalvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
(Between Bray St & Surrey Rd), 3 buildings (2 Y-Shaped, 1 S-Shaped) - King Street (Corner of Little Chappel St), 2 buildings (T-Shaped)
- RichmondRichmond, VictoriaRichmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
- 112 Elizabeth Street, 4 buildings (S-Shaped)
- Highett Street (Corner of Lennox St), 1 building (S-Shaped)
- St. Kilda
- Inkerman Street (Corner of Henryville St), 1 building (T-Shaped)
- WilliamstownWilliamstown, VictoriaWilliamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
- Thompson Street (Corner of Hanmer St), 1 building (I-Shaped)
- Nelson Place (Corner of Pasco St), 1 building (S-Shape)
- Various sites in:
- BroadmeadowsBroadmeadows, VictoriaBroadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
- BraybrookBraybrook, VictoriaBraybrook is a suburb 9 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Braybrook had a population of 6940....
- SunshineSunshine, VictoriaSunshine is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.-History:...
- DovetonDoveton, VictoriaDoveton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey...