Whelan the Wrecker
Encyclopedia
Whelan the Wrecker is a demolition
company based in Melbourne
which became infamous in the 1960s and later in the 1980s for its role in the destruction of much of the grand Victorian buildings of Marvellous Melbourne that the city had become famous for, many of them along Collins Street
's "golden mile".
The ‘Whelan the Wrecker Is Here’ sign became a powerful symbol of the desire for urban renewal
and social change
in Victoria, Australia, which was commonly labelled as "progress". Of the few demolition companies in Melbourne during the era of the 1960s to 1980s, when many of Melbourne's Victorian buildings were demolished, Whelan the Wrecker was the biggest and won the most contracts. The threat of destruction inspired the formation of the National Trust of Victoria.
The wreckers were primarily responsible for executing a City of Melbourne
by-law in 1951 which called for the demolition of all cast iron
verandah
s, supposedly aimed at removing the risk of pedestrian
s accidentally colliding with a pole. The act in fact resulted in the demolition by Whelan the Wrecker of many of Melbourne's much loved buildings well before heritage legislation took effect in the late 1980s, and the city which could claim more decorative cast iron than any city in the world had suddenly found cast iron in the CBD to be extremely rare.
The company itself is a four generation family business which has operated since 1896, ceasing operations in 1992.
Despite the Whelan's unsavoury reputation, unlike many of the planners and businesses of various eras whose agenda was achieved by the demolitions, the owners have expressed always having an appreciation for heritage. This is evidenced in a biography A City Lost & Found" Whelan the Wrecker's Melbourne by Robyn Annear published in 2006, which claims that many of the parts from the buildings were actually salvaged and preserved by the wreckers.
Some of the more famous buildings which were demolished by Whelan the Wrecker include:
wrote and released a song called "Whelan the Wrecker" in 1989 on The Road Goes to Nowhere album which was inspired by the urban myths of Whelan the Wrecker.
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
company based 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...
which became infamous in the 1960s and later in the 1980s for its role in the destruction of much of the grand Victorian buildings of Marvellous Melbourne that the city had become famous for, many of them along Collins Street
Collins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
's "golden mile".
The ‘Whelan the Wrecker Is Here’ sign became a powerful symbol of the desire for urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
and social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
in Victoria, Australia, which was commonly labelled as "progress". Of the few demolition companies in Melbourne during the era of the 1960s to 1980s, when many of Melbourne's Victorian buildings were demolished, Whelan the Wrecker was the biggest and won the most contracts. The threat of destruction inspired the formation of the National Trust of Victoria.
The wreckers were primarily responsible for executing a City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
by-law in 1951 which called for the demolition of all cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
s, supposedly aimed at removing the risk of pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s accidentally colliding with a pole. The act in fact resulted in the demolition by Whelan the Wrecker of many of Melbourne's much loved buildings well before heritage legislation took effect in the late 1980s, and the city which could claim more decorative cast iron than any city in the world had suddenly found cast iron in the CBD to be extremely rare.
The company itself is a four generation family business which has operated since 1896, ceasing operations in 1992.
Despite the Whelan's unsavoury reputation, unlike many of the planners and businesses of various eras whose agenda was achieved by the demolitions, the owners have expressed always having an appreciation for heritage. This is evidenced in a biography A City Lost & Found" Whelan the Wrecker's Melbourne by Robyn Annear published in 2006, which claims that many of the parts from the buildings were actually salvaged and preserved by the wreckers.
Some of the more famous buildings which were demolished by Whelan the Wrecker include:
- Colonial Mutual Life (Equitable Life Assurance Society) Building (corner of Collins and Elizabeth Street) in 1960
- Federal Hotel (former Federal Coffee Palace) (corner of Collins and King Streets)
- Eastern Markets (bounded by Collins Street, Market Street and William Street)
- Western Markets (bounded by Bourke, Exhibition and Little Collins Streets)
In popular culture
Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsNick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
wrote and released a song called "Whelan the Wrecker" in 1989 on The Road Goes to Nowhere album which was inspired by the urban myths of Whelan the Wrecker.