The Working Men's College was an Australian college of

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

located in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. It was founded in 1887 by a prominent Victorian parliamentarian and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Francis Ormond Francis Ormond (23 November 1827 – 5 May 1889) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist, member of the Parliament of Victoria and philanthropist in the areas of education and religion. Ormond is notable for founding the Working Men's Coll ...

. The college was the predecessor to the current-day Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (

RMIT University The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...

). Today, the original building of the college is known as RMIT Building 1 (Francis Ormond Building).

History

The Working Men’s College was founded in 1881 by a prominent grazier and

, who donated £5,000 towards the establishment of the college. The Council of the

Melbourne Trades Hall Victorian Trades Hall is the headquarters of the Victorian Trades Hall Council in Australia. It is located on the corner of Lygon and Victoria streets, just north of the Melbourne central business district in the suburb of Carlton. It is t ...

then matched Ormond's initial donation by rallying its members. On 4 June 1887, the college opened in its purpose-built building on the corners of Bowen Street and

La Trobe Street La Trobe Street (also Latrobe Street) is a major street and thoroughfare in the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly east–west and forms the northern boundary of the central business district. The street ...

, with a gala ceremony. It became the third official provider of higher education in the new

Colony of Victoria The Colony of Victoria was a historical administrative division in Australia that existed from 1851 until 1901, when it federated with other colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the southeastern corner of the Australian ...

(the

Melbourne Athenaeum The Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum at 188 Collins Street is an art and cultural hub in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1839, it is the city's oldest cultural institution. Its building on Collin ...

was founded in 1839 and the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in 1853).

Building

Stage 1: building permit dated 23 April 1885. Architect: Terry & Oakden and

Nahum Barnet Nahum Barnet (16 August 1855 – 1 September 1931) was an architect working in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia during the Victorian and Edwardian periods, best known for his extensive legacy of commercial buildings in Melbourne's CBD, as well a ...

.
Stage 1 of the building was the "Bowen Street Wing" - which included the main lecture hall, workshops, classrooms and caretaker’s quarters. It cost £10,600, which was paid by Ormond's initial donation and the further contribution of the Trades Hall Council. The college building was constructed in two stages. The builder was "James Moore of Sandridge Road", South Melbourne.RMIT Building 1 (Francis Ormond Building)
About RMIT. RMIT University. Retrieved on 2010-07-21 Stage 2: construction contract dated 3 July 1890. Architect: Percy Oakden, Addison & Kemp.
The "La Trobe Street Wing" and the tower block were added in 1890, at a cost of £13,700. This addition was financed by the bequest of The Hon. Francis Ormond, who died the previous year, and some government funding. When completed in 1892, the La Trobe Street wing provided offices, College Council and instructors’ rooms, large classrooms, and laboratories for photography and practical chemistry on the top floor. Adjoining the college in the 1890s were the Supreme Court of Victoria (later the

Melbourne Magistrates' Court The Melbourne Magistrates' Court is the largest venue at which the Magistrates' Court of Victoria sits. It is a court in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that deals with, and dispenses of, a range of criminal and civil matters, including crimina ...

) and the Melbourne Gaol - both which are now part of RMIT today. 21st Century refurbishment. Architect: Peter Elliot Architecture. Builder: Kane Constructions.
In 2008, 121 years after its opening, the building was registered with the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. ...

. It is also registered as a "notable building" with the

Melbourne City Council The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2021, the city has an area of and had a population of 149,615. The city's motto is "''vires acquirit eundo''" which ...

.Francis Ormond Building refurbishment
RMIT Capital Works. RMIT University. Retrieved on 2010-07-21 New features of the building include:

rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a Rainwater tank, tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), Aquifer s ...

Solar water heating Solar water heating (SWH) is water heating, heating water by sunlight, using a solar thermal collector. A variety of configurations are available at varying cost to provide solutions in different climates and latitudes. SWHs are widely used for ...

, intelligent lighting controls and systems; glazed stairways and galleries, new lift and reintroduction of period features. The refurbishment also includes the creation of a new university lawn with underground rainwater tanks. It was completed in 2011.

Gallery

File:ConstructionWorkingMensCollegeMelbourne.jpg, Construction of the Working Men's College c1886 File:Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology entrance.jpg, Ellis Court in front of the Working Men's College (on Bowen Street)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Working Men's College, Melbourne RMIT University RMIT University buildings Former entities of RMIT University Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre 1887 establishments in Australia Educational institutions established in 1887 School buildings completed in 1887 Victorian architecture in Victoria (state) Romanesque Revival architecture in Australia Landmarks in Melbourne

History

Building

Gallery

See also

References