The historical treasures of Drummond St

The southern end of Drummond St in Carlton contains some of the earliest extant buildings in Melbourne and many that are of historic or architectural importance. But they may be under threat from developers.

One of Melbourne’s earliest buildings is the old bluestone St George’s Church that still stands in Drummond St near the corner of Pelham St. The original part of the church was constructed in 1855. It is currently being used as a chapel by Corpus Christi College, a seminary for trainee Catholic priests.

Many of the buildings in this part of Drummond St were built during the boom period of the 1880s. This was the era of “Marvellous Melbourne” when the city was awash with money made from gold mining and its most impressive Victorian houses were constructed. 

Carlton was a popular area for the more affluent members of society at the time because of its elevation and proximity to the city, and hence some of the buildings from this period are quite magnificent. 

For example, the large building at 93 to 105 Drummond St constructed in 1890 is probably the most substantial terrace in Melbourne, a magnificent row of seven terraces, all of them three-storey, with integral verandas throughout. 

It is one of several buildings in this part of Drummond St that are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Benvenuta at 48 Drummond St is one of Melbourne’s best examples of the florid Victorian Baroque style. It has large amounts of exterior decorations and an interior that is equally spectacular. It was built in 1892-93 for Mrs Leah Abrahams, who was the widow of a man who made his money by importing and selling small arms. It is now a residential college for the University of Melbourne.

The southern end of Drummond St where these buildings are located is right next to the central business district (CBD), separated from it only by the width of Victoria St, and now loomed over by high-rise developments in the CBD. Being so close to the CBD means that this area is unfortunately of considerable interest to developers.

The area is covered by a “heritage overlay”, a planning control applied by local councils to areas or buildings that are determined to be of cultural heritage significance. 

But being covered by a heritage overlay does not provide complete protection. The Corkman Hotel in Leicester St, Carlton, illegally demolished in October 2016, was covered by a heritage overlay. 

The area is also one block away from the Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building and is within the area around that World Heritage-listed site that is supposed to be protected. We can only hope that these protections are effective.