Torrens Building

Last updated

Torrens Building
Torrens Building, Victoria Square.jpg
Torrens Building
Former namesGovernment Offices
General information
TypeOffice, Education
Architectural style Italian Renaissance, Palladian
Location Adelaide, Australia
Address220 Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga
Construction started1879
Completed8 April 1881
Renovated1997
Costapprox. £60,000
Owner Government of South Australia
Technical details
Floor area3,653 square metres (39,320 sq ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectMichael Egan (Melbourne)
Main contractorJames Shaw

The Torrens Building, named after Sir Robert Richard Torrens, is a State Heritage-listed building on the corner of Victoria Square and Wakefield Street in Adelaide, South Australia. It was originally known as the New Government Offices, and after that a succession of names reflecting its tenants, including as New Public Offices, the Lands Titles Office, and Engineering & Water Supply Department. It has been home to a number of government departments for much of its existence.

Contents

The construction of the building created some controversy in 1880 when it was reported that the Government of South Australia was going to import freestone for its construction from Sydney, rather than use stone from local quarries.

The building was heritage-listed in 1978 and 1981, and underwent a major renovation in the 1990s, after which it was renamed the Torrens Building at its reopening in 1997.

It has housed the Australian campus of the Carnegie Mellon University since 2006 and Torrens University opened its first campus there in 2014. Cranfield University (UK) had a campus in the building from 2007 to 2010 and the University College London from 2009 to 2017.

History

Torrens Building viewed from Victoria Square Torrens Building, Wakefield St, Adelaide (cropped).jpg
Torrens Building viewed from Victoria Square

The building at 220 Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga was built in 1881 as public service offices, and initially known as the New Government Offices. [1] It created some controversy in 1880 when it was reported that the Government of South Australia was going to import freestone for construction from Sydney, rather than use stone from local quarries. [2]

For a long time it went by a number of names, such as New Public Offices, the Lands Titles Office, and Engineering Supply Department, after its main occupants. [1]

In 1979 it was renamed as the Torrens Building, after Sir Robert Richard Torrens and the system of lands title registration introduced by him to South Australia and the world, the Torrens title system. [1]

In 1993, after 112 years of continuous governmental occupation, the Torrens Building was closed for restoration. Since its reopening in 1997, it has become host to a number of Australian campuses of prestigious foreign universities.

Restoration and Renovation

The plaque commemorating the 1997 reopening of the Torrens Building Torrens Building Reopening 1997 Plaque.jpg
The plaque commemorating the 1997 reopening of the Torrens Building

From 1991 [3] or 1993, [1] after over 110 years of continuous governmental occupation, the building was closed and major refurbishment undertaken. [3]

After its reopening by then Premier of South Australia, John Olsen, on 19 September 1997, [1] the building was used to accommodate a number of community groups and organisations including Amnesty International (S.A. & N.T. Branch), the Amputee Association of South Australia, and the United Nations Association of Australia (S.A. Division) and Volunteering SA, for some years.

Universities

From 2005, with the intention of creating the "University City Adelaide precinct", Torrens Building has housed the Australian campus of Carnegie Mellon University, running programs of the Heinz College. The British Cranfield University ran a campus in the building from 2007 to 2010 [4] [5] and University College London's School of Energy and Resources was based there from 2009 until December 2017. [6] [5] The new Torrens University, the first new university in Australia for 20 years, opened in the Torrens Building 2013 and started teaching in 2014. [7] However, on 3 August 2015 it opened a new campus on Wakefield Street, [8] and as of 2019 no longer lists Torrens Building as another campus. [9]

In 2015, the Torrens Building was offered for sale as part of the State Administration Centre precinct by the Government of South Australia, [10] previously having been excluded from the sale plans, [11] but as of 2019 had not been sold and has apparently been withdrawn from the market.

Heritage listings

On 21 March 1978, it was added to the Register of the National Estate (now a non-statutory archive, viewable on the National Heritage Database), described as "the best remaining example in Adelaide of Italian Renaissance or Neo Classical style with a Palladian composition". [12] [13] [1]

On 28 May 1981, it was listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. [1] [14] [15]

Notable Features

The plaque commemorating the centenary of the Real Property Act 1858 Commemorative Plaque - Real Property Act.jpg
The plaque commemorating the centenary of the Real Property Act 1858

A plaque on the Western wall exterior commemorates the centenary of the Real Property Act 1858 , which provides for the Torrens Title system of land registration and transfer, developed in South Australia and adopted around the world. The plaque was unveiled on 1 July 1958 by then Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Sir Mellis Napier.

The Torrens Building houses an honour board displaying the names of Government of South Australia employees killed in World War I.

Previous Significant Tenants

Related Research Articles

University of Adelaide Public university in Adelaide, South Australia

The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on North Terrace in the Adelaide city centre, adjacent to the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the State Library of South Australia.

City of Port Adelaide Enfield Local government area in South Australia

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield, located across inner north and north-western suburbs of Adelaide, is one of the largest metropolitan councils within South Australia. It was established on 26 March 1996 by the amalgamation of the City of Port Adelaide and the City of Enfield.

Victoria Square, Adelaide

Victoria Square, also known as Tarntanyangga, is the central square of five public squares in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.

North Terrace, Adelaide

North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east–west, along the northern edge of "the square mile". The western end continues on to Port Road, and the eastern end continues across the Adelaide Parklands as Botanic Road.

Adelaide Park Lands Parks in Adelaide

The Adelaide Park Lands are the figure-eight of land spanning both banks of the River Torrens between Hackney and Thebarton and separating the City of Adelaide from the surrounding suburbia of greater Metropolitan Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. They were laid out by Colonel William Light in his design for the city, and originally consisted of 2,300 acres (930 ha) "exclusive of 32 acres (13 ha) for a public cemetery". One copy of Light's plan shows areas for a cemetery and a Post and Telegraph Store on West Tce, a small Government Domain and Barracks on the central part of North Tce, a hospital on East Tce, a Botanical Garden on the River Torrens west of North Adelaide, and a school and a storehouse southwest of North Adelaide.

Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide

Trinity City, is an Australian evangelical Anglican church located at 88 North Terrace in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. Trinity City has four gatherings at the North Terrace location each Sunday, as well as various other meetings throughout the week.

Torrensville, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Torrensville is a suburb on Kaurna land two kilometres west of the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It was named after Irish-born economist and chairman of the South Australian Colonisation Commission, Robert Torrens.

Hackney, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Hackney is an inner-eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, in the City of Norwood Payneham St Peters. It is adjacent to the Adelaide Park Lands, the Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide. The O-Bahn Busway passes along Hackney Road, part of the City Ring Route, Adelaide, which forms its western boundary. Its other boundaries are the River Torrens (north), the continuation of North Terrace through Kent Town (south), and a series of small streets and lanes to the east.

Thebarton, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Thebarton, formerly Theberton, on Kaurna land, is an inner-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of West Torrens. The suburb is bounded by the River Torrens to the north, Port Road and Bonython Park to the east, Kintore Street to the south, and South Road to the west.

City of West Torrens Local government area in South Australia

The City of West Torrens is a local government area in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Since the 1970s the area was mainly home to many open spaces and parks, however after the mid-1990s (1993-1995) the LGA became more residential.

Government House, Adelaide

Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the Governor of South Australia.

Fulham, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Fulham is a western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of West Torrens.

Hilton, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Hilton, on Kaurna land, is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of West Torrens, for which it is the council seat.

Mile End, South Australia Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Mile End, on Kaurna land, is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of West Torrens, around 2 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It has a census area population of 4,413 people (2011). Much of the suburb is residential, but there are small commercial areas along Henley Beach Road and South Road.

Adelaide city centre Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide city centre is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "The City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide local government area. Due to the construction of many new apartments in the city, the population has grown over ten years from 10,229 to 15,115.

The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is the principal research institute of the Government of South Australia, with a network of research centres, laboratories and field sites both in metropolitan Adelaide and throughout South Australia. SARDI is part of Primary Industries and Regions SA.

Park 12

Park 12, is one of the 29 Parks that make up the Adelaide Park Lands. It consists of 55.5 hectares bounded by North Terrace, Frome Road, Sir Edwin Smith Avenue and King William Road

Torrens University Australia

Torrens University is a private university in Australia. It is part of the Laureate International Universities network with campuses in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Upon commission, Torrens University became the 33rd university in Australia and the first new university for 20 years. It opened in 2013 and started teaching in 2014 in its headquarters building in the Torrens Building in Adelaide city centre. Admission is through Universities Admissions Centre and South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre based on Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Ashford House

Ashford House, located in the Adelaide suburb of Ashford, South Australia, was originally built in 1838 by Dr Charles Everard, and is amongst the oldest historic buildings in South Australia.

Lot Fourteen is a development site in the Australian state of South Australia which accommodated the old Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) at the eastern end of North Terrace, Adelaide and which became vacant after the hospital function was moved to a new building at the western end of North Terrace in 2017. Its name was derived from the original 1837 plan for Adelaide by surveyor-general Colonel William Light. As of December 2020, refurbished hospital buildings are already home to a large number of tenants, and further new buildings and public spaces are planned, scheduled for completion around 2025.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Parsons, Alexander (7 July 2017). "Torrens Building". Adelaidia. Retrieved 15 November 2019. This entry was first published in S.A.'s Greats: The men and women of the North Terrace plaques, edited by John Healey (Historical Society of South Australia Inc., 2001).
  2. ↑ "Stone for the New Government Offices". South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide). 14 February 1880. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Government offices on Victoria Square, Adelaide". SA Memory. State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  4. ↑ Cohen, David (8 August 2007). "Coalition courses". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  5. 1 2 King, Malcolm (4 February 2015). "Adelaide's "uni city" dream is over". In Daily. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Move of UCL Engineering in Australia to UniSA Mawson Lakes campus". UCL. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Martin, Sarah (19 October 2011). "Torrens University to open in Adelaide in 2013". News Corporation. The Advertiser. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "University launches new Adelaide campus". Torrens University. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Campuses". Torrens University. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "State Administration Centre Precinct". RealCommercial. REA Group Ltd. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Tauriello, Giuseppe (23 November 2014). "Plan to offload $250 million worth of State Government-owned CBD property". News Corporation. The Advertiser. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Torrens Building,". National Heritage Database. Australian Government. Dept of Environment and Energy. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "Torrens Building, 202–220 Victoria Sq, Adelaide, SA, Australia Australia – listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 5327)". Australian Heritage Database . Department of the Environment. 21 March 1978. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  14. ↑ "Government Offices". Adelaide City Heritage. National Trust of South Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  15. ↑ "Torrens Building". SA Heritage Places Database. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  16. 1 2 3 "The New Government Offices". South Australian Register (Adelaide). 24 December 1881. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "'Lauded' UK-based Cranfield University closes Adelaide base". News Corporation. AdelaideNow. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  18. ↑ "State Government admits discussions to keep Adelaide's University College London offshoot here beyond 2017". News Corporation. The Advertiser. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.

34°55′42″S138°36′03″E / 34.928368°S 138.600881°E / -34.928368; 138.600881 Coordinates: 34°55′42″S138°36′03″E / 34.928368°S 138.600881°E / -34.928368; 138.600881

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.