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Royal Victorian Institute For The Blind

Location 557 -563 St Kilda Road,, MELBOURNE VIC 3004 - Property No B4840 File Number B4840 Level State

[1/1] B4840 Royal Victorian

Statement of Significance

Designed in 1867 by the notable architects, Crouch and Wilson, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind building is significant for its pioneering role in the history of the welfare of the blind and also its fine design in the institutional Gothic Revival style.
The school was the first of its type in Australia and is associated with a period in the 1850s and 1860s when many of Melbourne's major educational, health and social welfare institutions were established. The architects Crouch and Wilson, who also designed the nearby Royal Victorian Institute for Deaf Children in 1866, were one of Melbourne's most prolific nineteenth century practices, and designed many Wesleyan churches and other important buildings, such as the Methodist Ladies' College and the Prahran Town Hall. Crouch and Wilson were also responsible for the design in 1870-1871 for the McPherson Wing at the Institute for the Blind.
The Institutes for the Blind and Deaf and the neighbouring Wesley College, all with extensive grounds facing St Kilda Road, form a significant part of the St Kilda Road streetscape.
Classified: 24/10/1990