Back to search results » Back to search page »

Former Brunswick Market

Location

1 - 9 Ballarat Street,, BRUNSWICK VIC 3056 - Property No B6856

File Number

B6856

Level

State

Statement of Significance

The former Brunswick Market building, designed by I G Anderson, and opened in 1930, is of architectural, historical and social importance at the State level.
The building is of exceptional architectural importance as a lively and inventive version of the interwar Spanish style, applied on an unusually large scale to a commercial building. The free adaptation of the romantic and evocative Spanish style is characterised by ochre rendered walls, relieved by feature brick edging that has an almost Art Deco character. The striking 'sunburst' brick detailing around the pointed arch openings on the main corner are most distinctive, and with a projecting square turret, lend a Gothic touch. The former market has further architectural and historical importance for its rare timber arched Belfast roof trusses, providing a large area of column free space. It is also one of few purpose-built market structures surviving from the inter-war years, and the only known market building in Victoria in the Spanish style.
The former Brunswick market has historical and social interest for its association with supermarket pioneer, S E Dickens (1892-1964), who established the first self-service grocery in Melbourne in the building in 1930, after introducing the new method of grocery selling some years earlier in Geelong.
Classified: 06/03/2000

Group