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Former Gas Valve House

Location 615 - 617 St Kilda Road,, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 - Property No B4602 File Number B4602 Level State

[1/1] B4602 Gas Valve House

Statement of Significance

The Former Gas Valve House,was built for the Metropolitan Gas Company sometime between 1876 and 1881 to service one or both of the gasholders at this outstation. The site, comprising Crown Allotments 55 and 56, was originally purchased by GB Hailes and J Clark on 30th December 1865 before being sold to the city of Melbourne Gas & Coke Company in 1876.
Following the amalgamation of this company with the Collingwood, Fitzroy & District Gas & Coke Co and the South Melbourne Gas Co in 1877 the land was consolidated and transferred to their successor, the Metropolitan Gas Co in 1878. Built on the footpath, in the 1980s it was retained and restored and now sits rather incongruously as an object in front of a larger office building and is now used as a meeting room.
Architecturally, the Former Gas Valve House is significant as a small, well proportioned and finely detailed building in red brick with rendered detailing. Of particular delicacy is the Metropolitan Gas Company's insignia on the northern and southern pediments. It is stylistically of a quite different nature to the North Melbourne Valve House built in 1887, the only other regulating house remaining in Melbourne.
Historically, the Former Gas Valve House is also important as one of the few pieces of evidence of the gas industry Melbourne in the 19th century and probably the oldest.
Classified: 09/12/1982
Revised: 03/08/1998
[Statement of Significance adopted from Heritage Victoria & amended 15/06/2010]