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Milton House

Location 21-27 Flinders Lane,, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 - Property No B5115 File Number B5115 Level State

[1/1] B5115 Milton House

Statement of Significance

One of Victoria's rare examples of art nouveau decoration, but applied somewhat incongruously to an almost Georgian symmetrical brick facade with quoined corners and bracketted eaves, within which is a major arch of American Romanesque Revival character and above which linked chimneys suggesting the English Baroque of Hawksmoor.
The overall classical form is probably attributable to the architects Sydney Smith and Ogg, but much of the detail is thought to be that of their consultant Robert Haddon, the leading local exponent of the art nouveau: in particular the ornamental terracotta band, the sinuous broken label mould of the entrance arch, the wrought-iron work within the arch and the use of brick strips to link windows of the first and second floors - all of which are more or less characteristic of Haddon's work elsewhere.
The interior of the building is plain and functional, and is an early example of the use of coved skirtings for hospital purposes, but the glazing of the windows and the door surrounds is quite remarkable. The glass includes some very subtle and very bold combinations of colour; single pieces of mixed hue ; motifs resembling snails and sunflowers seen on edge like parasols; abstract renderings of scenes such as the sun shining on waves; and other compositions of exquisitely contrived tension and asymmetry.
Built as a private hospital in 1901 for the eminent Melbourne surgeon, William Moore, who was the first master of surgery graduate of the University of Melbourne, Milton House was subsequently a rooming house, reverted to a medical context in its use by the Victorian Health Commission for X-ray purposes and later became government offices.
Classified: 14/10/1982