Housing Commission of Victoria

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from stylish Old English style double brick to simple unadorned prefabricated weatherboard. The compulsory purchase and demolition of blocks of 'slums' in the inner and middle ring suburbs also gathered pace, usually replaced by apartment buildings of various designs, from long two storey blocks of prefabricated construction placed diagonally on the blocks in a garden setting to concentrated blocks of concrete and brick four storey walk-ups. Despite the offer of attractive accommodation many residents in 1953 resisted compulsory acquisition, objecting to the affordability of proposed new units. The new housing was too expensive for low income earners and aiming it at middle income earners was regarded by some as dooming the project to fail.

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planning authority capacity had also drawn up plans for the future development of Melbourne but by 1944, it was lacking resources to deal with backlogs of council plans. The commission recruited Frank Heath from its advisory Architects Panel to deal with these problems but it was stripped of its town planning powers later in the same year. The commission's 1944 report found that housing was required in 'large numbers as quickly as possible to house those recently returned to civilian life and catch up on the lag of construction over the war years'. The end of the slum abolitionism was in part due to the ambiguity surrounding what constituted a slum. Slum abolitionists were left disappointed because the

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commission's work. On the passing of the legislation, Premier Dunstan declared the beginning of the commission's activities as a 'war on slums', but also recognised the magnitude of the task before it. The legislation not only gave the Commission powers for housing construction and improvement, but also made it 'a planning authority in its own right'. The Commission's chief concerns, however, were the 'slum pockets' which required 'excision' for the 'common good'. It developed a plan of action in March 1938, concentrating its attention on 1,240 houses in lanes, rights-of-way and slum pockets, referred to in HISAB's earlier report. Slums were to be reclaimed and people rehoused.

106: 202:, there was tension between tenants of the commission's estate and those who had bought homes under an earlier housing program; vandalism was also a problem, both at Fishermans Bend and in the West Brunswick estate. Frances Penington, who was also a social worker, advocated for community facilities to be built at the estates to alleviate some of these problems, these were built after protracted debate by others on the commission. Transportation costs from the new estates to places of employment were also an issue. Despite these issues, residents 'adjusted to their new homes and locations' and appreciated the 'better home environment'. 135:, creating a 'housing crisis'. During the Depression, little new housing was built, which also led to rental housing being a 'seller's market'. Barnett's campaigning against slums led to the establishment the Housing Investigation and Slum Abolition Board (HISAB) in July 1936. The Group proposed to use unemployment relief funds for the rehousing of slum occupants to rentals based on social rather than economic conditions. Its 1937 report found 3,000 houses 'unfit for habitation' and recommended the establishment of a housing commission. Famously, at the same time, Barnett invited Premier 887: 22: 234:

Tank factory building in suburban Holmesglen, transforming it into a 'Housing Factory' for the production of prefabricated concrete houses and flats. The entire operation became a production line process and by 1948, 1,000 houses had been produced. In the middle 1950s, the factory was producing two to four storey walk up flats, and by 1964 the Concrete House Project was turning out pre-cast walls for villas as well as walk-ups and would soon be producing the components for high rise towers.

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a "hard lockdown" due to more than 11% of residents were found to be positive. The harsh detention sparked an investigation into treatment of the residents, following the arrival of police residents there were not able to source food or essential medicines for 14 days. The result of a $ 5 million class action involving 3,000 residents. The government refused to apologise for its actions despite the ombudsman ruling that it was a human rights violation.

1076: 557: 478: 265: 516: 304:. The towers vary between 20 and 30 storeys in height and come in a variety of plan forms; S, T, Y, I, L and C-shape, the most common being the S-shape. The high-rises have become somewhat iconic, the instantly recognisable image of the Melbourne 'Housing Commission Tower Block' has been used in artworks, film and TV, and as a graphics on T-shirts, bags and the like. 155:, where pre-cast concrete technologies were employed for the first time to build 370 homes. Next was the development of flats at Pigdon Street, Carlton, though the original proposal for three storey flats was reduced to two storeys after local opposition. The commission then began to acquire cheap land in the northern suburbs of 195:

had difficulties dealing with local municipalities, in acquiring properties in the North Melbourne reclamation area as well as with the labour movement, who believed that the government should subsidise loans to enable workers to buy homes rather than rent them. The rehousing of those from the slums was a difficult task.

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July 4 and July 18 2020 the Victorian government locked down 9 housing commission towers in the Hotham (North Melbourne) and Debney (Flemington) estates due to an outbreak there which rapidly spread through those communities. The tower at 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne in particular was subject to

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By 1942, building had halted as the commission shifted its focus to post-war planning. It continued to acquire land though, taking advantage of low prices by purchasing land in industrial areas in the western suburbs as well as in the middle class eastern and southern suburbs. The commission, in its

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The Commission's acquisition plans were ambitious and it was bound to come across difficulties. The synchronisation of the 'demolition program' was proving difficult and by June 1940, only 53 families had moved into new houses while only 99 houses had been ordered for demolition. The commission also

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The Commission was keen to produce the largest number of houses at the lowest cost, and in an era when prefabrication was widely regarded as the most efficient construction method, the Commission continued its pre-war development of precast concrete houses. In 1946 it leased the former Commonwealth

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announced that all of the 44 1960s public housing towers will be demolished and rebuilt by 2051 with the first 5 to be pulled down by 2031 are 2 towers in Flemington (12 Holland Court & 120 Racecourse Road), 1 tower in North Melbourne (33 Alfred Street) and 2 towers in Carlton (20 Elgin Street

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In 1973 due to mounting criticism of its high-rise program, the Housing Commission announced it would no longer build towers, instead switching to medium density infill (or townhouses) which ironically modelled on the Victorian terraces which were the subject of the original slum clearances of the

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After World War II, with greater funding and a severe housing shortage, the Commission's activities greatly expanded through the late 1940s into the 1950s. They began to build larger and larger estates of housing in the suburban fringes, as well as country towns, of both single homes and duplexes,

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and many country towns between the late 1940s and the early 70s, providing low rent housing for low income families. The most visible legacy of the commission is the 44 high-rise apartment towers in inner Melbourne, all built using the same pre-cast concrete panel technology as part of a major

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The Housing Commission of Victoria was established under the Housing Act 1937 to improve existing housing conditions and to provide adequate housing for persons of limited means; the Slum Reclamation Act 1938 and the Reclamation and Housing (Financial) Act 1938 provided the framework for the

261:. The purchase of the land however was poorly handled, the Commission spending $ 11 million on land, some of which was not suitable for housing, and handing handsome profits to speculators. This 'land scandal' led to a Royal Commission in 1979 which found no evidence of corruption. 253:

In the period of the 1960s-70s large scale redevelopment by the Housing Commission of Victoria caused the displacement of low-income residents. Few former residents residing in the inner-city areas whose houses were demolished by the Commission were resettled in the inner city.

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to join him on a personal tour of the slums. Dunstan's government established the Housing Commission of Victoria thereafter: John O’Connor was the commission's first chairman, while Oswald Barnett, Oswald Burt and Frances Pennington were appointed as part-time commissioners.

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The Commission became part of a new Ministry of Housing in 1973, and in 1984 the commission structure was abolished in favour of an Office of Housing within the Ministry of Housing and subsequent similar Ministries. In 2023, Public housing is administered by the

1181:, as well as advocate directly for system wide improvements to policies and procedures, urgent construction of more public housing and on other social justice issues that impact on people who are homeless, insecurely housed or living in public housing. 1123:

Production moved to low rise walk-up and single dwelling units, with about 10,000 homes using locally engineered design and erection methods constructed using the technology. Public housing was also built in regional Victorian cities, such as

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that contain around 44 high rises in total (some already demolished and all to be demolished and replaced by 2051). The largest sites contain four towers each as well as a numerous walk-up flats (many replaced in the 2010s); Elizabeth Street,

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was first formed in 2000 as a peak body for Tenant Groups. The organisation now represents people who live in public housing individually, as well as those who have applications on the joint public and community housing waitlist, the

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and 141 Nicholson Street). As of September 2024, the second phase of the high rise redevelopment was Announced with 1 tower in Richmond (139 Highett Street) and 1 tower in South Yarra (259 Malvern Road) will be demolished by 2032.

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model. This has stimulated significant public debate over their heritage significance and possible protection and also their role in alleviating Melbourne's housing crisis and possible refurbishment.

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1950s. This mode had undergone a revival and was thought more favourable in the long term than the high-rise model. Properties built in this style between 1981 and 1983 in Carlton were awarded the

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20 to 30 storey height buildings were constructed around Melbourne in the 1960s, until the type of development fell into disrepute. By 1970 nearly 4000 privately owned dwellings had been

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As a landlord, the commission also experienced problems. Tenants were initially reluctant to move, while rents on the estates were more expensive than in their former accommodation. At

69:. Many of the larger estates such as: Atherton Gardens (Fitzroy), Debney Estate (Flemington), Horace Petty Estate (South Yarra), Collingwood and Richmond Estates were modelled on the 25:

Part of the Wellington Street, Collingwood Housing Commission building built 1971. 47 of these template designed steel framed concrete towers consisting of pre-cast slabs covered in

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In the early 1970s with the towers out of favour, the Commission turned back to building large suburban estates, including the creation of satellite towns in Pakenham, Sunbury and

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comprised modestly scaled suburban style housing, in simple brick construction, mostly as duplexes, such as the Racecourse Estate in Richmond, and the Railton Grove Precinct in

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The height of the towers is proportional to the number of storeys with each storey at 2.6 metres of height resulting in a typical height for a 20 storey tower being 52 metres.

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In 2023, the Government of Victoria announced it intended to demolish all the remaining high rise towers which house more than 5,800 families and redevelop the sites under a

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were maximised for height in already built up areas. Archive footage exists of construction and life within Melbourne's Housing Commission towers of the 1960s such as this

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120 Racecourse Road, 1 building (S-Shaped), 126 Racecourse Road, 1 building (S-Shaped), 130 Racecourse Road, 1 building (S-Shaped), 12 Holland Court, 1 building (S-Shaped)

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Through the 1920s and early 1930s, a campaign highlighting the dreadful conditions and moral dangers of the 'slums' of inner city Melbourne was led by social reformer

1552:. Collingwood, Vic.: CSIRO Pub. in association with the Dept. of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and the Australian Heritage Council. p. 217. 2617: 2627: 689:

33 Alfred Street, 3 buildings (1 Y-Shaped); 12 Sutton Street (1 S-Shaped, 1 T-Shaped); 76 Canning Street (Corner of Boundary Road), 1 building (I-Shaped)

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To house the people moved from the slum areas, the commission needed to provide new homes. The commission's first estate was an extension to the

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and consolidated his status as the leading anti-slum campaigner in Melbourne. Run-down housing in the inner city areas deteriorated during the

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200 Dorcas Street (Emerald Hill Court - 1 building 2 conjoined rectangular towers); Moray Coventry & Dorcas Street: 4 x 5 storey (linear)

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Victoria is the only State which has a peak body to represent people who live in public housing, and people on the waiting list. The

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Howe, Renate (September 2009). "New Residents—New City. The Role of Urban Activists in the Transformation of Inner City Melbourne".

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carried by the slum problem were communicated to the mainstream community over messages such as social inequity and social reform.

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exploring the slum problem in Melbourne. Barnett received high praise for his thesis which was later published by the Melbourne

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72 Derby Street was Demolished in 1999, the first and only public housing tower to be demolished in Melbourne until 2024.

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calling for a fairer society and centralised planning. By now, housing for growing numbers was the main concern.

89: 900: 74: 29:, some as tall as 20 to 30 storeys, were constructed across inner Melbourne during the 1960s and early 1970s. 1012: 1245:

Greens say Melbourne housing towers should be fixed amid claims that would be ‘putting lipstick on a pig’

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While the commission was planning for the future, so were its commissioners. Barnett and Burt published

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design philosophy popular in large cities around the world such as New York and London. Others such as

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Amendment Documentation for Adoption Amendment C161port Part 2 to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme

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The main activity of the commission was the construction tens of thousands of houses and flats in

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Residents outraged after bureaucrats keep Albert Park housing estate windows locked in 40C heat

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The man behind the housing towers heritage bid grew up in them. To him, they’re no eyesore

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Melbourne public housing Covid lockdown violated human rights, Victoria's ombudsman finds

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The High Rise At a Glance. Minister of Housing and Construction Victoria. December 1990.

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56 Derby Street (L-Shaped); 72 Derby Street (L-Shaped); 94 Ormond Street (I-Shaped)

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by Patrick Durkin and Hannah Wootton. Australian Financial Review 17 December 2020

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Bounded by Malvern Road, Simmons, Surrey. Essex Street and Little Chapel Street

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95 Napier (1970); 90 Brunswick (1971); 140 Brunswick (1971); 125 Napier (1971)

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Creating better futures for residents of high-rise public housing in Melbourne

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