Treasury Reserve Walking Tour

Hours Open
10am - 5pm (last tour at 4:30pm)

Address
Assemble at 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne

Architects
Various

Year Built
Various

Building Type
Offices

What is Open
Foyers of 1 Treasury Place, 2 Treasury Place & 41 St Andrews Place

Tour Frequency
Every 30 minutes

Tram Stop
Stop 9: Parliament Street and Collins Street on routes 31, 112 and 109
Stop 10: Parliament Station on routes 31, 112, 109

Description
Treasury Reserve is located on the eastern fringe of Melbourne's central business district. Bounded by Treasury Place, Lansdowne Street, St Andrews Place, Macarthur Street and Spring Street, this precinct serves as the administrative centre for the State Government of Victoria. Surrounded by spectacular public gardens, the precinct has been revitalised to emphasise and enhance the Reserve's role as a pedestrian and heritage area.

Significance
Established as the seat of government administration in Victoria for over 150 years, Treasury Reserve includes some of Melbourne's finest historic public buildings including the Government Printers Office (built 1856-58), the Old Treasury Building (built 1858-62) and 2 Treasury Place (built 1859, completed 1874-76). During the 1960's, three striking buildings were added to the reserve – 1 Treasury Place, 35 St Andrews Place and 1 Macarthur Street. The austere, crisply detailed elevations and simple massing were a landmark of modernism in Australia.

What’s Open?
A walking tour of Treasury Reserve will be run every 30 minutes and will highlight key buildings, history and current use. Starting at 1 Treasury Place, you will enter the foyer to view an architectural model of the entire precinct. From here, you will head to the foyer of 2 Treasury Place to see the magnificent staircase and stained glass windows. The tour will continue around the precinct taking in the facades of key buildings. You will see the open atrium behind the foyer of 41 St Andrews Place. The walk will finish back at 1 Treasury Place.

Referenced from: Victorian Heritage Database, www.heritage.vic.gov.au