Victoria - RMIT

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT



The newest building on this page, the 2012 RMIT Design Hub, is on the northwest corner of Victoria and Swanston Streets. It was built with operable disks that could be outfitted to collect solar energy, but they weren't utilised by the time I appeared.


Building 22, born as Storey Hall in 1887, is at the northeast corner of Swanston Street and La Trobe Street. It now houses the RMIT Gallery, which is why there's weird artwork on it.


Building 24, born as Foresters' Hall in 1888, is just to the east of Building 22. It was built for the Ancient Order of Foresters, whose motto appears above the door: "Unitas, benevolentia, concordia." (The English translation is much the same.)


It's not my fault the building numbers jump around. Building 1, or the Francis Ormond Building, was the original Working Men's College when the Bowen St. wing (seen here) opened in 1886. Francis Ormond was a benefactor and the first chairman of that college, which became today's RMIT. His statue was erected in 1897.


The La Trobe Street frontage of Building 1 was constructed in 1892, immediately next to Building 20, which I'll get to next. Be patient. Sit down. Stop being jumpy. Yes, you. Quiet. You're just making this take longer.


There are tiny faces between every window, just to make learning creepy.


On to the Romanesque Building 20, which started life as the Magistrates' Court in 1914. No faces.


The main entrance to the old court is on the northwest corner of La Trobe and Russell Streets. No faces, but there's a lion on each side.


The Russell Street façade of Building 20.


This building at Russell and Victoria Streets started life in 1926 as the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy. It was basically an all-women's college devoted to teaching housewifery. Sexist enough for you? Good thing it was acquired by RMIT in 1979 and is now Building 13.

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