The Palm Trees outside the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works building

The Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) was established in 1891. It had two objectives - build a sewerage system in Melbourne and take over the reticulated water supply. (1) In August 1903 the MMBW moved its operations from rented premises into the old Sailors' Home, on the corner of Spencer Street and Little Collins Street. The MMBW paid £10,000 for the building and then spent £15,950 on renovations and alterations. (2)  As the name suggests, the Sailors' Home, which opened in February 1865, provided accommodation for sailors when their ship was in port and after selling this building to the MMBW they moved to a new facility in Siddeley Street. (3)

By the 1960s the MMBW had outgrown this building which required extensive maintenance. They demolished it and built Melbourne's second largest building after BHP House in terms of usable floor space. This building was completed in August 1973 at a cost of $16.5 million. (4)

The Sailors' Home, as it looked when the MMBW purchased it.

Sailors' Home Spencer St., Melbourne. Photographer: Charles Nettleton. State Library of Victoria image H4340

At some time two Palm Trees were planted either side of the Little Collins Street entrance of the building. As to whether they were planted during the time of the Sailors' Home or after the MMBW took over the building, I cannot say. The only photograph I can find of them was taken during the First World War.

The MMBW offices during World War One, with a Palm Tree either side of the entrance. 

Image: Vital Connections - Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works 1891-1991 by Tony Dingle and 

Carolyn Rasmussen (McPhee Gribble, 1991) p. 109.

These Palm Trees were removed in May 1937, as the Sun News-Pictorial reported -
Sparrow's Home to go with removal of City Palm Trees
Two tall palm trees which have stood in front of the Board of Works building in Spencer Street for about 40 years, providing shelter for innumerable birds, are being removed. Workmen began cutting one of them down yesterday. Hundreds of sparrows will have to find new homes, but, after all, they have only them selves to blame. It was because they were such a nuisance that the trees are being removed. The palm trees probably will be replaced by smaller trees. (5)

Sun News-Pictorial, May 6, 1937 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277380822

It seems a very trivial matter to report, but the newspaper must have assumed that many Melburnians would firstly, be aware of the Palms and secondly, interested in their removal.  Ninety years down the track the article inspired this blog post.

Footnotes

(1)eMelbourne entry Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works by Tony Dingle https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00924b.htm

(2) Dingle, Tony and Rasmussen, Carolyn Vital Connections - Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works 1891-1991 (McPhee Gribble, 1991) p. 91.

(3) The Leader, February 28, 1903, see here; The Argus, February 13, 1865, see here;   Peter Andrew Barrett - Architectural and Urban Historian, Writer & Curator's Post Facebook post of April 30, 2018    https://www.facebook.com/100045427796115/posts/sailors-homespencer-street-melbourneopened-in-1865-the-sailors-home-was-situated/1711973825555169/

(4) Dingle, Tony and Rasmussen, Carolyn, op. cit, page 341.

(5) Sun News-Pictorial, May 6, 1937, see here.