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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 49| February 2001


Pictorial acquisitions

Australian engineering and demolition techniques, a collection of 40 photographs depicting construction and demolition processes, equipment, engineering techniques and infrastructure was purchased from Melbourne photographer, Ian Hill. The photographs are a selection of four series:

Jacana Underpass construction, Western Ring Road 1992–93, (8 prints)
Maribyrnong River Bridge construction, Western Ring Road 1992–94, (12 prints)
Demolition of the Gas and Fuel Buildings and Federation Square 1996–1998, (9 prints)
Melbourne Docklands and associated areas prior to redevelopment (11 prints)

Gas & Fuel Building and Federation Square

The Western Ring Road photographs record innovations in engineering, such as the use of precast tunnel segments, prefabricated decking, and incremental launched bridge construction—the latter being an Australian innovation.

The Federation Square photographs show techniques used in the demolition of the Gas and Fuel Building (pictured), a multistorey building in Melbourne’s central business district, prior to the construction of a square to commemorate the Centenary of Federation.

The Melbourne docklands series depicts the infrastructure, shipping, rail and port usage prior to the redevelopment of the docks into a commercial, entertainment and tourist precinct.

In addition to their intrinsic documentary value, the photographs are sources on more general themes such as urbanisation and redevelopment of commercial areas. The photographs have detailed captions of the equipment, construction and demolition processes employed.

Ian H. (Ian Harrison) Hill
Gas and Fuel Building, Melbourne, 1996
Silver gelatin photograph; 20 x 25.3 cm
Pictorial Collection

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