DUKE AND ORRS DRY DOCK

1-27 SOUTH WHARF PROMENADE SOUTH WHARF, MELBOURNE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register

DUKE AND ORR'S DRY DOCK SOHE 2008

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    DUKE AND ORRS DRY DOCK - History

    Contextual History:History of Place:
    
    In 1874 the Melbourne shipwright, George Sampson Duke, obtained a lease over 3 acres of Crown Land on the south bank of the Yarra to build a dry dock. The site had previously been occupied as a dock by Thos. Norton. Duke's Dock was completed in the first half of 1875. Its original dimensions were 310 ft long, 40 ft wide at the gate and 54 ft wide in the middle. It was capable of holding vessels with a draught of 14 ft. It had a timber floor, walls and gate. Due to a government river widening project Duke lost a portion of his lease, receiving additional land on a 21 year lease as compensation. Using this new land, Duke extended his dock at the southern end by 300 ft and created a double docking space. In 1881 the outer gate was moved back clear of the land owned by the Melbourne Harbour Trust so that the Trust could construct a moveable bridge. In the process Duke lost 120ft of dock and received 6250 pounds compensation. Changing shipping requirements by the 1900s led to further reconstruction of the dock. By 1904 the dock had been reconstructed to the following dimensions: length 520 ft on top and 510 ft at bottom; width 71 ft top and 61ft 9 in bottom; depth 23 ft. New mitre gates were constructed and new pumps, engines and boilers installed.
    
    In 1910 Duke's dock was merged with Orr's smaller dock immediately upstream to form Duke and Orr's Dry Amalgamated Docks Ltd. Orr's dock was closed in the mdi-1930s.
    
    The dock was mostly closed between 1923 and 1926 for repair works for damage caused by several floods. In 1935, after the floor of the dock blew out in a flood, the floor was completely replaced with concrete and the length of the dock extended to 527 ft.
    
    As the shipping industry continued to change in the 20th century, the dock became less functional and was eventually closed in 1975 after the construction of a new bridge at Johnson Street closed access to it by ships.
    
    In 1977 the site was ceded to the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and became the berth of the Polly Woodside.

    Permit Exemptions

    DUKE AND ORRS DRY DOCK - Permit Exemptions

    General Exemptions:

    General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

    Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

    Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

    Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

    Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

    Specific Exemptions:

    Former Number 2 South Wharf Cargo Shed: Realignment or relocation of shed within the precinct.

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