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Mt. Lyell
295 Whitehall Street, YARRAVILLE VIC 3013 - Property No 4098007200

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Maribyrnong City
HO184 (2) - Mt. Lyell, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville.JPG
HO184 (2) - Mt. Lyell, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville.JPG
HO184 (2) - Mt. Lyell, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville.JPG
HO184 (1) - Mt. Lyell, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville.JPG
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Statement of Significance

The three most substantial early buildings on the site, the Engineering Workshop, Salt Store and No.2 Storage Shed, are of local historical, technological and architectural significance. The tree buildings are of historical and technological significance:

. Through being associated with a site which is one of a group of large industrial sites n this part of Yarraville, where the processing of agricultural and industrial chemicals commenced in the late nineteenth century, and in part continues today.

. In representing a site which is one of several surviving fertiliser manufacturing complexes in Melbourne's western region.

. Through demonstrating an operation which was established on the site in the early 1900s, to process sulphuric acid and superphosphate fertiliser from the by-products of copper production (and within a short period supplied nearly one third of Australia's nation al superphosphate output). The development of the site continued under successive ownerships, including Imperial Chemical Industrial of Australia & New Zealand (ICIANZ, later ICI and then Orica), which acquired the site in 1936.

The engineering workshop, salt store and No.2 storage shed, which date from the early twentieth century, are also structure of architectural significance due to their form and scale which reflects their storage and workshop use, and in the case of the No. 2 Storage Shed, for its unusual timber arch structure.

Collectively, the three buildings form a prominent group within the former Mt Lyell site, have historically defined the northern boundary of the complex (on Lyell Street), and contribute to the historic industrial character of the site as seen from Whitehall and Lyell Streets.

Statement of Significance from the Incorporated Plan: Former Mt Lyell Site, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville: Incorporated Plan.

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    • Physical Description 1

      Mt. Lyell - Physical Description 1

      Physical Description extract from the Incorporated Plan: Former Mt Lyell Site, 295 Whitehall Street, Yarraville: Incorporated Plan.

      The former Engineering Workshop was originally the principal engineering workshop of the former Mt Lyell operation, and a highly visible building from Whitehall Street. It is located near the junction of Whitehall and Lyell Streets, is a large steel framed 9trussed portal frame) brick building with gable ends, a hipped lantern roof with skylights, bands of timber framed multi-paned clerestory windows, and skillion roofed sides to the north and south elevations. It is comparatively intact in terms of original fabric and form.

      The Salt Store was originally a superphosphate storage shed, connected by conveyor to the No.2 Storage Shed to its east. It is located to the east of the Engineering Workshop, abutting Lyell Street, and is a large structure of simple plan form, with a steel trussed portal frame, gable ends, a lantern roof, a skillion-roofed annexe on the south side of the building, and asbestos sheet cladding to the roof and external walls. Internally, the remnant conveyor system remains. Alterations have been made to the roof, annexe and east bale wall. Demolition of the Bine Cell Plant with tanks, hoppers and piping leave an opening on the south east section of the building. The steel structural elements are heavily corroded, particularly at lower levels.

      The No.2 Storage Shed was originally used for the storage of superphosphate, and was connected to the Salt Store to the west by a conveyor system. It is located to the east of the Salt Store, abutting Lyell Street, and is a long rectilinear building with a pitched roof, a triple gabled form at its west end, and external non original corrugated iron cladding. The roof is clad with a combination of asbestos and steel sheeting, with a large brick chimney at the east end. Internally, the structure comprises an unusual systema of trussed arch frames, with long (Oregon) timbers sections and ends of frames embedded into the ground. The conveyor system remains at central ceiling height, supported independently of the building frame: a manual bagging area is located on the south side of the building. Alterations include vehicle openings to the north elevation, the introduction of a timber frame with plastic sheeting to the east elevation, and the removal of three large gable roofed dormer elements from the south side of the roof.

      The elements are the remnant bluestone paving to the north of the site (including between the Engineering Workshop and the Salt Store) and remnant stone retaining walls possibly associated with the demolished Rock Storage Shed which was formerly to the east of No.2 Storage Shed.

      Physical Description 2

      Mt. Lyell - Physical Description 2

      Context: One of a group of large bulk processing factories located along the waterfront at Yarraville, including CSR, the former Cuming Smith fertiliser works and the Mobil oil terminal, each of which has been dependent on river wharves for delivery of bulk raw materials.

      Historical Australian Themes

      Mt. Lyell - Historical Australian Themes

      Thematic context
      Australian Principal Theme Manufacturing and Processing
      PAHT Subtheme: Manufacturing and Processing
      Local Theme Industry by the River: Early

      Physical Description 3

      Mt. Lyell - Physical Description 3

      Creation date(s): 1889
      Heritage Significance regional
      Map (Melway) 42 D10
      Boundary description
      The primary area of concern is the group of buildings along Lyell Street, although other potentially significant structures may be located within the site but have not been assessed
      Local Government Area: City of Maribyrnong
      Ownership Type Private (wharf area leased PTC)

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Maribyrnong - Maribyrnong Heritage Review

      Author: Jill Barnard, Graeme Butler, Francine Gilfedder & Gary Vines
      Year: 2000
      Grading:

Public contributions

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