P007675 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Cultural Object created 2025-04-29 human Ken McInnes updated 2026-05-07 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007675b.htm culturalArtefact Allied Societies' Trust Building AACR2 Kelvin Hall 1928 1924 1969 Start Place 55 Collins Place [55 Exhibition Street], Melbourne, Victoria, Australia On 11 December 1924, "The Allied Societies Trust Limited" was formed by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects; the Institution of Engineers Australia (Melbourne Division); the Australian Chemical Institute; the Victorian Institute of Engineers; the Victorian Institute of Surveyors; the Victorian Advisory Committee of the Institution of Civil Engineers; and the Victorian Institute of Refrigeration. Directors of the Trust included: J. N. Reeson (Chairman); Sir John Monash; W Russell Grimwade; Kingsley Anketell Henderson; Thomas Baker [1927]; P. B. Hudson [1927]. The Trust purchased 53-55 Collins Place and invited designs in competition for the building. In addition to providing offices and a combined library for the various professional associations, two floors were to house a permanent exhibition of building materials, the two upper floors were devoted to a men's club, and on the ground floor there was a large meeting room that could seat 300 people and be used for various events and displays. The design for the seven-storied Allied Societies Building, was won by the architectural firm of Godfrey & Spowers in association with W H Buck, and the contractor of the building works, completed in 1927, was Andrew Douglas. The large meeting room, known as "Kelvin Hall" from 1928, became not only a place for learned lectures, but a major meeting and performance space for Melbourne. Many major conferences, exhibitions, meetings, plays and concerts utilised the hall. The club and function space, known as "The Kelvin Club", became a popular venue for social gatherings and functions before and after meetings. The Allied Societies Trust continued to manage the building, and the Trust often came together, not just for the betterment of their professions, but of the betterment of Melbourne generally. Together they lobbied for improved building regulations, better standards, and for improved town planning measures. By the late 1960s, the facilities had become outdated, many of the organisations had outgrown the building, and the meeting room lacked modern sound and projection amenities. In 1969, after the National Science Centre, Clunies Ross House, was established at 191 Royal Parade, Parkville, most of the technical societies that had their offices in the Allied Societies' Trust Building, moved into its new offices and meeting spaces. In 1969, the former Kelvin Hall was converted into the Playbox Theatre, and in 1978 it was split into two smaller theatres. It operated successfully until 1984, when fire destroyed the theatres and ended what had been a major cultural venue for Melbourne for nearly 60 years. Today the façade of the former Allied Societies' Trust building remains, and together with adjacent buildings, it forms part of a fine collection of inter-war commercial architecture on the southwest corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets. Victorian Institute of Surveyors (VIS) (1874 - 1952)

The Institution had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building 1927 - 1952

 Australian Chemical Institute (ACI) (1917 - 1953)

The Institute had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building c 1927 - 1953

 Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc (1920 - )

The Institute had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building c1927 - c1969

 Victoria Division, Institution of Engineers, Australia (1919 - )

The Institution had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building 1927 - c1969

 National Association of Testing Authorities (1947 - )

The Association had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building c1947 - c1969

 Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) (1953 - )

The Institute had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building c1927 - c1969

 Victorian Institute of Engineers (1883 - 1949)

The Institute had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building 1927 - c1949

 Institution of Surveyors, Australia - Victorian Division (1952 - 2008)

The Institution had its offices at the Allied Societies' Trust Building 1952 - c1969

 Grimwade, Wilfrid Russell (1879 - 1955)

Director of the Trust 1924 - c1931

 Monash, John (1865 - 1931)

Director of the Trust, 1924 - 1931

 First Commonwealth Conference on Public Health Engineering (1927)

This was the first major conference to be held at Kelvin Hall.

 Reeson, Joseph Newell (1868 - 1953)

Chairman, Director of the Trust, 1924 - c1950

 National Science Centre (1967 - 1992)

The National Science Centre superceded the functions of the Allied Societies' Trust Building

 'Allied Societies' Trust Building', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Allied Societies' Trust Building Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Seventh Annual General Meeting [March 1927] and Seventh Annual Report [1926] Institution of Engineers Australia Seventh Annual General Meeting [March 1927] and Seventh Annual Report [1926] 1927 Transactions of the Institution of Engineers, Australia 7 xvi-xli Book: The Institution of Engineers, Australia: a history of the first fifty years, 1919-1969 Corbett, Arthur Hardie The Institution of Engineers, Australia: a history of the first fifty years, 1919-1969 Sydney Institution of Engineers, Australia 1973 John Monash - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection John Monash - Records MS 1884 1876 - 1934 Correspondence, diaries, notebooks, drafts of manuscripts, subject files, press cuttings, pamphlets, souvenirs, printed items, photographs, glass slides and other memorabilia relating to all aspects of Sir John's life and career. There is juvenilia and items dating from his school and university days. The correspondents include Victory Moss (whom he married), J. T. N. Anderson (business partner), Mathilda Monash (sister) and other members of the Monash Family, J. Gibson (business), Walter Rosenhain, Clara Stockfeld, Eva Blashki, Rose Blashki, Minnie Blashki, Jeanette Krakowski, Ada Krakowski, Kitty Lunday, Amy and Evie Corrie and Rose Schield. 35.42 m Photographs