Grand building laid low
ONE of the hardest fought conservation battles in Geelong’s history involved the retention of the Bow Truss Building, a Dennys Lascelles woolstore that took up much of the block bordered by Brougham, Clare and Corio streets and Gore Place.
The Bow Truss Building had been built between 1910 and 1912, and was considered revolutionary because of its “coat hanger’’ style roof which enabled the floor area on the top story to be open without the need for columns.
It surrounded an earlier Dennys Lascelles wool store that had been built on Brougham St in 1872 adjacent to what is now the National Wool Museum.
That earlier wool store had itself been demolished in the 1980s, weakening the argument for the retention of the Bow Truss Building. The battle to save the Bow Truss Building had been waged from 1984 to 1990.
Needless to say the Bow Truss Building was demolished amid a blaze of publicity in May 1990. Today that site and the adjacent 1872 wool store is occupied by the high-rise TAC building, a workplace that brought hundreds of jobs.
Two years before its demolition this columnist had written in a Geelong Advertiser feature that anyone walking past the Bow Truss Building could have been excused for wondering why the Historic Buildings Council had ruled for its retention.
“The sombre grey building has little appeal from the street, let along inside, where the ravages of time have taken their toll,’’ the column read.
“The building is also considered unsafe, and something must be done to do away with the barriers erected to keep pedestrians well clear.’’
In retrospect, one can’t help but think that said barriers were merely a tool in the propaganda war that was being fought over the building. A close look at a photo of the building at the time shows no sign of missing masonry.
On a brighter note, it is worth noting that not all such conservation battles were lost; the former Royal Mail Hotel in Yarra St is one such example.
It is also worth noting that the open space at the rear of the TAC building has a permanent display telling the story in words and pictures of the Bow Truss Building. Contact: peterjohnbegg@gmail.com