Housing Commission of Victoria

Part of the Wellington Street, Collingwood Housing Commission building built 1971. 47 of these template designed steel framed concrete towers consisting of pre-cast slabs covered in exposed aggregate, some as tall as 20 to 30 storeys, were constructed across inner Melbourne during the 1960s and early 1970s.

The Housing Commission of Victoria (often shortened to Housing Commission, especially colloquially) was a Government of Victoria body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1938, and was abolished in 1984.

The main activity of the commission was the construction tens of thousands of houses and flats in Melbourne and many country towns between the late 1940s and the early 70s, providing low rent housing for low income families. The most visible legacy of the commission is the 44 high-rise apartment towers in inner Melbourne, all built using the same pre-cast concrete panel technology as part of a major urban renewal. Many of the larger estates such as: Atherton Gardens (Fitzroy), Debney Estate (Flemington), Horace Petty Estate (South Yarra), Collingwood and Richmond Estates were modelled on the Towers in the park design philosophy popular in large cities around the world such as New York and London. Others such as Park Towers were maximised for height in already built up areas. Archive footage exists of construction and life within Melbourne's Housing Commission towers of the 1960s such as this Video on YouTube.

In 2023, the Government of Victoria announced it intended to demolish all the remaining high rise towers which house more than 5,800 families and redevelop the sites under a Public–private partnership model. This has stimulated significant public debate over their heritage significance and possible protection[1] and also their role in alleviating Melbourne's housing crisis and possible refurbishment.[2]

  1. ^ The man behind the housing towers heritage bid grew up in them. To him, they’re no eyesore By Royce Millar. The Age. 22 April 2024
  2. ^ Greens say Melbourne housing towers should be fixed amid claims that would be ‘putting lipstick on a pig’ by Margaret Simons.The Guardian. 2 October 2023