THE DEPARTMENT STORE
Grace Brothers Department Store
became possibly the most famous store in the world for a while thanks to
the BBC-Television Series, Are You Being Served?
Are You being Served Theme Music
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OTHER DEPARTMENT STORES CONTINUED
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11. DIMMEY’S OF MELBOURNE CONTINUED
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THE FINAL DAYS OF
DIMMEY’S ON SWAN STREET
&
THE OPENING OF COLES RICHMOND ICON
Saying goodbye to Dimmey’s on Swan Street
Although Dimmey’s Department Store on Swan Street closed its doors for the final time on the 31st December, 2012, the actual site where the building stood had been sold some time earlier in 2008. The sale was to the company, Richmond Icon, for either $15 or $16 million depending on the source.
Be that as it may with regards to the actual amount, Dimmey’s General Manager, Mr. Stephen Pollock, said that the offer for the building was too good to refuse and would allow the company to expand beyond the then-present number of forty stores.
Exactly what kind of building would replace the Iconic Store became the subject of much debate over the ensuing months, with the principal actors being Richmond Icon, Yarra Council and Heritage Victoria.
Dimmey’s Department Store was a Melbourne landmark and a much-loved place to shop and building. Its Dome and Clock Tower were instantly recognisable. They had become a well-known fixture in the city and was a site seen daily by commuters aboard the Metro Trains, as they journeyed to and from the city.
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I remember my first glimpse of the Dome and Clock Tower. Naturally, I was greatly impressed and immediately set about knowing what the building was, and even before knowing, decided that I had to visit it to see it close up! That first journey into Flinders Street Station was also memorable as it allowed me to see another remarkable building from the train: the erstwhile Bryant & May Factory.
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Once it was announced that Dimmey’s Department Store was to close, interest quickly mounted in those wanting to know what was to become of the site. Opinions on the subject were expressed, newspaper articles were published and reports were heard on the radio and seen on television. As a result of public concern and since the building was listed, Heritage Victoria became involved in the debate to oversee the preservation of key elements of the building’s exterior.
Click here to watch a video about Richmond Icon
Click here to watch the video, Save Dimmey’s Photo Album
Click here to watch Richmond Icon Dimmey’s
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Click here to read the original application for a planning permit made by Richmond Icon Pty. Ltd.
The initial proposal offered by Richmond Icon to Yarra Council for consideration was for a nine-storey building to be constructed on the site, but was to include the preservation of the Dome and Clock Tower. However, the plan would have involved the loss of a section of The Mural on Green Street, said to be necessary to allow access to proposed underground parking.
It needs to be remembered that, at this time, both the building and its Clock Tower were listed as architecturally significant by Heritage Victoria while the Green Street Wall had only been given a Heritage Mention. It soon became apparent that many detractors of the proposal considered The Mural on Green Street to have cultural importance and argued that it needed to be saved in its entirety.
Click here to read what the artist, Mr.Hayden Dewar, had to say about the future of The Mural
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In November 2011, Yarra Council rejected the application for a planning permit for the redevelopment of the Dimmey’s Department Store site, which involved the building a ten-storey residential tower with a total of eighty-two residential dwellings to be provided across the site.
The Council stated that the proposal would involve ……. the refurbishment and reinstatement of the building’s external heritage fabric and, inside this, the construction of two parking basements, retail and office spaces (described as lofts) on the ground and first floors, apartments above with some in a low block and the majority in an elliptical, glass-clad tower rising eight floors above the commercial levels to an overall ten storey height. Parking and loading bay access is to the rear of the site, from Green and/or Byron Streets.
The Council also stated that ……. the proposal to redevelop the landmark site failed to provide for a high quality architectural outcome and believed that the height of the 10-storey tower would detract from the visual prominence of the Dome and Clock Tower.
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A major complaint against the building of the ten storey Elliptical Tower was that with its construction, the Clock Tower would no longer be visible on all sides.
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Over the ensuing weeks, the debate regarding the future of the store’s sit continued. The proposed redevelopment plans were revised several times, but by June 2012, permission had been granted for the redevelopment of Dimmey’s Department Store site to include a ten-level oval-shaped residential spire on the south western corner of the site and comprising of eighty-two one- and two-bedroom apartments.
In addition there were to be fifteen select heritage lofts incorporated into the historic building fabric, as well as a ground floor Coles Supermarket, retail specialties and potentially artist studios and office space.
Initially slated for removal, it was agreed that The Mural was to be incorporated into the current redevelopment.
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From what I have been able to gleam from the photograph (see further down this page) of the now-completed Green Street Façade, The Mural appears not to have escaped the transformation of the site without part of it being removed despite the many objections.
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Billboard informing the public that Apartments were for sale
A Heritage Victoria approved-contractor went on to restore the Clock Tower. This was achieved by stripping it back to its original brickwork and waterproofing it. Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty. Ltd. had apparently discussed making a Heritage Victoria application to place Coles signs on the Clock Tower, but abandoned this idea following the objections made to Heritage Victoria.
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Click here to read an article about the last day at Dimmey’s on 31st December, 2012
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In December 2012, a number of past and present employees of Dimmey’s Department Store on Swan Street, sneaked in and held an illegal party. Seemingly, an employee with a key had let the people into the store. Police were called and found some twenty people making merry. At first the police thought that the entry and party were part of a prank, which apparently had got out of hand. Upon further investigation, it was found that windows had been broken and stock had been damaged. In addition, fake snow had been sprayed throughout the store. The owner of the store stated that the employee with the key would be fired and the police confirmed that several of the merrymakers had been arrested.
Police Officers inspecting The Store after the party
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Once the store closed, work soon began on its transformation into a Coles Supermarket and other areas of commerce together with the conversion of the upper floor into lofts. In addition work soon began on the building of the elliptical tower.
From what I have been able to gather from photographs sent to me by a friend, the total demolition of the building with the exception of the Dome, Clock Tower and Façades facing Swan and Green Streets including The Mural. It will be noted from the following photographs that the metal veranda, supports, main entrance and all shop windows were also removed.
A protective wall was soon built around the perimeter of the building and, as a result of the building works in operation, that side of Swan Street appears to have been closed to pedestrian traffic during the duration of the conversion work.
The Swan Street Façade
Behind the Façade, it is possible to see that there is nothing remaining of The Store
Note that the Bryon Street Façade has been completely removed
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As time passed, and the work progressed, the protective wall began to attract both Graffiti Artists and Bill Stickers.
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The protective wall extended around the building and onto Green Street where it both protected and hid The Mural from public viewing and would do so until the conversion work had been completed.
The Green Street Façade, including The Mural, now hidden behind the protective wall
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During the early stages of the conversion of The Store, Gloria Jean’s Coffee on the other corner of Swan & Green Streets, remained open. However, some time later, the Coffee Shop vacated the premises and presumably set up shop elsewhere.
Gloria Jean’s Coffee now sadly closed for business
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The Green Street Façade and the protective wall & supports
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Green Street & Railway Place Façades during Transformation of the Site
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A metal wall was also placed at the rear of the erstwhile store, which faces Railway Place. It is evident from the photograph (Right) below that where entry to the work site was made and also where materials were stored.
The Railway Place Façade
Left: Before building conversion began; Right: During conversion
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As stated earlier, Dimmey’s had acquired the adjacent retail area to its west of The Store in 1986 and had remodeled and incorporated it into the main store. This addition was built with red brick and had five large Romanesque arches around the windows of the first floor and brought continuity to the façade.
The new owners of The Store evidently decided to incorporate the additional façade on Swan Street into the conversion, but to demolish the Bryon Street façade and replace it with a new one. It would seem this area was not considered by Heritage Victoria as being architecturally significant.
The Rebuilt Bryon Street Façade
Note the presence of the residential tower at the rear
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Rebuilding the rear of the erstwhile Store
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While construction work was taking place and the Richmond Icon steadily replacing the erstwhile Dimmey’s Department Store, the Clock Tower was in the process of being renovated and restored to its former glory. 
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What follows is an artist’s impression of the redevelopment of the site. Note that included in the building design is the return of the Edwardian-style Veranda to the Swan Street Façade.
Artist’s Impression of the Redevelopment
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The transformation of Dimmey’s Department Store and the building of the Elliptical Tower was completed in 2015 and ready for new occupants. Coles opened its state-of-the-art Supermarket on the former store’s site on the 15th February, 2015 and is to be known at Coles Richmond Icon.
Exterior View of the Transformed Building & The Elliptical Tower
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An older Coles Supermarket present further along Swan Street and adjacent to the Richmond Pie Shop was subsequently closed for business.
The former Coles Supermarket on Swan Street
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An Additional View of the Exterior of the Transformed Building & The Elliptical Tower
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The following photograph shows a view of The Mural on Green Street. It will be seen that part of The Mural has been removed to make room for an entrance, which leads to an area of underground parking.
View of The Mural from the bottom of Green Street and showing
the Entrance to the Underground Parking Area
The area of The Mural removed to make way for the entrance to the underground parking area was the area between the poster advertising the offer of reward for the capture of Ned Kelly and St. Mary MacKillop, one of the founders of fthe Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), and included illustrations of:
- the Australian Flag,
- The Skipping Girl aka Little Audrey, and
- a bottle of Pure Malt Vinegar, as well as a number of others that I was unable to identify.
The section of The Mural between the Brown Bars was removed to make way for the Entrance to the Underground Parking Area
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View of the remainder of The Mural and the completed Green Street Façade
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View of the completed Elliptical Tower from across the railway tracks at the rear of the erstwhile Store
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Australia’s best in building design are recognised by the National Association of Building Designers (NABD) in October 2015, the Best Special Project Design was awarded to Armsby Architects for their work in the construction of Richmond Icon.
Reproduced from the Architectural Design Website – awaiting permission to reproduce
Click here to watch a video of Mr. John Armsby discussing the redevelopment of Dimmey’s Department Store and the construction of Richmond Icon
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In conclusion, I can not say that I was happy to learn of the closure of Dimmey’s Department Store on Swan Street, since I had very happy memories of visiting the store and finding the odd garment. However, I have to admit that judging from the photographs shown here, the transformed building has been obviously been built with care. What does disturb me is that the Elliptical Tower, although not unpleasant to look at, impedes the ability to view the Dome & Clock Tower from all sides. What does disturb me more is the loss of a section of The Mural especially when this was done to make way for an entrance to an underground parking area. Surely, the entrance could have been positioned elsewhere. But I also have to add that I am not familiar with the plans of the building.
Finally, let us remember that the artist worked hard to produce this Mural and it has proven to be a remarkable piece of work that merited being maintained in total. But, alas, we can’t always get what we want, can we?
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CLICK HERE
TO GO TO RETURN TO
THE DEPARTMENT STORE HOME PAGE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Mr. Kenneth Henderson and Mr. Raymond Bridgewater for their helpful discussion in the preparation of this series.
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Click here to GO to OTHER DEPARTMENT STORES – 11
THE TITLE TO FOLLOW
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This is a very good account of the History of Dimmeys and the Mural is a very special piece of work and its a pity that there was not a full Australian account of the people and meanings of the mural and its contents written related to it.
I sent you a picture of the Dimmeys that is in Corowa Victoria, Australia but did not see it in the article.
Great work as usual- its a pity that your site is not properly “marketed” by the Royal Historical Society as there must be thousands of ex Londoners that would love to read these chronicles.
We used to take the children there occasionally in the early 80s to buy cheap T-shirts and the like – I think I even bought some towels.. The place was set out with large square bin-like counters piled high with whatever e.g. T shirts, underpants, singlets, tea towels. And I have the image (not sure if it was imaginary) of dockets and change being sent from one end of the store to the other via a suspension system over the goods. Your work on Dimmeys is really admirable and you will become THE expert.