Boyd Community Hub

Architect: Henry Bastow 1884, WH Bolger 1930

City of Melbourne | C58

Building Description

Home to a former college for girls’ tuition in the ‘domestic realm’, this heritage-listed building is now a vibrant community hub for the City of Melbourne. It is regarded as one of the most architecturally significant state school buildings of the 19th century.

Constructed in 1884 to the design of the Education Department’s Chief Architect Henry Bastow, the distinctive building features Tudor Revival influences, including Hawthorn bricks with cream brick render embellishments, a castellated parapet and an octagonal turret.

The building was reconstructed in 1930 to become the South Melbourne Girls’ School, before being renamed the JH Boyd Domestic College in 1932. Domestic arts schools pushed for a ‘scientific’ mothering education when ‘mothering skills’ needed to be taught, foreshadowing a private rather than public life for women. Schools such as these were however a means of expanding secondary education to girls at a time when state governments were reluctant to provide post-primary education. The school closed in 1985 after 100 years in operation.

Today, the building is a vibrant community hub, with a library, community garden, family services, venue hire spaces, and creative studios.

What's On

The library, community areas and meeting rooms (if unbooked) are open to the public.

Location