Shift from stone to brick

The Great Depression of the 1880s, had a serious affect on the provision of buildings on campus: there was reduction in number and there was a shift in the use of material due to limited economic resources and also due to a shift in the architecture styles. 

From the imported sandstone, there was a change to bare-faced bricks, which were produced locally in Melbourne. Later there was a transition in the colour of the bricks from red to cream coloured, to maintain the historic character of the sandstone buildings. 

Explore the Materiality Exhibit to learn more about the material used.