Gothic splendour

The gothic splendour of Ormond’s Main Building tells the story of its founders’ aims.

The building was designed by Melbourne’s most prominent architect, Joseph Reed, who with his firm was responsible for many of Melbourne’s most important pre-war buildings, from the Exhibition Buildings to the State Library to countless town halls and churches.

Main Buildings’ iconic architecture referenced two things: its educational aspirations and the church. Firstly, by echoing the gothic styles of buildings in Oxford and Cambridge, the College signalled its desire to join the tradition of academic excellence of these Universities. Secondly, Ormond’s lofty spires referenced the Presbyterian Church, which had already built two buildings very similar to Ormond: Scots Church in the city and the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in East Melbourne (since demolished). In addition, Main Building’s architecture is often described as ‘Scottish baronial’, a style seen in Edinburgh and in castles across Scotland. This likely reflects the Scottish origins of many of Ormond’s founders, donors and early students.