Dumas House
Encyclopedia
Dumas House is a fourteen storey office building constructed in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
during the 1960s. The building is located close to St Georges Terrace, Kings Park
Kings Park, Western Australia
Kings Park is a park located on the western edge of Perth, Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with two thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland. With panoramic views of the Swan...
, and Parliament House
Parliament House, Perth
Parliament House, Perth is located on Harvest Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. An important building of the Government of Western Australia, it is the home of the Parliament of Western Australia, including the Western Australian Legislative Council and Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
.
Dumas House was part of the 1955 plan to centralise all WA Government departments near Parliament House
Parliament House, Perth
Parliament House, Perth is located on Harvest Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. An important building of the Government of Western Australia, it is the home of the Parliament of Western Australia, including the Western Australian Legislative Council and Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
, based on the Stephenson-Hepburn Report. Several such plans had been proposed since the late 1920s, but post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
State finances and resources were unable to support the proposals. Public Works Department architects G. Finn, E. Van Mens and P. Maidment won a national competition to design the five office buildings that would house the departments. Dumas House was completed in 1965, and was the only building constructed on the site out of the five planned.
Originally called 'Government Building', Dumas House was opened by Premier David Brand
David Brand
Sir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:...
on 4 March 1966. Brand's speech at the opening focused on the building's importance to the State:
It is a big building, and I think a handsome one. But this is not the important point at today's ceremony. As I see it, this building is important not only because it provides essential office accommodation of a good standard essential for workers but because it is a symbol of a great era of progress for Western Australia. It is one of the signs of the beginning of a new age of development - aided by science, aided by an unprecedented inflow of capital funds, aided by great enthusiasm for the harnessing of our enormous resources and spurred on by the enterprise of thousands of people, partnerships, groups and companies from one end of the State to the other. I
believe history will look back on the 'sixties as one of the landmarks in the story of our State.
In 1968, the State government scrapped its plans for five office buildings on the site for two reasons: increased traffic caused by the first building was such that the traffic for five buildings would have been unbearable, and politicians believed that five buildings on such a prominent site would give the appearance of 'dominance by the bureaucracy - a "big brother" complex.'
The building was named 'Dumas House' in February 1978, in honour of Sir Russell Dumas
Russell Dumas
Sir Russell John Dumas KBE, CMG was a public servant and engineer who led several large works projects in Western Australia.-Early life:Dumas was born in Mount Barker, South Australia to a family of five children...
, who was the Director of Works and Buildings for the Public Works Department between 1941 and 1953.
Dumas House is an example of the Post-War
Post-War
Post-War is the fifth studio album by M. Ward. It was released on August 22, 2006 by Merge Records. It features the single "To Go Home," a cover of a song written by Daniel Johnston. Guest appearances were made by Jim James of My Morning Jacket , Neko Case and Mike Mogis...
International
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
style of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, with a modular grid building plan, glazed panelling and an open piazza. The International style was adapted for Australian conditions by adding horizontal slabs that project from the sides of the building and provide shade. The building's construction, including fittings, cost $4,900,000.
The building is owned by the Department of Housing and Works of the Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
. Extensive refurbishment of this building was undertaken in 2007. The Perth weather radar is housed on its roof.