Key 51: Commerce 1924; 1927/Old Commerce Building 1940

 

The Government finally made available the necessary finance for a faculty of Commerce in 1923 and Douglas B. Copland was appointed foundation professor in the following year (the Chair later named for Sidney Myer).

Professor Sir Douglas Copland
Professor Sir Douglas Copland
[Source: University of Melbourne Archives Image Catalogue, UMA-I-1967]

The evident demand for this move was made clear by a foundation year enrolment of 300 students and steady growth thereafter. Three years later pastoralist R.B. Ritchie provided £30,000 for a chair of Economic Research within the Arts Faculty to which L.F. Giblin was appointed.

Old Commerce Building, bank facade
Old Commerce Building, bank facade
[Source: University of Melbourne Archives Media Photograph Collection, Photograph No 17498]

Work on a building for the faculty which would incorporate the 1856 façade from the Melbourne Office of the Bank of New South Wales in Collins Street began in 1938 and it was occupied in 1940.

Old Commerce building under construction, c1938
Old Commerce building under construction, c1938
[Source: University of Melbourne Archives Image Catalogue, UMA-I-1170]
View of eastern end of the Commerce building, c1955
View of eastern end of the Commerce building, c1955
[Source: University of Melbourne Archives Image Catalogue, UMA-I-2031]