State Office Block (Sydney) facts for kids

The State Office Block was a very tall, modern building in the heart of Sydney. It stood on a block surrounded by Phillip Street, Bent Street, and Macquarie Street. Finished in 1965, it was designed in a style called "International Style" by architect Ken Woolley.

This 128-meter-high building was often called the "Black Stump" because of its dark look. When it was built, it became the tallest building in Australia! It held this title until 1967. The State Office Block was home to many important New South Wales (NSW) Government offices, including the Premier's office. The Premier is like the leader of the state government. Sadly, the building was taken down in 1997 to make way for a new development called Aurora Place.

Building History: A Tall Idea

The State Office Block was part of a bigger plan by the NSW Government in the early 1960s. The government wanted to build many new office towers. They hoped to create a modern government area around Macquarie Street and Parliament House.

However, this big plan became much smaller. By 1961, it was decided to build just the State Office Block. It would stand where the old Government Printing Office and the Australian Subscription Library used to be. The final design for the 400-foot-tall building was approved in January 1961.

Designing the "Black Stump"

In 1962, the government asked companies to bid on building the new office block. The contract was won by Perini Australia. It was the biggest building contract for the Department of Public Works at that time.

Ken Woolley, from the NSW Government Architect's Office, designed the building. It had 38 floors and was made of concrete and steel. The building had deep windows covered in black granite, which gave it its "Black Stump" nickname. Woolley also designed the inside of the building. He used a style influenced by Scandinavian modernism, which meant simple, functional furniture.

Opening and Use

The State Office Block cost over 7 million Australian pounds to build. Once finished, the Premier's office moved into the building. Important government meetings were held in the cabinet room on the top floor.

This was the first major office building built for the NSW Public Service since 1927. It provided space for six different government departments. The building was completed in 1965. It was officially opened on September 18, 1967, by Premier Bob Askin.

Why the State Office Block Was Demolished

By the late 1980s, people started talking about what would happen to the State Office Block. The government began to prefer renting office space instead of owning it. In 1987, Premier Barrie Unsworth suggested selling government buildings in the city. He thought they could be turned into hotels to help tourism. He said there was no reason to keep the State Office Block.

Arguments for Demolition

The building stayed standing into the 1990s, but discussions continued. Many people thought it was "old enough to be outdated, yet too young to be of heritage value." In 1996, it was sold to Lendlease, a company that planned to tear it down. They wanted to build Renzo Piano's Aurora Place in its place.

Lendlease said the government knew they wanted to demolish the building. They also pointed out that the State Office Block had asbestos, which was a common building material back then. They also said it wasn't energy efficient and its air conditioning system was old.

Arguments Against Demolition

Ken Woolley, the original architect, tried to save the building. He even suggested turning it into a hotel. He wrote a letter to Sydney Morning Herald in August 1996. He argued that demolishing the building made commercial sense but not historical or artistic sense. He felt the government should have protected it.

Woolley also said that while the building had asbestos, it was safe to use as it was. He mentioned that the government had even planned to fix up the building just two years earlier.

Another important architect, Clive Lucas, called the demolition a "tragedy." He felt that good new buildings should be built where there were empty spaces, not by tearing down excellent existing buildings. However, some critics, like Anne Susskind, thought having a famous architect like Renzo Piano design a new building was a good change for Sydney.

When Aurora Place opened in 2000, the Sydney Morning Herald noted the debate. Many architects were upset about the State Office Block being torn down. Architecture Professor James Weirick called it "very unfortunate." However, a few years later, it was noted that while architects had "murmurings," the public didn't seem too upset about losing the "Black Stump."

A sculpture called "Growth Forms" by Margel Hinder was in the forecourt of the State Office Block. It had been moved there in 1980. When the building was demolished, the sculpture had to be moved again. It is now on display at the UTS Tower.