Victorian Police Mounted Branch Stables
The horses have recently moved out and the builders are in so no idea if this will be here much longer. The punctuation is terrible.
Plaque reads:
'Victoria Police Mounted Branch Stables
The building was constructed in 1912 for £14,000 and consisted of 53 stable boxes accessed from an octagonal entrance hall connecting the stables, a riding school and drill hall.
The stables were used as a military hospital during World War I and later as a hospital for [the] 1919 influenza pandemic. Aside from these two periods, the Mounted Branch stables have been used continuously as the headquarters for all mounted operations since 1912.
The 5 acre site originally incorporated the Victorian Police Depot, an outdoor riding school, Drill Hall, Police Hospital and Dispensers Residence, Police Stores and Workshop, Police barracks and Rough Riders Cottage. After 1973, The Victorian College of the Arts occupied all but the police stable building.
Architect: Scottish born Edward Smith (Chief Architect of the Public Works Department in Victoria)
Submitted by: @IanThorp