Jardine House
1956-58 - former SGIO building, 182-184 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA Perth experienced a flurry of highrise building construction in the late 1950s as many national companies, particularly those associated with finance and insurance, began updating their state offices around Australia. The plain-looking International style, which featured a curtain wall facade and little ornamentation, was at the time very popular, as much because of its cheapnest to build compared to more elaborately detailed styles. The lot on which it was built extends from the St George s Terrace frontage to a right-of-way access immediately behind and adjacent to His Majesty s Theatre off Hay Street.
Such a building was 182 St Georges Terrace, which replaced a 2 storey shop. Completed within months of a similar sized and styled building across the road - the MLC building at 171-177 St Georges Terrace, the 11 storey (above ground) 40 metre high building was erected as the head of of the State Government Insurance Office (SGIO). Construction is a concrete encased steel frame with in-situ ribbed concrete floor beams. Bounding walls are of non-load bearing brickwork.
By the late 1970s, the SGIO had outgrown the building and had a new head office a short distance further up The Terrace - the SGIO Atrium - at 170 St George Terrace. With departure of the SGIO, the building was renamed Bown House.
At this time, the building's caretaker, who lived in a specially designed flat on the roof, was retired, but not replaced. In Australian cities it had been customary to employ a live-in caretaker to watch over buildings outside of business hours, and flats to house them were incorporated into the design of city buildings. With the introduction of electronic surveillance facilities in the 1970s, caretakers became redundant and provision for their residences in city buildings was discontinued. The SGIO's caretaker was the last person in Perth to be employed in such a capacity.
The building underwent major renovations in 2003 and was reclad, leaving it looking nothing like its former self, at which time it was renamed Jardine House. Significant refurbishment was completed to the building, including a new facade to St Georges Terrace with cantilevered space enabling views up and down the Terrace, new ground floor tenancies, upgraded lobbies to each floor, new ceilings, service upgrades and upgraded parking at Basement Level.
