Russell Street Police Headquarters
A modernist tower that anchored Melbourne’s police and justice precinct for half a century, now reimagined as luxury apartments.
At a glance
The striking Art Deco tower at Russell and La Trobe Streets dominated Melbourne’s skyline as the operational heart of Victoria Police from 1943 to 1995. Its bold New York skyscraper style design, created by Public Works Chief Architect Percy Edgar Everett, became an iconic symbol of law enforcement in Victoria—so recognizable it opened the long-running television series Homicide.
History
The main tower opened on 29 April 1943, part of a larger architectural complex developed over decades. An 1889 wing on Mackenzie Street preserved elements of earlier police buildings. The 1940s construction added lower wings incorporating the Police Theatrette and Ballroom. A substantial 1970s brown brick building extended the complex behind the tower.
Victoria Police headquarters occupied the building through the second half of the 20th century until 1995. The site gained tragic historical prominence as the location of the 1986 Russell Street Bombing. After the police departure, the building sat empty for years despite numerous redevelopment proposals.
What you see
The dominant feature is the modernist tower in Art Deco style, rendered in the crisp lines and setbacks characteristic of 1940s American commercial architecture. Lower corner wings on Russell and La Trobe Streets integrated the ceremonial spaces. The surviving 1889 wing represents an earlier architectural era within the same precinct.
In 2004, Bruce Henderson Architects orchestrated a comprehensive transformation, converting the historic buildings into residential apartments while adding a 27-storey contemporary tower behind. The Art Deco tower, corner wing, and 1889 structure were preserved and adapted as part of the “Concept Blue” residential development.
Cultural significance
The tower transcended its institutional function to become a cultural icon—its opening credits appearance in Homicide, the television drama about Victoria Police’s homicide squad based in the building, cemented it in public consciousness. The headquarters occupied a historic justice precinct with the Old Melbourne Gaol and City Police Station nearby.
Today the building represents a successful adaptive reuse project, where modernist heritage meets contemporary residential architecture while preserving key original elements and their historical memory.
Key facts
- Designed by Percy Edgar Everett, Public Works Chief Architect
- Opened 29 April 1943
- Housed Victoria Police headquarters 1943–1995
- Site of the 1986 Russell Street Bombing
- Redeveloped as “Concept Blue” residential complex, 2004
- Location: Russell and La Trobe Streets, Melbourne, Australia (−37.8082, 144.9662)
Practical information & getting there
The Russell Street Police Headquarters is now integrated into the Concept Blue residential complex in central Melbourne. Public access is limited as the building is now private apartments. The exterior remains visible from Russell Street, where you can appreciate the Art Deco tower’s architecture. The surrounding precinct, including the Old Melbourne Gaol and historic court buildings, offers broader context for Melbourne’s justice heritage.
Sources & resources
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