Melbourne Central or diamaru as it was known in 1990. After a bit of a Holiday trip driving and exploring around Australia for 3 or 4 months, I heard about a couple of big construction jobs back in Melbourne from my friends. It was not to hard to make a few phone calls and drop a resume in the right place. Melbourne Central was one of them, a 55 storey office block including 6 levels of the Diamaru high end shopping complex.
Melbourne Central or diamaru as it was known in 1990. After a bit of a Holiday trip driving and exploring around Australia for 3 or 4 months, I heard about a couple of big construction jobs back in Melbourne from my friends. It was not to hard to make a few phone calls and drop a resume in the right place. Melbourne Central was one of them, a 55 storey office block including 6 levels of the Diamaru high end shopping complex.
The high rise building was built on top of the museum under ground railway station. Really handy for getting to work.Museum station was one of 2 underground stations in Melbourne’s CBD on the city loop line, named Museum as you guess it, it was opposite Melbourne’s Main Museum but has now been renamed Melbourne Central train station.
  The high rise building was built on top of the museum under ground railway station. Really handy for getting to work.

Museum station was one of 2 underground stations in Melbourne's CBD on the city loop line, named Museum as you guess it, it was opposite Melbourne's Main Museum but has now been renamed Melbourne Central train station.  



From one of the top floors looking towards the bay.
From one of the top floors looking towards the bay.


I was not there from the start but there was a big push to get it finished on time once they had finished the concrete pouring levels to the top.

My job was to help install the lifts as an electrician wiring up all the call buttons, lift cars and motor rooms up the top.

Testing the lift functionally and safety systems via the 2 way radio.
Testing the lift functionally and safety systems via the 2 way radio.


Back in the day a lot more was fabricated and wired up on site, nowadays most thing are prepared in a factory and just assembled on site.

50 odd storeys straight down.
50 odd storeys straight down.
Docklands before the big Football Stadium was built.
Docklands before the big Football Stadium was built.
The Yarra river to the right
The Yarra river to the right
From the Yarra River looking towards the CBD.
From the Yarra River looking towards the CBD.

Seeing my Melbourne photos always brings back such good memories, I did my apprenticeship as an electrician down there after leaving school.

We had to do an extra 6 month to qualify as a Lift Mechanic as well. As an apprentice we started in the service department teamed up with a tradesman and mainly did programmed maintenance and break downs. The service department was not really my passion. I was keen to get into the construction department and do the new installations and modernisations.

A bit of an old school apprentice initiation’s. A lap around the lake on top of the tradesman’s car, to get used to riding on top of lift cars. Even had the safety glasses back in the old days. LOL
A bit of an old school apprentice initiation's. A lap around the lake on top of the tradesman's car, to get used to riding on top of lift cars. Even had the safety glasses back in the old days. LOL
Albert Park Lake car park on an old Holden HR Sedan.
Albert Park Lake car park on an old Holden HR Sedan.