Lastly, another important site in Richmond situated on Bendigo St is where GTV9 (Channel 9) was stationed. This establishment was initially the Wertheim Piano Factory, created by German migrant and businessman Hugo Wertheim in 1909, also the great grandfather of past Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett. It was one of the first industrial buildings in the early twentieth century built at the cost of 75,000 pounds, it reflected a move from importing goods to building them ourselves.
This investment was of great significance, in fact, the ‘Prime Minister Alfred Deakin laid the factory’s foundation stone, in 1908. Established in Germany, the business flourished in Melbourne, generating revenue as Hugo Wertheim discerned that real demand was on pianos. Interestingly, the famed late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries opera soprano Dame Nellie Melba was a frequent visitor and performing there making a point of being accompanied by a piano built by Wertheim.
The factory had taken several hits in the following years: WWI was not particularly kind to the Wertheims as anti German sentiment was widespread and the loyalties of local Germans was questioned. After WWI, Hugo died which saw his son take over the business, pianos at this stage became superseded by the modern radio and it took its final hit in 1929, the year of the Great Depression.
Eventually, American company Heinz extended its branch and bought the factory remaining at the site for the next twenty years until 1956 when it decided to relocate its Australian headquarters to Dandenong. The former Wertheim factory became the new headquarters for Channel Nine News under GTV9. Coincidently, this was also the same year when Australia had its first ever television broadcasting from Studio 1, thus once again earning the sites’ major significance in Melbourne.
In 2010 property developers Landlease bought the site for an estimated 50 million dollars and has since converted the building to a set of apartments, in total selling well above the purchase price . To date only 40% of the site has been developed. In January 2018, there were reports of the GTV 9 site to be altered again in order to become a retirement home. Landlease have cleverly partnered up with Catholic Healthcare who will run the facility if approval is granted. The development of 332 dwellings on the site is what they believe will be responding to the needs of the community.
Thank you for particpating in this tour.