The first building on the site now occupied by Union House was the National Museum of Victoria, built in 1863 in Gothic Revival style. This later became the home of the Student Representative Council and in the 1930s the building was extended including the addition of a 500-seat theatre. In 1968, the site was completely redeveloped to its current modernist design.

Union House 1954

Union House is an important central figure in the history of the Student Union at the University of Melbourne. In 1971, conscientious resisters to conscription during the Vietnam war barricaded themselves inside Union House with the help of students, broadcasting pirate radio stations and evading police. It has been alleged in some sources that the barricade involved heavy “egging” of police on behalf of the students.

With the completion of the new student precinct, Union House is currently closed. The future of Union House remains uncertain, although plans for its demolition have been submitted.

For more information on the building, check out the digital tour of Union House.

To learn more about the history of the Student Union, visit https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/about/umsu/history/