Collections Research volunteer Marcel recently researched this remarkable object from the Powerhouse Collection, Object No. C6842, a Column section from the Mercantile Mutual Insurance Building, Sydney, circa 1930.
This terracotta architectural element was produced by Wunderlich Limited, one of Australia’s most influential building manufacturers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Wunderlich products became embedded in everyday Australian life. Their work ranged from grand façades such as the former Government Bank in Martin Place to domestic stamped metal ceilings, garbage bins and even engine cowlings manufactured during the war effort. Their prefabricated stamped ceiling and wall panels became some of the company’s most recognisable products, and examples can still be seen in some of Sydney’s oldest buildings.
The company began registering patents for its designs in the early 1900s. In 1906, the trademark “Wunderlich, Sydney” was registered, followed in 1911 by additional trademarks including “Wunderlich,” “Wunderlich Manufacturers,” and “Wunderlich Ceilings.” In 1969, the company was taken over by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Limited (CSR) and was delisted from the Australian Stock Exchange in 1970.
The evolution of Wunderlich’s designs reflects changing architectural tastes over time. Across its lifespan, the company produced work in a range of styles including ornate Victorian classicism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Gothic Revival, often anticipating emerging trends. As such, Wunderlich played a significant role in shaping Australia’s built environment, and its products offer insight into the stylistic and social transformations of Sydney across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Museum holds numerous examples of Wunderlich manufacture in its collection, including stamped metal panels, roof tiles and terracotta elements such as this column section.
Huge thank you goes to Marcel for researching the history of this ornate object.
Research and story by volunteer Marcel. Blogpost by Karen Griffiths, (Volunteers Program Officer)