Building Australian Landmarks For A Century - Hansen Yuncken Celebrates 100 Years Of Building
Since 1918 Hansen Yuncken has been one of Australia’s premier construction companies delivering major commercial and institutional projects across the nation.
Throughout its history Hansen Yuncken has been recognised and renowned for its pioneering role in the application of innovative techniques and the development of new construction technologies and project delivery methods.
From the spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne to Hobart’s MONA Museum of Old and New Art, the company earned and retains a reputation for outstanding quality, hard work, loyalty and pride.
This construction dynasty has brought the nation an outstanding array of epitaphs that reflect a burgeoning Australia and cities growing to satisfy their ever changing communities.
In 1918 it was the Port Authority, Harbour Trust Building in Melbourne’s Market Street which demanded unique high capacity stiff legged cranes to lift the steel to form the frame. Then in 1925 the National Bank headquarters required construction unprecedented in Australia. The building had a steel frame with in fill concrete walls and floors. Faces were finished in Harcourt granite and Hawkesbury River sandstone. Internal chambers were finished with local Victorian marble and Tasmanian Blackwood panelling.
Renovations to the famous Myer store in Bourke St followed as did the Bank of New South Wales with its 8.3 metre high bronze doors weighing nearly eight tonnes and surrounded by polished granite.
The company has rebuilt the historic landmark, the Regent Theatre in Collins St twice. The first time in the 1940’s after a fire and then again after it was saved from demolition in the 1990’s.
In Hobart it was the T&G Insurance Office in Collins St and then the Bank of New South Wales which saw us move to Adelaide to build the resplendent Bank of New South Wales headquarters there in North Terrace. Now known as number 2 King William St it was Hansen Yuncken’s first project in South Australia.
In the 1950’s and 60’s Hansen Yuncken constructed the David Jones department store and the Queen Elizabeth hospital which was the largest project of that time in South Australia.
Then it was the imposing Adelaide Airport terminal which was a $242m design and build contract featuring Adelaide’s first aerobridge.
More recently it has been the awe inspiring $2 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital.
In Queensland the $160 million Cairns airport and the Cairns institute at James Cook University have been memorable projects along with the $125 million Rockhampton hospital expansion.
In Sydney the Ansett Terminal at the airport was a milestone in the 1980’s while more recently the $490 million Building the Education Revolution schools contract which demanded the delivery of 309 projects across 200 schools set new standards in construction management systems.
In regional NSW the Orange hospital was the state’s second largest contract with Public Private Partnership delivery and the recent completion of the NewSpace project for the University of Newcastle is a remarkably complex building. Whilst our long-standing presence in regional Victoria has delivered many cannery projects over the years as well as health education and more recently justice facilities.
And of course, more recently in Tasmania we built the internationally famous MONA Museum of Old and New. What more can you say.
The wonderful ability to innovate remains at the core of Hansen Yuncken today, as does its commitment to attracting and retaining the best and brightest people. The company retains the tradition of quality and business integrity established by the founding partners and diligently builds on their legacy 100 years later.