That's Built · Building report

Dovers Building

5-7 Drewery Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Generated 8 November 2026
Residential · Residential Apartment

—height

8floors

1910completed

45homes

1permits

Development milestones

Completed

1910

Dovers Building completed: 8 floors

Building team

Architect: Hugh Ralston Crawford
Owners corporation manager: Teska & Carson

Planning & subdivision

Zone: CCZ2
Overlays: DDO1, DDO2, DDO2-A1, HO1290, HO905, PO2
Strata plan: PS332070 · 45 lots
Scores: 🚆 9 · ☕ 9 · 🌳 6 · ✨ 10

Timeline

24 May 2023Dovers Building recognised as a place of national engineering heritage
The seven-storey Dovers Building on Drewery Lane was officially recognised as a place of national engineering heritage in May 2023, and a new plaque was unveiled at an event attended by residents and locals. The article describes it as Australia's first building to use a unique form of construction, the Turner method.

2014Council census records it as residential apartment, 8 floors
Name recorded: Dovers Building

2007Council census records it as residential apartment, 8 floors
Name recorded: DOVERS BUILDING

2002First council census entry: residential apartment, 7 floors

20011 certificate · about $4k of new works
Largest: Alterations to an existing building, installation of key locks to stair re-entry doors.

20001 building permit · about $145k of new works
Largest: Alterations to apartments 26 & 32

1910Dovers Building completed: 8 floors
Derived from Wikipedia

Building permits and certificates (2)

Each cost is the estimate on that record. Stages of a project often repeat its full value, so these don't add up to what was spent.

04 July 2001	Alterations to an existing building, installation of key locks to stair re-entry doors.	$4k
04 Dec 2000	Alterations to apartments 26 & 32	$145k

Questions and answers

Is Dovers Building residential or commercial?
Dovers Building is a residential building. The City of Melbourne lists its main use as residential apartment.

When was Dovers Building built?
Dovers Building was completed in 1910.

How many floors does Dovers Building have?
Dovers Building has 8 floors above ground.

How many apartments are in Dovers Building?
Dovers Building has 45 homes. The national address file lists 48 unit addresses here, and some of those can be shops or offices.

Does Dovers Building have parking?
The City of Melbourne records 39 residential car spaces at this property. Which apartments have a space isn't recorded, so check the listing.

What do apartments cost near Dovers Building?
The median unit price in Melbourne was $545,000 in 2025, from the Victorian Property Sales Report. That's for the whole suburb, not this building.

Are there apartments for sale or rent in Dovers Building?
See the residential listings on this page, or use the shortcuts to search 5-7 Drewery Lane on realestate.com.au and Domain.

Who designed and built Dovers Building?
Hugh Ralston Crawford designed Dovers Building. The building team section has the sources.

What public transport is near Dovers Building?
Melbourne Central Railway Station is the nearest train station, about 2 minutes' walk. The nearest tram stop is Melbourne Central Station/Swanston St #8, about 1 minute's walk.

What is the planning zone for Dovers Building?
The site is in the Capital City Zone - Schedule 2 (CCZ2). It's also under a Heritage Overlay (HO1290).

Does Dovers Building have an owners corporation?
Plan of subdivision PS332070 has 45 lots.

Has any work been done on Dovers Building recently?
The City of Melbourne has issued 1 building permit for Dovers Building since 2000. The most recent was in December 2000.

Sources: City of Melbourne building permits (CC BY 4.0); CLUE building information (CC BY 4.0); CLUE residential dwellings (CC BY 4.0); Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) (Open G-NAF EULA (CC BY 4.0 based)). General information from public records, not legal, financial or building advice.