Monsanto Building 2026
Built in 1941 by the American chemical giant, the old Monsanto building in Brooklyn stands deserted and heritage-protected – and looks mighty in monochrome.
The old Monsanto building at 454-460 Somerville Road in Brooklyn, Melbourne, in 2026, in black and white. PHOTO: Campbell Mattinson.
I’ve written about the deserted building at 454-460 Somerville Road in Brooklyn, Melbourne, in the past, on my other site, and I’m currently creating a new and expanded 2026 collection of images of this building. But this building – which used to be the Australian manufacturing base* of Monsanto – sure looks mighty in monochrome. The building was built in 1941, by the American chemical giant. The original building is heritage ‘protected’, as is the cafeteria building behind it, but most of the other buildings on the site were demolished around 2009.
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The front building here was mostly administration, but the main administration headquarters of Monsanto back in its prime days was in the Melbourne CBD.
Barry Morey, Sorrenberg
Barry Morey at work in the Sorrenberg winery, Beechworth – drawing wine from a cask, as he has done since the late 1980s.
Sorrenberg founder and winemaker Barry Morey draws wine from an oak cask in his Beechworth cellar. PHOTO: Campbell Mattinson.
Barry Morey and his wife Jan own Sorrenberg, a small vineyard on the outskirts of Beechworth in north-east Victoria. The vines were planted in 1985 and the first vintage was in 1989. Like fellow Beechworth pioneer Rick Kinzbrunner, Barry worked at Brown Brothers, though he started out there as a maintenance man rather than a winemaker. How good is that. His family's winemaking roots trace back centuries to Germany's Mosel; his grandfather, Jacob Barzen, emigrated to work a family vineyard at Dookie, and the Sorrenberg name comes from a small Barzen family vineyard near Reil on the Mosel. Gamay is arguably the estate's most sought-after wine, though the chardonnay, sauvignon blanc semillon and cabernet blend are all among the country's best of their kind, and are all commonly stellar.
Victoria Hotel, Benalla: Monochrome
Campbell Mattinson captures the Victoria Hotel in Benalla, in black and white.
The historic Victoria Hotel in Benella, in full sun, captured in black and white. Built in 1873. PHOTO: Campbell Mattinson.
The Victoria Hotel in Benalla is 150 years old and has seen better days, but it still looks magnificent in monochrome. This is the same image as shown in the full spread on the Victoria Hotel, but converted here to b&w.