T&G Mutual Life Assurance Society was established in Victoria in 1876. The initials stood for “Temperance General.” This yellow, Art Deco facade with its sleek clock tower was produced by the architectural firm A & K Henderson. The insurance company commissioned 20, nearly identical buildings across Australia and New Zealand from 1925 until 1938. Six of them remain standing in Australia. Interestingly, both the Melbourne and Hobart offices are located on Collins street. The namesake is David Collins, the first Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemens Land, the original named for Tasmania. After merging in 1999, T&G became AXA Asia Pacific.
