Cullis Hill & Company Art Furniture Warehouse, later Carnegie & Sons building, 104-106 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Total copies: 1
Title:
Cullis Hill & Company Art Furniture Warehouse, later Carnegie & Sons building, 104-106 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 554390
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:__________________________________________________DATES: 1884, 1925;ASSOCIATIONS: Cullis Hill & Company 1884; Carnegie & Sons 1925;DESIGNER: Wilson and Beswicke 1884; Tomkins, H W & F B 1925;BUILDER: Gow and Clague 1884; A T Teague Nth Carlton 1925___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM identified as inter-war___________________________MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIES STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIASeries 1, Map 111888 70 Cullis Hill & Co... 6 storey masonry has rear lane1910 (base layer) 104-106 Carnegie Piano warehouse 6 storey masonry central entry, rear lane___________________________Victorian Heritage Inventory H7822-1731___________________________CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONhttps://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/60672/images/44777_349573-00080?1924 Sep 6742 £10,398 alterations to premises1925, Jan 7092 erection of shopfront etc.___________________________CRONE ARCHITECTS WEB SITE 2024https://crone.com.au/project/brashs-elizabeth-street/Returning Brash’s and Carnegie Buildings to former glory in Melbourne’s CBD.The site consists of two existing brick buildings, both six storeys tall with heritage parapet roofs. 104-106 Elizabeth Street was built around 1912. For many years it was tenanted by Carnegie and Sons. 108-110 Elizabeth Street was built for M. Brash and Co in 1925. The heritage facade has been restored to its former glory. The canopy above the footpath is replaced with a semi-translucent glass roof. This allows pedestrians to look up through the canopy to the restored heritage facade above. the internals of the buildings are focused on retention. The heritage features inclusive of the inter connecting stairways form the basis of the design intent.___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1884The Herald (Fremantle, WA : 1867 - 1886)Saturday 23 August 1884 - Page 3https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109666739?Messrs. Cullis Hill & Co's. Establishment.By far the most conspicuous object in point of altitude in Elizabeth-street is the commodious and well-appointed warehouse recently erected by Messrs Cullis Hill & Co. to meet the increasing requirements of their furniture and carpeting business. Being six stories in height, it necessarily dwarfs by comparison nearly all the surrounding buildings, and, until the additional story is added to the General Post Office, in the immediate neighborhood, it may fairly lay to pre-eminence as the loftiest structure in the business portion of the city. Nor is the interior less striking and imposing than the exterior view. Messrs. Cullis Hill and Co. have just entered into occupation, and a few additional improvements remain to be thoroughly perfected, but a walk through the extensive building from floor to floor is sufficient to show the capacity of the various showrooms and the artistic skill with which the countless articles of household use and ornamentation are grouped and arranged. The ground floor is principally set apart for dining room and hall furniture in oak, walnut, mahogany, &c., a specimen of every European style being exhibited. Ascending a staircase pleasingly decorated with a variety of pictures, the first floor is reached. This section of the building is devoted exclusively to tapestry and carpets, a special feature of Messrs. Cullis Hill and Co's business. The perfection and finish to which the manufacture of carpeting has now attained are here illustrated in a multiplicity of pleasing forms. The second floor constitutes the drawing room department, and is undoubtedly the most attractive to the eye, by reason of the diversity and contrast of colour by which it is distinguished. Cabinets, pillow-chairs, stained-glass screens mirrors, &c., are here displayed in such pro fusion as to unconsciously suggest the simile, of a palace of art, so harmonious is the arrangement, so pleasing the contrasts of colour. The next ascension leads to the de department of bedroom furniture, and a grade higher, on the fourth floor will be found the cottage department. Higher still the upholsterers are discovered busily at work, and then the root is gained at last, with its commanding views of the city and suburbs, the ships in the bay, &c., and its dizzy glance below into the moving life of Elizabeth street. Descending gradually by the hydraulic lift at the eastern end of the building, the visitor has a panoramic view of the resources of the entire establishment whilst returning to the ground floor from Cullis Hill and Co. propose to make harmonious with its surroundings by fitting it up with stained-glass panels and hanging around it the richest of curtains.The building has a frontage of 38ft. to Elizabeth street with a depth of 71ft. to a wide right-of-way at the rear. Hoffman's bricks form the material of construction, with foundations of bluestone on cement concrete. Italian is the style of architecture adopted, a bold freedom of detail being noticeable. The front elevation, which rises to a total height of 104ft., is divided into three bays by ornamental pilasters with foliated caps. It is surmounted by a handsome cornice and pediment. The shop front is of cedar, French polished, and is characterised by an unusually large area of plate-glass, which has been fully utilised for stock-exhibition purposes. A handsomely-tiled entrance from Elizabeth street conducts the visitor to the centre of the ground floor, and a spacious staircase leads from stage to stage to the various departments of the extensive warehouse' Messrs. Wilson and Beswicke are the architects, and Messrs. Gow and Clague, of Carlton, the builders.see also https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222468626.1890https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147283624CULLIS HILL AND CO. Stock described in detail.1891https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147285850CULLIS HILL AND CO. Stock described in detail, 1st and second floor desribed.1892https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196890948CULLIS HILL AND CO.The papers in a liquidation by arrangement were filed at the offices of the Insolvency Court on Tuesday in the estate of Cullis Hill and Co., furniture warehousemen, Elizabeth-street. The debtors are Morde Cullis and William Hill, trading as Cullis Hill and Co., and the estate shows £64,461 6s. 4d. debts, £58,600 10s. 5d. assets, and a deficiency of £5860 15s. 11d. An amount of £33,837 12s. 3d. is due on mortgage, £5071 6s. 4d. to other secured creditors, and £25,552 7s. 9d. to unsecured creditors. The debtors' real estate is valued at £38,636 3s. 2d., which is mortgaged for £33,487 12s. 3d.; their personal estate is valued at £13,090, of which £2426 1s. 6d. is held as security, and £12,563 18s. 6d., not. held as security; whilst their good debts are estimated at £4974 7s. 3d. The personalty chiefly consists of stock in trade, valued at £14,530. The secured creditors are:— Colonial Bank of Australasia (overdraft £21,400, bills under discount £2915), £24,315; Frank Madden, solicitor, £7105 ; John Blyth and Co., £1880; Land Mortgage Bank, £3520; Planet Building Society, £1652 ; Australian Deposit and Mortgage Bank, £160. The principal unsecured creditors are:— John Blyth and Co., £19,127 ; Mercantile Finance Co., £1259; Paterson, Laing and Bruce, £636; Fallshaw Bros., cabinet makers, North Melbourne, £438; Newport and Sons, warehouse- men, £356; G. M. Whittall and Co., warehouse- men, £325; Dellitt and Sons, basket and wickorware makers, North Melbourne, £220; Beath, Schiess and Co., £212; G. Webster and Co., £182; M'Kell, Speedie and Co., importers, £195; Penman and Dalziel, cabinet makers, £150; Levinson and Sons, importers, £146; Wadlemar, Levy and Co., importers, £141; J. W. Walker, importer, £135; Wilson and Mackinnon, newspaper proprietors, £122. Tho trustees are James Warne and Harry J, Woodhead..1895Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939)Friday 9 August 1895 - Page 16https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145920992Messrs. Carnegie's New Warehouses.AMONGST the Melbourne firms who are pushing to the front, may be mentioned Carnegie and Sons,; musical instrument importers, who. have opened extensive premises, No. 106 Elizabeth-street, lately occupied by Cullis Hill and Company. The new warehouse and handsome showrooms are full of various samples of pianos, organs, AEolians, and musical boxes. The different models are quite up-to-date, having all the latent improvement that effect durability, tone, and appearance. The firm have .lately added to their agencies that of the "Carl Ronisch " pianos, which they consider a very satisfactory piano agency in Victoria, as instruments of that make are noted for their lasting qualities, mellow tone, and unusual powers of keeping in tune. The most remarkable Yankee invention imported by this firm is known as the "AEolian." This wonder ful instrument produces, by merely working the pedals, the very finest music, both popular and classical. Those who are fond of music and yet cannot play, have now an opportunity of hearing the most delightful selections whenever so disposed, without the slightest knowledge of music. Operas, oratorios, waltzes, quadrilles, and hymns, can be rendered with as much perfection as if performed after hours of practice by professionals. The higher priced instruments have a key-hoard and anyone wishing to play can do so by performing as on an ordinary organ. Messrs. Carnegie and Sons also state that the "Bell" organ, for which they are the sole agents, is more popular than ever, both here and at home. The importations of this well-known organ into England exceed that of any other two makers put together. The models shown by Messrs Carnegie and Sons are of beautiful tone in exquisite cases, from the baby organ at .£12 to the handsome pedal and double manual organ at .£150..1906https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59588806Messrs. CARNEGIE & SONS,106 ELIZABETH ST'.In the spacious and beautifully appointed rooms of this well-known musical firm....1911The Bendigo Independent (Vic. : 1891 - 1918)Saturday 7 January 1911 - Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227795082and https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196189448A ponderous plaster ornament on the top- of Carnegie's Buildings, Elizabeth street, a five storied structure, was broken off by the strong wind which sprang up suddenly on Thursday afternoon, and toppled over the parapet into Elizabeth street.- The weighty mass tore its way through the iron verandah roofs as though they had been paper and smashed to atoms on the paving stones. The crash, whicb sounded like an explosion, created much curiosity and even alarm until; its cause was. discovered on the footpath- .Though the street was well filled no one was hurt, but two ladies escaped being .struck by the falling mass by only a few inches.___________________________DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1893102 Vacant106 Hill, Cullis, & Co, furniture warehousemen108 Brasch, Al., & Co, pianoforte warhousemen.1900106 Carnegie & Sons. imprtrs of pianos & organs108 Brasch . Al., & Co Pty Ltd, Imptrs pianos.1904, 1910, 1915102 Irvine , Hans, wines hop-Lofven,t .T ., mgr106 Carnegie & Sons. imprtrs of pianos & organs108 Brasch . Al., & Co Pty Ltd, Imptrs pianos
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1267433
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 554390 | 1 JPEG : 244 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |