Robert Reid & Co. Ltd Building, 334-340 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Robert Reid & Co. Ltd Building, 334-340 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 104005
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Part of:
Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:Period: EdwardianDATE: 1909;ASSOCIATIONS: Reid, Robert & Co;DESIGNER: Bates Peebles & Smart;BUILDER: Langford, Clements.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistory(Refer 334-40 Flinders Street)As the rear end of Reid House (334-40 Flinders Street), this building was erected in 1908-9 by Clements Langford to the design of Bates Peebles & Smart. Warehousemen, Robert Reid & Co. Ltd. were the owner-occupiers.More recently the building was Reid House, the home of Reid Murray Acceptance group, financiers, with Robert Reid & Co. at the back in the Flinders Lane building, but by the 1970s, the Reid name had disappeared from all but the building. The Flinders Lane address had served as the tenants' address since World War Two, holding in the 1970s an assortment of agents and small manufacturers, particularly in the rag trade. The importing firm, Joseph Pickles & Co. was an earlier long term tenant.DescriptionLike the Stevenson & Sons, Flinders Lane warehouses of ten years before, these five-storey facades possess an austere Modern Renaissance revival facade with large window areas, set between rusticated (giant Order) pilasters, as near continuous strips rather than the norm of `punched' hole fenestration. Consequently, the cornice line is the only dominant horizontal but with a plain entablature. Reputedly marble dados, to lift lobbies at the Flinders Lane entry (later renovation), and panelled and corniced plaster ceilings, survive inside.External IntegrityGenerally original, except for ground level details. The stucco survives unpainted, some window joinery removed on Flinders Street elevation (?).StreetscapePart of a valuable warehouse streetscape.SignificanceA large and near intact design which, although it appears to be a conservative concept, possesses some characteristics of its era (large window areas, rationalized strip fenestration), also associated with reputedly one of the foremost importers of the pre-Second War period..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 953Melbourne University ArchivesDigital Resource: https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=105390 c1908-12Building was designed by Bales, Peeble & Smart Architects. Located at 334-340 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Building was occupied by Robert Reid & Co. Ltd. Built by master builders, Clements Langford Pty. Ltd in 1908. The company was originally established as Langford's small Richmond business around 1881. It became incorporated in 1923 and grew into one of Melbourne's largest building firms.Inscription: Name, date and architect of building written in white beneath the photograph.Previous Control Number: UMA/I/2397Previous Control Number: OSBA/117.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)Saturday 7 March 1908 - Page 12https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196107750CITY IMPROVEMENTS,New softgoods warehouse.ROBERT REID AND CO.'S ENTERPRISE. ..Quite recently there has been remarkably brisk demand' for property in Flinders- lane west, between Elizabeth and Queen streets. The Commercial Travellers' Club, having acquired a site there, are putting lip a fine warehouse. Messrs. Connibere. Grieve and Connibere have purchased premises next to their own building, and are constructing extensions; and Mr. Rice T. Hopkins has bought a place a little further on, nearly opposite the commercial travellers' edifice, where he, too, will build hand some offices and storage.Yesterday, per haps the largest and most important trans action of all was concluded, when Messrs. C. J. and T. Ham sold by private contract to Robert Reid and Co. Limited half an acre of ground having frontages to both Flinders-lane arid Flinders-street, which includes all Mincing- lane- chambers, facing the former thoroughfare, and the' Builders' and Contractors' Exchange in the latter. The precise measurements are 66 feet frontage to the Lane, by a depth of 313 feet 0 inches, end 66 feet frontage to Flinders-street. Robert Reid and Co. Limited have .decided to pull down the' whole of the tenements now on the land, so the builders will have to look for a new exchange, and other ten ants must seek fresh locations.On the site they will erect an immense five-story, ware house, plans for which are being prepared by Messrs. Bates, Peebles and Smart. Whilst the precise price given for the half-acre of land is not disclosed, the entire cost of land and warehouse will be £70,060. There will be entrances to the new ware houses both from Flinders-street and' the Lane. The main cause of Robert Reid and Co. entering upon this enterprise is the fact that-owing to want of space in their present premises they have to carry on business in four warehouses, namely, the one in Flinders-lane east, one in Manchester-lane, one at Kronheimer's-buildings in Flinders-lane, and one in Little Collins- street. They have been unable to acquire premises on each side of their present chief warehouse, and arce prevented from carrying it up higher by the city building regulations. In the new place all the branches of trade will be concentrated under one roof. The reconstruction of the part of the city to which they are re moving in massive style will be rendered more complete when Messrs. Rocke, Tompsitt's new warehouse is completed. The softgoods trade head quarters will certainly be extended considerably westward by the combined enterprise of the firms mentioned, and a considerable betterment in the values of contiguous property in. that direction must ensue.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 104005 | 1 JPEG : 272 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |