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Dalgety and Co. Ltd.motor garage, later Sunshine Harvester Building, 654-664 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 558316 3

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 2024:__________________________________________________DATE: 1912-, 1925;ASSOCIATIONS: Dalgety & Co; H.V. McKay, Pty. Ltd.;DESIGNER: D'Ebro, Charles; J. Raymond Robinson;BUILDER: F.E. ShillabeerStyle: Neo-BaroquePeriod: Edwardian___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryCompanion to the numerous wool stores occupying the western half of the city, this building and the single-storey store which preceded it served primary production in Melbourne for over 100 years. T. McPherson owned the land during the 19th and early 20th Centuries and firms such as New Zealand Loan & Mercantile occupied the building.Charles D'Ebro designed this building for new owners, Dalgety & Co. Ltd., in mid-1912, and the Footscray builder, F.E. Shillabeer, constructed it in the follow months. Built on three levels, the offices and showrooms were located at the front of the building and storage behind. By 1925, H.V. McKay, Pty. Ltd. (manufacturers of Sunshine harvesters), were the new owners of the site, commencing renovations in April, 1925, estimated to cost 5000 pounds (McKay died in the following year). It was to be the Sunshine Harvester Building (later Sunshine Building) for some forty years to follow, although occupied by other firms such as Bakelite (Australia), the Victorian Manufacturing Company, British Standard Machinery Co. Ltd., and Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Ltd.Work done in 1925 appears to have had a minor effect on the facade, with timber stairs and floors being replaced in part by reinforced concrete. The architect was J. Raymond Robinson, of Sunshine. Further work, to a sum of near 11,000 pounds, was necessary to reinstate the building after an extensive fire in 1945. Another 17,000 pounds was to be spent on new partitions in 1957 and a general refit for greater office use (false ceilings, mechanical ventilation) in 1964, was estimated to cost 30,000 pounds.Hugh Victor McKay is perhaps best known for the development of the combine harvester (stripping, threshing and cleaning) at Raywood (1884- ) and Ballarat (1891-) and finally (1906-) at their extensive Braybrook works(Sunshine from 1908 ) where the Sunshine Harvester was manufactured, eventually forexport. Massey-Harris Pty. Ltd. took over McKays by 1955, after being co-resident with McKay in this building since the later 1930s. Prior to the take-over, the McKay company had broadened their Manufacturing base beyond the combine harvester to include self-propelled harvesters (c1909- , tractors (c1916- ), the stump-jump disc plough and earth moving machinery, in conjunction with another co-resident, British Standard Machinery Co. Ltd. The McKay complex survives (as of December 1987) at Sunshine, along with offices constructed in the same period of the McKay acquisition of this building, as their city showrooms. Little is known of the Ballarat works.Dalgety & Co. sprang from a wool export agency commenced in 1846 by F.G. Dalgety. With the growth of pastoralism in the 1870s and 1880s, many limited liability companies arose from the early wool broker firms but, in this case, Dalgety & Co. Ltd. was created in 1894, a year after the withdrawal of English money led to the bank moratorium and the reconstruction of many of the established firms. Previous occupiers of the site, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. Ltd. merged with Dalgety & Co. Ltd. in 1961.DescriptionIn a similar manner to the adjoining Eliza Tinsley Building, this former warehouse rises to two upper levels and one high ground level, possibly including a mezzanine. It is also parapeted, but with a central raised entablature adorned with linked garlands. The facade is divided by giant order Ionic pilasters which are ornamented in the French manner with garlands and blocks at the capitals. Between, at the upper level, are window pairs with exaggerated keystones and rustication, with the more conservative lower level windows possessing austere implied pilasters for mullions. The ground level top lights are also divided into threes by colonettes. Two entrances possess implied porticoes with egg and dart mouldings and cemented architraves surrounding each.In between these there are currently large glazed show windows. Faint lettering is visible at the two entablatures, (parapet and first floor level).External IntegrityGround level openings have been altered subtly, with new window frames, new less subtle glazed screens at the eastern entrance and a form of shuttering at the western entrance, which may have been for goods entry originally. Otherwise, like the Eliza Tinsley, the building is surprisingly intact.StreetscapeRepeats the Edwardian Baroque seen in the adjoining buildings to the east and resembles them in scale, fenestration and, in part, materials.SignificanceAn unusual design for its construction date, being more typical of the Greek revival current at the time of the major renovation in 1925, the building and site have a long association with Victorian primary production, particularly the important H.V. McKay company, although of less consequence to the surviving Sunshine works.___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 84 Lawrie Wilson & Associates, 1977. HistoricBuildings Preservation Council Report on CBD Block No 6 Dec 1977, p28___________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEA three-storey brick and stucco warehouse built in Dalgety and Co in 1913. From 1925-1958 it was occupied by the famous H V McKay Pty Ltd sunshine Harvesters. As With its adjoining neighbours the building is strongly associated with the agricultural implement business established in this part of Bourke Street and associated with the Spencer Street railwaystation___________________________Victorian Heritage Inventory D7822-14111855 map; Commissariat on this site and probably on adjoining site at Nos.666-668. 1880; one-storey building on Bourke Street. 1888; one-storey buildings. 1905; one-storey buildings - Tallow, Wool & Skin Stores.___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1912TENDERS ARE INVITEDFor MOTOR GARAGE OFFICES and WORKSHOPS,Bourke-Street West, for Messrs. DALGETY and CO. LTD.Plans and specification may be inspected at my office.Tenders close noon. Wednesday. 24th Inst,, ....Quantities, Anderson and Alexander.C. A. D'EBRO, F.R.V.I. A.,, 99 Queen-street, Melbourne..1913Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925)Thursday 2 October 1913 - Page 20https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/176550162MESSRS. DALGETY AND CO. LTD."How interesting!" "How wonderful!" "That beats everything," etc., were the exclamations forthcoming from the interested crowd of spectators at the exhibits of this well-established 'Motor Firm at Stand 177 Gibb-street at the Royal Show. And indeed the "surprise effects" were well merited, for there, amongst the numerous cars, all with exclusive outstanding merits, was the exposed engine construction of the wonderful "CADILLAC." This exhibit itself must have certainly left a deep impression in the mind of the "man. in the street," inasmuch as the entire workings of the car were in active order, in full view, and moving gently with a dependability that reflected perfection in construction and completeness in every detail. The advantages of the long-stroke "CADILLAC" Engine were easily grasped by men with even the slightest mechanical knowledge, as also «".'•' the exclusive Selfstarting, Self-igniting, Self-lighting features, distinctly exclusive to this world...THE NEW 10.14 "AUSTIN."—Giving the favour that moving exhibits perhaps gain greater public favour than the stationary, the 10.14 "AUSTIN" models; as exhibited, fully equipped and stationary, gained surprising patronage, and the hundreds walking around reviewing this exhibit accepted its high-class luxurious finish as features defining the "AUSTIN" 10.14 as a car almost sacred in its presence. Great interest was also displayed in the reliable "NAPIER" Cars. As the Noiseless Car of Extreme Elegance, it found hundreds of admirers. Also were assembled magnificent models, such as "Daimler," "Buick," "Opel," "Delaunay-Belleville," etc., reflecting, as hitherto, the splendid make of Cars at all times open for inspection at the Spacious New Garage of this popular firm—DALGETY & CO., Bourke street. Melbourne.___________________________

Names:

City of Melbourne

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesNeo-Baroque styleFederation/Edwardian styleWarehouses1910-1919Notable Building Citations (Melbourne Planning Scheme)

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1267457