Nathan's warehouse, 132 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Nathan's warehouse, 132 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 106051
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: EdwardianDATE: 1905-6;ASSOCIATIONS: Nathan, Benjamin;DESIGNER: Fisher, A H;BUILDER: Holden, W FSign 1984: J.E. Fowls Plumbing__________________________________________________Graeme Butler & Associates 2010, HERITAGE ASSESSMENT OF BUILDINGS AT 116-132 LITTLE LONSDALE ST, MELBOURNENATHAN’S WAREHOUSE, 132 LITTLE LONSDALE STREET, MELBOURNE 3000.Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?This three-level warehouse was erected for Benjamin Nathan junior of Maple & Company furniture dealers to the design of architect, AH Fisher, in 1905-6; the builder was WF Holden of Armadale. Nathan junior was a principal in the later extensive network of furniture outlets and Fisher designed the Maples warehouse Chapel St, Prahran c1909.The building was occupied by Chinese cabinetmakers over a long period.How is it significantNathan’s warehouse at 132 Little Lonsdale Street is locally significant historically and aesthetically to the City of Melbourne. TheWhy is it significantNathan’s warehouse at 132 Little Lonsdale Street is locally significant.Historically:As a classical revival warehouse erected for use in the furniture trade by the owner of the later prominent Maples Furniture warehouse chain and remained so during a long period as occupied by Chinese cabinetmakers.As a well-preserved Edwardian-era warehouse is well-preserved and as such it represents well the period when the Chinese cabinetmakers expanded from Little Bourke Street into Little Lonsdale Street, this building being closely linked by the Nathan and Maples connection to the furniture trade; as such it has historical significance for its evocation of that role. The building is evocative of the greater Melbourne Chinatown, one of the historically characteristic `districts’ of Melbourne.AestheticallyThe building is austere as befits its location and type but visually relates well to the other components of this significant streetscape group in terms of its use of a restrained classical revival architectural styling common to all of the buildings within the group.__________________________________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 77, p66; CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 9817__________________________________________________DARYL JACKSON EVAN WALKER ARCHITECTS PTY. LTD 1976 FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL; MELBOURNE: THE AREA BOUNDED BY VICTORIA, SPRING, LONSDALE AND SWANSTON STS (source 77)Address 132 Little Lonsda1e StreetDate built: 1907Original UseFactoryPresent UseFactory1 HistoricalBuilt for Ben Nathan, on the site of a bakery dating from the early 1850's and occupied by Ah Goon, cabinetmakers from 1907 (1).2 Architectu.ra12.1 Completed by 1907 (1).Footnote(1) M.C. C. Rate Book, Gipps Ward 1907.__________________________________________________VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1112Site of a bakery from the 1850's.1905 - 3 storey building occupied by Ah Goon, Cabinetmaker.__________________________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 74890 Fisher, A H; Nathan, B - High St Armadale Melbourne VIC Warehouses Holden, W F - Ballantyne St Northcote 1905 12 8 9817__________________________________________________VICTORIA HERITAGE DATABASEsee Ripponleahttps://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/427`...Many alterations have changed the interior and exterior during the ownerships of Benjamin Nathan and later his daughter Mrs Louisa Jones in the 1930s and are in their own right of significance…'__________________________________________________Graeme Butler & Associates 2010. HERITAGE ASSESSMENT OF BUILDINGS AT 116-132 LITTLE LONSDALE ST, MELBOURNE.Nathan’s Warehouse, 132 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000HistoryThis building is part of a building group located on Allotments 13-14 of Section 26, Parish of North Melbourne, adjoining allotment 12. John Wollaston was the crown grantee of two blocks 12 & 13 sold in 1848-9, allotment 12 for ₤167 and allotment 13 for ₤164. Douglas Thomas Kilburn was the crown grantee of land surrounding this site in 1848-9: Allotments 14 & 15, Section 26. Kilburn subdivided these two blocks, also creating Bennetts Lane.Thomas Payne sold this corner lot to William Johnson in 1850 for ₤45/2/-, measuring around 20 feet by 60 feet and terminating at the rear on a right-of-way running east from Bennetts Lane. Johnson sold to Hugh Ross in 1861 for ₤300 who sold in 1888 to Benjamin Nathan for ₤800.In the 20th century, Ben Nathan junior sold the property to Lydia Wilkinson Davys in 1920 for ₤2000 with vendor finance of ₤1500. Lydia married in the next few years to become Mrs Fox: in 1925 she sold to David Lim Yun for ₤2700 who converted the title to Torrens in 1926.The warehouse was erected for Benjamin Nathan junior to the design of architect, AH Fisher, in 1905-6; the builder was WF Holden of Armadale. Nathan junior was a principal in the later extensive network of Maple & Company furniture dealers. Fisher designed the Maples warehouse Chapel St, Prahran c1909.Nathan had some dealings with the police around that time for opening his Clarendon Street shop out of hours, as a breach of the Factories and Shops Act. There was also a Maples Warehouse in Nicholson St, Footscray built at about the same time c1913 but more ornate.Another Nathan family member managed the Paterson’s furniture retailer chain and also used Fisher designs, such as for the four-storey shop and furniture warehouse in Smith Street, Fitzroy, 1911. His descendent Sir Maurice Nathan (also Lord Mayor and chair of Melbourne’s 1956 Olympic Civic Committee) was the managing director of Paterson’s furniture stores over a long period and prominent in Melbourne’s business and political affairs.Ah Goon Brothers & Company cabinetmakers were early occupiers of this warehouse around 1910, among the many Chinese who plied that trade along Little Lonsdale Street. The connection with Maple’s was presumably to supply the furniture retailer with cheap items for sale. This was then a major part of Melbourne’s Chinatown but already in decline with the effects of the First War and the White Australia policy that was formalised by the new Commonwealth government who legislated to exclude non-Europeans (Immigration Restriction Act, 1901) using a dictation test in any European language chosen to ensure failure for non-Europeans. This policy of exclusion continued until the 1950s.Ah Goon Brothers & Company sold the stock held at this building in 1915.THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18.(TO-MORROW.)At Eleven O'Clock.At the Factory,132 LITTLE LONSDALE STREET(Rear Wesley Church),UNRESERVED AUCTION SALEOf CABINET-MAKER'S STOCK,…ComprisingManufactured and Partly manufacturedFURNITURE,AndLARGE STOCK of ASSORTED SEASONEDTIMBERS,Mirrors, Tiles, Ironmongery, .Timber Racks,F.P. Safe, 24 .x 18 x l8, and Sundries.In the Assigned Estate of Ah Shew, Trading as Ah Goon Bros, and Co.,Cabinet-makers.By order of the TrusteePJ KENT, Esq., FCPAOfficial Assignee and Public Accountant,Prell's Buildings, 60 Queen Street. ' ON VIEW THIS DAY', Two till Five.However a longer-term inhabitant of this warehouse was the firm Lim Wing War & Company cabinetmakers who used the building as a warehouse rather than a factory into the 1920s and intermittently after that. Architects Beaver & Purnell made changes to the rear of the building in 1920 for Mrs Davys care of the Block Arcade. Reynolds Brothers of Carlton were the builders of what was primarily a timber framed rear escape stair (since replaced).Figure 41 Beaver & Purnell, Rear 132 Lt Lonsdale St 1920 (MCC Building Application at VPRO)As was the case with the rest of the street the Chinese gave way to other uses by the 1920s with Riddell & Preece theatre furnishings and upholsterers there in the mid 1920s with periods of vacancy following in the Great Depression era. Lim Wing War & Company cabinetmakers returned briefly in the mid 1930s but by the late 1930s Roy Silver engineer started another trend of increasing motor trade servicing around the edge of the City, joining Perlow Motors who occupied the former Exploration Hotel.By 1950 the building experienced a change of pace with Horn & Company indenters, Rex Hardware, KM Bagenow art restorer, and Your Expert Service button coverers all in the one building.Plumbers, JE Foulis P/L were there in the 1980s and commissioned a new metal escape stair at the rear. The internal stair remained as alternative means of escape.Figure 42 132 Lt Lonsdale St proposed stair 1980 (MCC BA51803)AH FisherFisher’s works included (also Fisher & Backhouse.) Foresters Hall and shops Chapel St., Prahran 1891; concert stage at the Cyclorama Rotunda, Melbourne 1892; second prize for Head Station of Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Victoria Parade, Melbourne; fire station for Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board, North Carlton, both 1892; Fire Brigades Station at Williamstown, Victoria in 1893; fire brigade station at Brighton 1894; Maples warehouse (Nathan) Chapel St, Prahran 1909; factory at Prahran for 0.T. Limited 1911; four-storey shop and furniture warehouse in Smith Street, Fitzroy, for Messrs. Patersons, 1911__________________________________________________CONTEXT (WITH GJM HERITAGE) 2020, HODDLE GRID HERITAGE REVIEWFigure 5. From RHS to LHS, 120-132 Little Lonsdale Street (HO984) between Bennetts Lane and Exploration Lane, 1967. Former Leitrim Hotel shown in centre. (Source: Halla 1967, STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA )__________________________________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1923https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/162533958Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 - 1954)Saturday 27 October 1923 - Page 5Mrs. Ben Nathan.One of the most philanthropic ladies in Australia, Mrs. Ben Nathan, passed from this life early on Sun- day morning to her eternal reward for her boundless charity. The deceased lady died at her residence, Rippon Lea, Hotham Street, Elsternwick. Blessed with abundance, she gave help in most generous measures to all deserving causes. Countless were the objects of her bounty, but amongst the institutions which she assisted with valuable personal ser- vice as well as with very consider- able monetary gifts were the Queen Victoria Hospital, the Ministering Children's League, and the Australian War Comforts Fund, as well as the Rippon Lea Red Cross Auxiliary. Her death is indeed a sad loss to the community. A long train of mourners followed her remains to the Church of England portion of the Brighton Cemetery on Monday. The coffin was embellished in graceful simplicity with silver mountings. Dr. Joske, Messrs John Wren, F. Thomas. R. Nathan, T. G. Jones, and W. H. Austin were the pall-bearers, while Rev. Perry Martin conducted the ser- vice at the grave. Mr. T. Rentle had charge of the mortuary arrangements..Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. : 1912 - 1936)Friday 26 July 1935 - Page 10https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186182531OBITUARY.MR. BEN NATHAN.THE death has occurred in Melbourne of Mr. Ben Nathan, prominent business man and sportsman, aged 70 years. Deceased, who was a native of Melbourne, was the founder and senior partner in the furnishing firm of Maples, Limited, which he built up into one of the largest businesses of its kind in Australia. His home at Elsternwick was famed for its collection of exotic flowers and orchids, reputed to be the finest in Australia. His collection of rare orchids was one of the best in the world. In the busiest season of the gardening calendar each year, Mr. Nathan employed as many as 40 expert gardeners. His permanent gardening staff was led by a head gardener brought from England because of his special knowledge of orchids. The head gardener was recently appointed to the post of curator of the gardens at Adelaide. In association with Mr. John Wren, Mr. Nathan was part proprietor of the Ascot racecourse, Melbourne, and in past years he was the owner of a string of racehorses, and also several particularly smart racing ponies..1936Left Over Million.LATE MR. BEN NATHAN. MELBOURNE, Sunday.In a will which occupied only six lines Benjamin Nathan, late of "Ripponlea," Hotham street,, Elsternwick, founder and senior partner of Maples, furniture warehousemen, who died on July 25 last, left estate valued at £1,087,903/17/6 to his two daughters, Mrs. L. Jones and Mrs. L. Hannan. The total is made up of £241,663 real estate and £846,238/17/6 personalty.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 106051 | 1 JPEG : 505 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |