Barrow Brothers warehouse, 12-20 King Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
Barrow Brothers warehouse, 12-20 King Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105401
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:
Period: EdwardianConstruction date: 1917ASSOCIATIONS:Barrow Brothers (John William and Herbert Thomas).RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryBarrow Brothers, dairy and produce merchants were the first owner-occupiers of this brick faced, timber-framed showroom cum warehouse built at the front of their existing stores facing Highlander Lane. The architect was Christopher Cowper, a designer who has achieved more fame from residential rather than commercial work. The drawing show a cart way on the north side (see surviving crossover on south) leading to a `fowl sale yard' at the rear, past a series of stores (some new some existing) and the front office area and butter sale room. Upstairs there were two storage areas.Their premises served also for the Country Butter Manufacturers Association, Mark Smith and Fawcett & Co. carriers, and a shipping provedore, R. A. Colenso. By c1930, W. S. Carson's sporting goods warehouse and that of Scott Garrard & Co., comprised the building's main occupants with the powdered milk maker, Twyford of Australia, and the Western District Co-operative Producers & Insurance Co. Ltd. Architects Twentyman & Askew designed alterations to the building for the latter firm in 1928.DescriptionTwo storeys and a basement of face brick and cemented details, designed after the Edwardian Baroque manner and bearing the date 1917. Composed in three pavilions, with two intervening bays, the central façade bay has a gabled pediment at the upper level adorned with a horn of plenty and a wreath within the tympanum, and a segment-arched and bracketed pediment over the ground level entry. Garlands are use either side of the raised parapet entablature which is itself of a stylised design. The words `Est. 1904' are set in a further cemented panel. Bullnose brickwork at openings is used effectively, particularly at the entry.External IntegrityCarriage-way bricked in on south end, now indicated only by the pitched lane and a new metal-framed entry doors created in the same area. Signs, air units and canopies added. Trim colours are sympathetic.StreetscapePart of notable generally warehouse streetscape and particularly to the former Bank of New South Wales on the south.SignificanceA near externally complete stylistically conservative warehouse and office building which has been long associated with the marketing of primary produce and particularly of the once prominent firm, Barrow Brothers. As such it complements the notable warehouses in this row both in use and in general form, detail and finish..RAWORTH, B 2002. REVIEW OF HERITAGE OVERLAY LISTINGS IN THE CBDfor the City of Melbourne.Barrow Brothers, dairy and produce merchants were the first owners and occupiers of this King Street warehouse [Butler], built in 1917 [BPA] to designs by noted residential architect Chris Cowper [Butler]. As constructed, the building incorporated a laneway to the north, providing access to a fowl sale yard to the rear with the front sections of the building containing an office area and butter sale room. Upstairs were two storage areas. In addition to the areas occupied by the Barrow Brothers, the building also provided space for the Country Butter Manufacturers Association, Mark Smith and Fawcett & Co and RA Colenso, a shipping provedore. By c.1930, WS Carson's sporting goods warehouse and Scott Garrard & Co had become the building's main occupants.Architects Twentyman & Askew designed alterations to the building for tenants the Western District Co-operative Producers & Insurance Co in 1928 [Butler].Comprising two storeys and basement with a facade of face brick and rendered details, the building is a reasonably late example of the Edwardian Baroque mode. It is a symmetrical composition of three boldly modelled pavilion forms linked by two simple intervening bays. The central pavilion of the facade has a gabled pediment adorned at the upper levels with a cornucopia device and a wreath within the tympanum. A segmental arched pediment on bold consoles above the main doorsentry provides a bold and stylish entry. The inscription, EST'D 1904 above the entry, is presumed to relate to the establishment of Barrow Bros enterprise rather than the construction of the building.The laneway has been incorporated into the main body of the building, the ground floor window joinery has been extensively modified and the exterior painted, but the building retains its early form and a wealth of rendered detail and is generally in good condition.Statement of Significance12-20 King Street is of aesthetic significance at a local level as a largely intact warehouse designed in the Edwardian baroque mode and distinguished by its boldly modelled facade.Footnotes:Butler, 1985, CAD Conservation Study, 12-20 King Street.MCC Building permit application (BPA) 346
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Research and reports
Record number:
1248526
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105401 | 1 PDF : 580 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |