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Cromwell House or Dr. Beaney's rooms later Alexandra Club, 133-139 Collins & 66-74 Russell Street, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 102072

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.

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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.

General notes:

Style: Renaissance revivalPeriod: VictorianConstruction Date: 1887Notable features: Undergoing reconstructionArchitect: William Salway.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryIn part , once one of the city's grandest private houses, a section of the first two levels above ground of this building was constructed by James Moore (City Road) in 1887 to the design of William Salway. Its owner was Dr. J. A. Beaney, who resided on the upper levels and conducted his professional life at the Collins Street level. Two years after this commission, Salway was to design the extensive Dr. Snowball house, corner of Drummond and Victoria Streets.Beaney, who had owned most of the site since c1876, then partly occupied by four six-room row houses in Russell Street, acquired the remaining ground in Collins Street during 1878 and leased the rooms to a number of doctors and dentists. Beside two houses in Russell Street and three in Collins, his new building rose to three storeys, extending the length of the existing first level arcade fronting both Russell and Collins Streets. From just above this arcade, at the corner, an oriel window bay and spired tower rose to complement the already generous flat roof space surrounding it.Beaney's death, in 1891, left the house with trustees James S. Butters, Thomas Wyburn (broker and solicitor) and Mary Treacy (spinster). Of these, Butters was declared insolvent in the 1890s crash (paying only 1/2d. in the pound for his 27,035 pound debts). The resolution of his debts came in the infamous `secret composition' of 1892, falling short by over 19,000 pounds. He resigned his seat as M.L.C. for Northern Province as a result.A subdivision of this site (1892-7) followed immediately after Beaney's death, his house going to Dr. Henry Michael O'Hara and the adjoining lots in Russell and Collins Streets to Heath & Kernot (dentists, 66-8 Russell Street), Sir Samuel Gillot (solicitor, 133-5 Collins Street) and Albert Terry (129-131 Collins Street). All of these properties, except Terry's, were eventually sold to the Alexandra Club Company Ltd. in the period 1915-22, but only after O'Hara had obtained 66-8 Russell Street in 1902 and made extensive additions in 1909-10 to convert the house into a private hospital. Clarke designed O'Hara's extensions, extending Salway's original design.By 1926 the hospital had become a club and absorbed 135 Collins Street, and after expenditure of around 10,000 pounds, in 1927, the original house and its new wings to the east and south had gained a floor but lost a tower. The sympathetic but more austere upper level of 1928 had created the most change to the design character, eliminating the parapet detail and lopping off the tower. However, the final external building form must be attributed to the Alexandra Club and its mainly internal requirements. More recently the requirements of commerce have again drastically modified this.Of the two major private occupiers of two major stages of building (Beaney and O'Hara) Beaney, as the commissioner of the design, must have a strong association with what is visible of the original house wing (externally only? ), while O'Hara may be identified with the house's expanded state, prior to it becoming a club.O'Hara was an honorary surgeon at the Alfred from 1880 and, although born in County Cork, Ireland, had been educated at Geelong College. However his medical training, having commenced at Melbourne University, took him back to Dublin and a tour of most of the `...chief continental schools of surgery.'Beaney commenced his profession about the same time O'Hara was born and during his 63 years went far beyond the normal bounds of medical practice. Having established his name locally and overseas as an eminent but not unassailable surgeon, Beaney joined the Melbourne Hospital in 1860 as an honorary surgeon and published one of the colony's first medical works in 1859. His continuing publishing output was only slightly hindered by a law suit, in 1880, which revealed the presence of a ghost writer. His skill with the scalpel was considered inferior to the owner of Melbourne's other towered and stately doctor's residence (demolished), Dr. Fitzgerald, but claimed a speciality in fearless surgery, sometimes resulting in the patient's demise and a subsequent court case. Beaney was elected to the Legislative Council, 1883-91, (his death), during which time he chaired a committee of inquiry into sanitary conditions at his own Melbourne Hospital. A short-lived marriage in the 1870s meant that his grand house was occupied as a widower and, at his death, a number of bequests were made to his favourite causes, including maintenance of Canterbury Cathedral, Melbourne University and seven Melbourne hospitals, to mention a few. His own modest beginnings are thought to be reflected in his posthumous establishment of the Beaney Institute for the Education of the Working Man.DescriptionA now totally renovated building, this was originally a two-storey building, two upper levels have been added, asevidenced by the corner oriel bay and the change in emphasis from Renaissance revival at the lower levels to a more Queen Anne inspired treatment (Clarke) of the upper levels.Ground level ornament includes smooth rustication of the walls, heavily moulded architraves, tall openings, segment-arched bracketed pediments to minor windows and a gabled pediment to the corner entrance. Some arcading has been used at the first level, over sailing on a bracketed string mould at the first floor line. The stylized Corinthian capital and diaper pattern dado frieze to the arcade columns lend further detail to an already highly ornamental elevation on this level. Corinthian pilasters in pairs, segment-arched pediments, the shell motif and balustrading are some of these ornamental elements. The added upper two levels are more restrained, with fleur-de-lis between long outrigger brackets which support the balustrading. Similarly, windows are grouped as square-headed openings, with some arches interspersed. The implied bays at ground-level have been extended up to the parapet and are echoed in the parapet wall, with the segment-arched pediments and piers and balustrading in between.External Integrity(Given the previous renovations) the side entry has been glazed, new steps created, signs added and automatic teller, plus Dutch hood, provided. Similarly, glazed doors and new steps have been added to the main corner entrance. The facade has been repainted in sympathetic colours but the south face-brick wall has been painted over.StreetscapeAn isolated corner building, signifying the now lost conservative Renaissance revival character of mid 19th Century Collins Street.SignificanceAssociated with two of Victoria's better known 19th Century surgeon entrepreneurs, a major part of the exterior still expresses their architectural prepossessions and, to a far lesser extent, their practical requirements.Small sections of the remaining interior and exterior represent Melbourne's most distinguished women's club..FURTHER REFERENCES.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORMcites source 78, 78A John & Phyllis Murphy Pty. Ltd. Architects. Historic buildings study of part of the C.B.D. Melbourne. (part 1) 1976-Report to the Historic Buildings Preservation Council covering the area bounded by Little Collins, Flinders, Spring and Elizabeth Sts:7.37 133-139 Collins Street -Alexandra ClubConstruction Date 1887Architect William Salway, F.R.I.B.A.Builder James MooreClerk of Works P. W. ThorneDr. J.G. Beaney, M.L.C., a surgeon of note, built himself an ornate "boom-style" house on the corner of Russell and Collins Streets, in 1887. A public competition was held and Salway's design was successful. The house named Cromwell House was very elaborate and contained 23 rooms - surgery and consulting rooms were on the ground floor and private residence above. 1 The colourful Dr. Beaney spent ₤7500 on the building and it was described in detail in a Building Journal of 1888. He was described as "an opponent of the Listerites". He was acquitted of murder after the death of his patient following an allegedly illegal operation. 2 Today his name is perpetuated by Beaney Lane which runs along the side (sic) side of the building.In 1897 Dr. H.M. O'Hara converted it into a private hospital still retaining the name. Born in Ireland, but educated at Geelong, he returned to Dublin to study medicine and a special course of surgery. 3The Alexandra Club, occupants since 1916, have carried out alterations, including the addition of an extra storey. William Salway, the architect was born in London, educated in Melbourne and served his articles with Reed and Barnes with whom he remained until 1867. After travelling extensively he commenced practice and won several important competitions including Benalla and Wagga Wagga Town Halls. He designed and supervised a number of grandstands, warehouses and market buildings during his extensive practice. 4James Moore, the contractor, was highly successful both as a builder and a timber merchant. Irish by birth, he learned the timber, carpentering and •cabinet-making trades in London. As a young man, he quickly became successful in Victoria, and built a number of grain stores, office buildings and. the great Melbourne International Exhibition of 1888. By the turn of the century he was thought to be the largest retailer of timber in the Commonwealth.1. Kellaway, C. National Trust of Australia (Vie) files.2. Pyke, D., (ed) Aust. Dictionary of Biography, Vol 3, P 124-6.3. Smith, James (ed), Encyclopedia of Victoria, Vol I, P 434.4. Sutherland, A. (ed) Victoria and its Metropolis, Vol 11, P530-1.5. The Traveller, January 1, 1904, Who's Who in Australian Commerce and Industry, P3..8. Recommendations8.1 The whole of the area that has been studied should be declared an Area of Special Significance so that appropriate controls may be used to protect the buildings and streetscapes of importance and to retain the existing character8.3 The following buildings should be submitted for consideration to be included in the Register of Historic Buildings(building not included).HERMES 2733Not Recommended Victorian Heritage RegisterCity of Melbourne - recommendation to Heritage OverlayThis building began life as a mansion house for Dr J G Beaney MLC, constructed in 1887 to a design by William Salway. The Alexandra Club occupied the building in 1916 and added another storey. In recent years the interior has been totally rebuilt. The architecture of the building makes an important contribution to the Collins-Russell Streets corner and it is of social significance for its association With Melbourne's only 19th century exclusive club for women..NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)A surgery and dwelling, initially of three storeys, built in 1886 for Dr. J. G. Beaney, to the design of William Salway, in an eclectic Renaissance manner. This eclecticism is conservative, with only the cantilevered oriel on the chamfered corner hinting at the more advanced design of North European eclecticism and the English free style. The base is treated as jointed ashlar with a doric frieze, the piano nobile with mainly arched openings including an elegant three-arched arcade on paired columns to the Collins Street front. In the former top storey a bolder form of narrow window with a stilted square head above which is a bracketted cornice.The 20th century addition of the top floor is excluded..NEWSPAPERS:The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Sat 22 Aug 1891 Page 2 - Beaney estate saleUNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM The Hon. J. S. BUTTERS, M.L.C.T. J. WYBURN, Esq.,Miss MARY TRACEY,EXECUTORS and EXECUTRIXOf the Late HON. JAMES GEORGE BEANEY, M.L.C., M.D..See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241554374`CROMWELL HOUSE…was the first (auction lot) , and it was described as a magnificent mansion in the very best position that professional men could findin tho whole city of Melbourne.1916The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) Thu 31 Aug 1916 Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242374242ALEXANDRA CLUB BUYSOne. of the realty landmarks of Collins street cast. Dr. J.- B. O'Hara's property on the south-east corner of Russell street, has been sold to the Alexandra Club…The building has five stories, on land with frontages of 47 ft 8in. to Collins street and 70ft 7in. to Russell streets It includes the building known, as Cromwell House, and another structure at the rear…The Cromwell House property, however, is much more spacious and substantial than those sold at lower figures, and is in fact a building which was erected by the late Dr. Beaney far in advance of its time. Its conversion from a private hospital to a women's club will bring it more into line with the type of occupation in this quarter of the city. The sale was effected through the agency of H. Gardiner and Lang, of Victoria Building, Swanston street.1917Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1900 - 1918; 1925) Thu 18 Jan 1917 Page 31https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130057201ALEXANDRA CLUB NEW PREMISES."The House of Many Windows" would be an appropriate term for the new building of the Alexandra Club, at the corner of Collins and Russell-streets, and of which the Club enters upon possession to-day. The building contains over 130 windows—the dining-room has twenty, and in the large reception-room there are fifteen. Many have wondered at the removal of the Club at such a time when everyone is practising economy, but the Club had no option in the matter. Its lease had expired, and-the Gas Co. wanted to resume the premises. The premises were a necessity; the securing a freehold of one of the picked positions of the city was an economy and an inspiration. The building was originally erected some forty years ago by Surgeon J. G-. Beaney, and after his death became the property of Surgeon H. M. O’Hara. The cost to the Club was £22,000, and a new story has been added for a kitchen. The reception-room and the dining-room have each a complete floor and the building has been brought thoroughly up to date, although in the furnishings, etc., the directors and committee of the Club have entered into the spirit of the time and exercised a rigid economy. The Club's efficient manager and secretary, Miss Living, is on leave in London, and during her absence, her locum tenens, Miss Clarence, has successfully come through a strenuous time.The Alexandra Club members have a leaning. towards a Collins-street home. The foundation premises were in Collins-street, near their new building.. The Club afterwards moved to the floor over Stewart Dawson's corner, and then changed their name ; thence migrated to the Gas Co.'s building in Flinders-street, and have now anchored in a haven of their own on Collins-street. The Alexandra Club has been a success from its inception, and deservedly so. As a ladies' club, it has been necessarily exclusive; but it has always been a ladies' club in the best sense of the word, and has been well and carefully managed. Its steady increase in prosperity has been the result of legitimate propriety, and owes nothing to the" adoption of the "club-comforts" of masculine clubs..LEWIS, M. AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:74612 Salway, William Beaney, Dr Melbourne VIC Houses Moore, James - City Road 1887 04 1 2717 -MCC registration no 2717 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.10.0 house Collins near cnr Collins & Russellalso74550 Beaney, Dr Melbourne VIC Houses Cockram, Thos & Co - 8 O'Connell St Hotham 1881 08 17 8887-MCC registration no 8887 [Burchett Index]. Fee 2.10.0 house Collins east

Names:

City of MelbourneSalway, William, 1844-1902

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesMid-late Victorian period (1875-1900)1880-1889Clubs and associations

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1192684