Rutter-Long Shops and Residences, 94-98 Bourke Street, 153-161 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Graeme Butler and Associates01/07/1989
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Title:
Rutter-Long Shops and Residences, 94-98 Bourke Street, 153-161 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
01/07/1989
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 101221
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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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Period: 1850-1880Dates: 1853-, 1870, 1879 see text belowMaterials: Basalt pilasters.ASSOCIATED RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER:.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistoryBuilder, James Metcalfe constructed the lower two levels of two-thirds of this former chemist's shop and dwelling in 1853. The owner was Daniel R. Long, a `native of Witney, Oxford Shire.'Long had arrived in the Colony during 1840 and began here as the manager of Dr. Wilmott's (Melbourne's first coroner) Pharmacy. Three years later his own business had commenced, establishing most of this building (94-6) in 1853 and remaining there until his death in 1886. During that period, the style became Long & Son (Henry, and later Daniel) and his son-in-law, Dr. Neild also participated for a short period.Arthur Lock (94) was a later occupier, as was the Drayton Scale Co. (98), the ownership remaining with Long's executors until at least the First War when further alterations appear to have been carried out.Long was a Prahran Councillor (Chairman, 1858, later Mayor), whilst his son-in-law, James Edward Neild, was the first editor of the `Australian Medical Journal' (20 years) and wrote the book, `The Medical Profession of Victoria.'The building is shown at two-storeys, in 1876, with an arcaded ground level (94-6). By 1888 it has grown to three.Ratebooks show Long owning 98 only after c1870, explaining its different ground level treatment as seen in 1876. During this period, Long leased 98 to the London Chartered Bank but, by the mid-1880s, Long's business was in both buildings, thus signalling its expanded and unified form.DescriptionPart of a three-storey conservative Renaissance Revival corner group. The upper facade of this trio is best seen at No. 98, where blind hoods scrolled and pierced for ventilation have survived, along with the first level windows with their cemented architraves. Each level is divided with a string mould, differing in level with the progress of what is assumed to have been a street verandah on Nos. 94-96, but at the parapet the cornice is dentilated and continues around the splayed corner, terminating on foliated blocks on the ExhibitionStreet elevation. The first level window architraves remain on 94-96, but the windows do not, having been replaced c1915.External IntegrityGround levels replaced entirely, with dividing walls symbolically retained. The assumed (added) street verandah on 94-96 has been removed, with the possibility that one also existed on 98, given the mould that exists at the first floor line. The intermediate string mould has been damaged in part on Nos. 98 and 94, but otherwise much of the cement work of the upper level, with the exception of replacement of window joinery on Nos. 94-96 has survived.StreetscapeBeginning of a long 19th century commercial streetscape in Exhibition Street and complements the notable bank building opposite.SignificanceAlthough the stages of development of this corner from 1853 are still faintly perceptible, the alterations are widespread and the expression of Long's long tenure there is all but gone. Nevertheless, like 2-18 Bourke Street, it is a rare surviving corner group of the 1850s gold boom and commences a 19th century streetscape in Exhibition Street..GRAEME BUTLER 1989, LITTLE BOURKE STREET PRECINCT CONSERVATION STUDYsee https://issuu.com/graemebutler21/docs/little_bourke_st_precinct_conservatRutter-Long Shops and Residences94·98 Bourke Street, 159·161 Exhibition StreetHistoryBuilt: 1853-, extended cl886Builder, James Metcalfe constructed the lower two levels of two-thirds of this former chemist's shop and dwelling in 1853. The owner was Daniel R. Long, a 'native of Witney, Oxford Shire:1Long had arrived in the Colony during 1840 and began here as the manager of Dr. Wilmott's (Melbourne's first coroner) Pharmacy. Three years laler his own business had commenced, establishing most of this building (94-6) in 1853 and remaining there until his death in 1886. He had purchased the land from Christian Brown in 1846 for £192/8/-,2 comprising 94- 102 Bourke Street and 159-161 Exhibition Street. During that period, the style became Long & Son (Henry, and later Daniel) and his son-in-law, Dr. Neild also participated for a short period. 3Arthur Lock (94) was a later occupier, as was the Drayton Scale Co. (98), the ownership remaining with Long's executors until at least the First War when further alterations appear to have been carried out. 4 The furniture dealers, Tye & Co., also leased 98 early this century. 5 Long was a Prahran Councillor (Chairman, 1858, later Mayor), whilst his son-in-law, James Edward Neild, was the first editor of the Australian Medical Journal (20 years) and wrote the book, The Medical Profession of Victoria. Neild was a founding member of the Australian Medical Association and also a theatre critic. He wrote for The Age, The Examiner, My Note Book, The Argus, The Herald and The Australasian and had a reputed penchant for the opposite sex among the acting fraternity. His business was ideally located for pursuit of both medical science and the theatre. His biographer Dr. Harold Love has termed Neild a 'Victorian Virtuoso. 6The corner building is shown at two-storeys, in views of 1874-1880, with arched shopfront openings at ground level (94-6).7 By c1887 it bad grown to three levels, having probably occurred immediately after Long's death in 1886. Ratebooks show Long occupying 98 Bourke Street only after c1870, explaining its different ground level treatment as seen in c1874. 8 Long leased 98 to the London Chartered Bank (1867.70) among others but, by the mid-188Os, Long's business was in both buildings, thus signalling its expanded and unified form. 9An early view of Exhibition Street shows Long's two storey chemist's shop extending north along the street, for three windows, and abutting two three-storey buildings (159-161 and 163 Exhibition Street), 159-161 also being on Long's land. In the early 1870s Long owned what were described as brick shops with two and six rooms respectively on this site. 10 Number 163 has since been demolished. The Salvation Army headquarters was in 159-161 Exhibition Street in the late 1880s, prior to their move to Bourke Street East in the 1890s. Early this century, Madders & Mitchell (clothiers) occupied the Exhibition Street building. Later upstairs tenants added interest to the building with their concentration in theatre-related occupations such as Elizabeth Moynihan and Miss Edith Leadbeater, theatre costumiers, and George Rodier, photographic artist. 11 The upstairs rooms were converted to Warwick House Flats in the early 1920s 12, with shops concentrating on tobacco and confectionery sales. 13 Arthur S Lock, dentist, was at 157 Exhibition Street over a long period having moved around the corner from 94 Bourke Street.DescriptionPart of a three-storey conservative Renaissance revival corner group. The upper facade of the final form of the Bourke Street elevation is best seen at No. 98, where blind hoods scrolled and pierced for ventilation have survived, along with the first level windows with their cemented architraves. Each level is divided with a string mould, differing in level with the progress of what was a street verandah on 94-96 Bourke Street and 159-161 Exhibition Streets. At the parapet the corner building's cornice is dentilated and continues around the splayed corner, terminating on foliated blocks on the Exhibition Street elevation. The first level window architraves remain on 94-96, but the windows and opening sizes do not, having been replaced c1915.Numbers 159-161 Exhibition Street, unlike the corner building, was built in one contract and remains externally intact on the upper levels. The style of this element is advanced compared to the group's simple 1853 beginnings, with pronounced cement and cast-iron detail in the form of sills and architraves, impost and string moulds and cast-iron balconette friezes. The original street verandah appears to have been iron-framed with a cast-iron frieze probably matching that at the balconettes. The third floor extension over Long's original shop, uses 159-161 Exhibition Street as a basis for details such as the dentilated cornice and bracketed sills.Construction stages of 159-161 Exhibition Street may be shown in side walls where coursed basalt rubble stone work is visible on the ground level with dressed basalt pilasters dividing off shop fronts (under new cement render). However, this may be sturdier ground-level construction, given its three-storey height. Similarly the original cornice of 94-96 Bourke Street is obvious at second floor level.External integrityGround levels have been replaced almost entirely, with dressed basalt dividing piers/walls retained and moulding remnants visible. The street verandahs have been removed. The intermediate string mould has been damaged in part on Nos. 98 and 94, but otherwise much of the cement work of the upper level has survived. Ornamental wrought-iron grilles have been added to 98 Bourke Street windows and, with the exception of replacement of first-level windows, joinery on Nos. 94-96 has survived. Numbers 159-161 Exhibition ground-level and canopy are new and both Bourke and Exhibition Streets buildings are currently being gutted.StreetscapeBeginning of a long 19th century commercial streetscape in Exhibition Street and complements the notable bank building opposite.SignificanceAlthough the stages of development of this corner from 1853 are still faintly perceptible, the alterations are widespread and the expression of Long and Nield's tenure there is all but gone internally. Nevertheless, like 2-18 Bourke Street, it is a rare surviving corner group of the 1850s gold boom and commences a 19th century streetscape in Exhibition Street. Long was perhaps Melbourne's best known Colonial chemist while Neild was renowned in both medical and theatre circles. Both men had a long association with this corner.Contributes to precinct.Notes1 BA 1101. 8/7/18532 SN230323 V &M.p.6744 RB1913-14.68fS RB1905,77f6 H Love, James Edward Neild: Victorian Vurtuoso (Melb. 1989)7 VI, p.165: Seirp, p998 Sierp. p.999 RB1870, 93f; RB1872, 9S-610 RB1872,·; Murray McIntosh, The Streets of Melbourne, n.p11 D1910-2012 D1924. D193013 D1930-514 D1910-D1924.FURTHER REFERENCES:Lewis, M. Australian Architecture Index:73479 Long, Daniel E Melbourne VIC Houses; Shops Metcalfe, James - Collingwood 1853 07 8 MCC registration no 1101 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.10.0shop & dwelling75340 Long, - Melbourne VIC Shops Martin, William - 93 Rosslyn St West Melb. 1870 09 14 MCC registration no 4119 [Burchett Index]. Fee 5.0.0two shops73804 Watts, Thomas; Long, - Melbourne VIC alterations Martin & Peacock 1879 06 16 MCC registration no 8008 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.0.0additional storey to building..VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-1511Land purchased by DR Long from Christian Brown, comprising 94-102 Bourke and159-161 Exhibition Streets. First Chemist shop on this site opened by Daniel Rutter Long c.1847. Long remained on site until at least 1906. First substantial building constructed 1853 (two-storeys). Replaced by extant (extended) building c.1886-7. Occupiers: DR Long 1853-1886, and Arthur Lock, Dentist (No.96).Heritage Inventory Comments: Extant building: three-storeys, brick & bluestone (remnant structure). Built 1853 and extended/rebuilt c.1886. Fully refurbished 1989-90..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935) View title info Sat 15 Jun 1895 Page 2 BOURKE-STREET.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197432730/21387724Vagabond:The late Mr Daniel Rutter Long, native of Whitney, Oxfordshire, served his apprenticeship in London to Mr. Jacob Bell, founder of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. In 1840 he decided to emigrate, and with his family arrived in Melbourne in the latter part of that year. He first became manager of the pharmaceutical establishment of Dr. Wilmott, who was the first coroner for this city. Shortly after wards he entered into business on his own account. In 1850 he built on the corner of Bourke-street and Exhibition-street, and for years carried on one of the most successful businesses in Melbourne. In 1855 his eldest son, Mr. Henry James Long, and his son in law, Dr. Neild, succeeded to the business, but in 1861 Dr. Neild retired to resume the practice of his profession, and the firm again became. D.E. Long and Son. Mr. D. R. Long always took great, interest in the public affairs of the colony. He held the office of councillor for many years in Prahran, and become chairman in 1858. The dignity of mayor was conferred some years later. He died respected by all in 1886, aged 83 years. Mr. Henry James Long died in 1881, since which time the business has been carried on under the same firm's name with his son, Mr. Daniel Rutter Long as manager. Three generations in the same establishment is a thing unknown in any other part of Melbourne. Bourke-street has a following of its own.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 101221 | 1 PDF : 3,367 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |