Atlas Ironworks or Wright and Edwards Limited, later Cooper Engineering Company Limited, later Lazar Restaurant, 542-546 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Atlas Ironworks or Wright and Edwards Limited, later Cooper Engineering Company Limited, later Lazar Restaurant, 542-546 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF 105862
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Textual materialGraphic materials
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:__________________________________________________DATE: 1883;ASSOCIATIONS: Wright of Wright and Edwards Limited;DESIGNER: Pitt, William;BUILDER: Sprott, RichardPERIOD: Victorian___________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM___________________________Victorian Heritage Inventory H7822-1228Building shown on site (adjacent to laneway) 1866. 1880 - several buildings on site.1888 - 1 & 2 storey buildings. 1905 - 1 & 2 storey building, Kellow & Lewis, Engineers___________________________MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIESSeries 1, map 191888 two storey masonry on street adjoiningCrombie Lane on west `101' Little Bourke St West and Wright & Edwards yard entry on west, with timber buildings behind `Wright and Edwards Engineers'1910 2 level masonry GW Kellow and Kellow & Lewis, Engineers, Turnbull Place on east___________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX72375 Wright, W - Little Bourke St west Melbourne VIC Factories Wright, W 1868 01 27 2398-MCC registration no 2398 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.0.0workshop Little Bourke west - 100-10273351 Wright,- Melbourne VIC Warehouses Sprott, Richard - 336 Bay St Sandridge 1883 07 9 376-MCC registration no 376 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.10.0warehouse___________________________State Library of VictoriaPICTURE: Messs. Wright and Edwards's engineering works, Little Bourke-Street west. [picture]Melbourne : Alfred Martin Ebsworth 1884, Record IDENTIFIED 9917771783607636shows building as is except for removal of parapet gables (fire?)___________________________CITYSCOPE c1986Map 19, Property 21formerrrestaurantt, east of Crombie Lane- LazarRestaurantn,updatedd 1973LAZAR: Lazar Nominees Pty Ltd, Janther Nominees Pty Ltd and Ralph A. and AhondaBeveridge of Brighton. Lazar Nominees is controlled by Thomas G. and Amanda Lazar ofKyneton and Richard J. Spicer of Box Hill; Janther Nominees is owned by Charles A. M. andHeather M. M. Hider, of Toorak. 19,33___________________________Graeme Butler & Associates 2011, Central City (Hoddle Grid) Heritage ReviewHeritage Assessment of 141-143 Flinders Lane, Melbourne...Lazar Slutzkin arrived in 1893 from Russia. About the turn of the century, he opened a warehouse makingand selling ladies’ white underwear. No ready-to-wear garments had been produced in real quantity beforethis; most goods were imported by warehouses. Lazar’s brother Sholem joined him in the business andeventually took over when Lazar retired. Both brothers were very religious; twice daily the business came to astandstill when they and their staff, consisting of fellow Jewish migrants, stopped for morning and afternoon prayers. ‘Makers-up’ (or ‘maker-uppers’) were not givenmaterial on Fridays lest they work on Shabbat.….___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):Many articles on Wright and Edwards1881Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954)Saturday 24 December 1881 - Page 18...The first large diamond-drill made in the colony was finished on Tuesday at the Atlas Ironworks. It will cost £1,000 or £1,100, as against £1,500, the cost of an imported drill of the same size. It is to be despatched to the Berry Consols Company at Creswick..1883https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202599625THE VICTORIA HYDRAULIC FREE. STONE COMPANY.The opening of the Patent Victoria Hydraulic Freestone Company's Works at Sandridge was celebrated yesterday afternoon by a luncheon …The engine and boiler were erected to the company's order by Messrs. Wright and Edwards..THE GOLDMINES OF VICTORIA By R.BROUGH SMYTH...about an `an air compressor driven by 14 h p engine made by Messrs Wright and Edwards and for which they obtained a gold medal at ths Melbourne International Exhibition.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196708555Illust. Advert. For Australian water auger. Water Searched For and Raised From Any Depth. For particulars, apply WRIGHT & EDWARDS MELBOURNE.WRIGHT and EDWARDS, ENGINEERS, MELBOURNE, (Established 1861)…Awarded the highest prizes and gold medals at the Intercolonial and International Exhibitions, and specially awarded tho Gold Medal and Certificate for recommendation by the Select Committee for the EMPEROR of GERMANY'S PRIZE. The first and largest manufacturers of Centrifuge Pumps in tho Australian Colonies, of from 200 to 30,000 gallons per minute....1884The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 - 1889)Wednesday 17 December 1884 - Page 199https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60620109MESSRS. WRIGHT AND EDWARDS'S ENGINEER ING WORKS, LITTLE BOURKE-STREET WEST.We give an engraving of the new premises of. Messrs. Wright and Edwards, one of the oldest established engineering firms of this city. The building is to contain showrooms, offices, litters' and turners' shops, and general business premises. It has a frontage to Little Bourke-street west of 54ft .with a depth of 83ft. Together with the adjoining workshops it occupies a very considerable space of ground, extending through to Lonsdale-street. It is the intention of the firm to continue the new building in depth to the full extent of the ground in possession. The building is two stories high, with gable roof, the stories being unusually lofty, to admit of large pieces of machinery. The height of the building from base to gable is 40ft Din. It is constructed of brick, with freestone facings, the foundations being of concrete, averaging throughout 3ft x 2ft Gin. ; footings bluestone, 2ftx 2ft. ; and a base course (wrought) in the same stone. The outer walls are 18in. work, and Under the direction of Mr. Wright the building has been strengthened in every part with iron girders, cast-iron pillars extending to the roof, cast with brackets on the lower Hat to carry the bearing for a powerful travel ling crane. Iron has been freely used in all arches, and wherever it is needed in giving the strength necessary to carry great weights. Tho architect was Mr. W. Pitt, instructed by Mr. Wright. The order of architecture is that called composite, und the building is a fair type of the class to be seen in every manufacturing town of England.In addition to this building there many and important alterations and improvements throughout the works. The firm of Wright and Edwards, engineers, of Melbourne, was established by Mr. Wright in the year 1S01, the business premises then consisting of ono small shop in Little Bourko street west. Before becoming an engineer's shop it had been a chapel and schoolroom, and was in its day and neighbourhood rather .a ' pretentious' brick 'edifice. 'Business prospering, this' workshop became office solely, the workshops accumulating piecemeal at the rear. The workshops continued to accumulate until they reached the Lonsdale-street frontage. For seven years Mr. Wright alone carried on the business, adding always to premises and plant. From the establishment, and for several subsequent years, the lathes, machinery, and principal tools necessary for executing the work of a very considerable business were made by himself. During the seven years, and tinder Mr. Wright's hands, the business had a rapid growth. Very many and large contracts were executed, some of the work having historic incident, notably : — He made the engine and boilers for the first steamers crossing the bar and navigating the Murray ; and at the same time was under contract with Messrs. Alexander M'Farlane and Co. for the manufacture and supply of eight large horizontal engines — viz., four of lC^in. cylinder, two of ISin. cylinder, and two of 14in. cylinder, besides the many engagements incidental to a large and growing business. After seven years' unaided conduct, Mr. Henry D. Edwards, who for three years previous had been foreman, became partner, when the style and title 'Wright and Edwards' was assumed. To enumerate here the extensive works, public and otherwise, executed by this firm would take far too much space. During the partnership a lease of land in Moray-street, on the south bank of the Yarra, was purchased, which shortly after became a freehold. On this ground Messrs. Wright and Edwards erected a large plant as rolling mills. The plant was costly, comprising powerful engines and boilers, rolling mills, furnaces and blasts, steam hammers and shears, together with all the requisites of a large rolling mill. On a portion of the same ground, and adjoining the rolling mills, was erected extensive buildings and plant for the manufacture of railway carriages and every description of railway rolling stock. These new undertakings were entered into, large contracts with the Railway department being undertaken and carried through, filling every requirement of material, work, and time covenants. It was found that these new works absorbed too much of the firm's attention. If they were to succeed, the old and firmly established business must suffer. This experience, together with the fact of the Government declining to let such contracts, either of supply for a time, or in such quantities as would make it worthwhile to provide premises and plant for the purpose, decided Messrs. Wright and Edwards in closing these establishments. The Jolimont accident of two or three years ago incapacitated Mr. Edwards for further active assistance in the business, and, after nearly two years of suffering, death' closed a partnership of sixteen years' standing, leaving Mr. Wright once more to the sole conduct of the business, which is continued under the old title of ' Wright and Edwards.' Prominent und perhaps foremost of the mechanical aids sup plied by the firm to the squatter and farmer stands the Australian water auger, which has come into very general use in every colony of the group. It was invented solely as an artesian well borer, for which purpose it is especially adapted, everywhere meeting with signal success. It is now utilised by the Government to work in conjunction with the famous diamond drill as 'a prospector for gold. It is proved capable of sinking a bore to almost any depth and through any description of strata with ease and certainty. Among other important manufactu.1885The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Thursday 10 September 1885 - Page 4Messrs Wright and Edwards of the Atlas Ironworks, Little Bourke street west, have now in operation at their works an ingenious contrivance for the heavy work of bending pieces of railroad iron into the peculiar yoke form in which it is used to form underground supports for the cable tramway rails..1891https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201458133WRIGHT and EDWARDS LIMITED,Engineers, Millwrights, Boiler Makers, etc..Manufacturers of Engines, Boilers, Centrifugal Pumps, Sheep washing and Irrigating Machinery, Scott's Patent and Edola's Patent Wool Scouring Machines, Dunlop — Earth Scoops, Constructors. Railway Wagons and Plant, Sleeper Adzing Machines, Hydraulic and Air Compressing Machinery, Mill Gearing and Machinery of every ud description. Patentees and manufacturers of the celebrated Australian Water Auger. E.,' Registered Office, 99 and 101, now 534 to 546 Little Bourke-street west..1932, 1950Cooper Engineering Company Limited, 542-546 Little Bourke St., Melbournesee also 1923 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223632753 display of Cooper Machinery at 350 Spencer Street, Melbourne.___________________________DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1875103 John Barry.188599, 101 Atlas Ironworks, Wright & Edwards engineers and millwrights.1893Right-of-way546 Wright & Edwards Ltd, engineers (in liquidation)Crombie la
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Research and reports
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1590041
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105862 | 1 PDF : A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |