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Harris' Building, 205-207 Russell Street, Melbourne

Graeme Butler and Associates01/07/1989
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Title:
Harris' Building, 205-207 Russell Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Graeme Butler and Associates
Date of work:
01/07/1989
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108548
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:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: Late Victorian, 1876-1899Construction date: 1891DATE: 1891;ASSOCIATIONS: Harris, Moses fancy goods importer (207);DESIGNER: Henderson, (Edgar J?);BUILDER: Hewitt, W G.GRAEME BUTLER 1989, LITTLE BOURKE STREET PRECINCT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHarris' BuildingWarehouse 205-207 Russell StreetHistoryBuilt: 1891Fancy goods importer. Moses Harris, commissioned Hawthorn builder, W.G. Hewitt and architect (Ankelell ?) Henderson, to create what was termed as a three storey brick store in 1891.6 Tenants from around 1900 included Louis Myers, tie and scarf maker, and, later. Chinese dub rooms (205) and Joseph Finegan, cigar manufacturer. Chinese were displaced by Greeks around 1930, transitioning via the upstairs International Club of the laic 1930s to the Cyprus Cafe of the 1950s 1 (Christou Dimiotes, Elvis Nicolis).The Harris ownership ended just after 1920 when the Co-operative Film Exchange Ltd. owned and occupied both shops, the ownership passing 10 Australasian Film.Pty Ltd. and, in the 1930s, Greater Union Theatres Ltd. Maurice Harrison owned it in the 1949-50s.)DescriptionA three-level Italian Renaissance revival stuccoed Russell Street facade, ornamented with string, impost and cornice moulding together with architraves, a raised pedimented entablature and balustraded parapet. The stucco is unpainted.Shopfront remnants include piers but the major section is of the 1930s and metalled framed although the recessed entry is similar to the Victorian era type. The rear elevation is startlingly different, being an almost untouched brick warehouse elevation with catheads, graduated scale openings and subtle insertion of dressed basalt as pier 'caps'. Bars to windows, timber rubbing strips and vertical boarded door are all original elements from the type.StreetscapePart of a cohesive 19th and early 20th century commercial streetscape, once more unified by continuous street verandahs_SignificanceA well preserved (particularly at the rear) commercial building which displays some architectural sophistication and the dual wholesale and retail roles, back and from within the same building. It is also part of a cohesive commercial streetscape and its ownership repeats the German-Jew influence seen in this Russell Street frontage.Contributes to precinct.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM_________________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 73105 Henderson,-; Harris, M Melbourne VIC Warehouses Hewitt, W G - Illawarra Rd Hawthorn 1891 05 14 4970-MCC registration no 4970 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.17.0three-storey brick store_________________________________________VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-13381866 - building on site. 1888 - 1 storey building. 3 storey brick warehouse built for fancy goods importer, Moses Harris, 1891. Tenants included Louis Myers tie and scarf maker; Chinese club rooms; cigar manufacturer. Chinese displaced by Greeks from 1930s._________________________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1989, LITTLE BOURKE STREET PRECINCT CONSERVATION STUDY_________________________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1896https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9181894AN UNCOMPLETED BURGLARY.Shortly before 3 o'clock on Saturday morning a child in the bouse of Mr. Moses Harris, importer, 177 Drummond street, Carlton, heard a noise on the ground floor as If burglars were stirring about the premises.She screamed, anti Mr. Harris ran down the stairs and found that burglars had been at work, but bad made their escape, taking with them a lady's bicycle and a clock….1897https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147278040At the adjourned meeting of the members of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation the following gentlemen were elected members of the committee Messrs. Josiah Marks (31 votes), Moses Alexander (26 votes); Joel Banet (22 votes), Michael Henry Cohen (21 votes), Jacob B. Kaufman (20 votes). Messrs. Moses Harris and Gabriel Eilenberg obtained 14 and 13 votes respectively.….
Related material link:
205-207 Russell Street, Melbourne (Butler16681\\)205-207 Russell Street, Melbourne (Butler14409\\)
Names:
City of Melbourne
Topics:
Little Bourke Historic Precinct StudyConservation studiesWarehousesJewellersBrick1890-1899Mid-late Victorian period (1875-1900)
Places:
Melbourne (Vic.)
Form/Genre:
Building Identification Forms (BIFs)
Record types:
Research and reports
Record number:
1262257
Bookmark link:
https://librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/OPAC/ARCENQ?SETLVL=&RNI=1262257
TypeReference No.ExtentStatus/Desc
Original1085481 PDF : 961 KB ; A4Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced)
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