483-489 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1984
Archives
Total copies: 1
Title:
483-489 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Creator:
Date of work:
1984
Search dates:
01 Jan 1984 - 31 Dec 1984
Reference number:
Butler13311
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materials
Part of:
Access restrictions:
Unrestricted
Use restrictions:
Unrestricted
General notes:
RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:__________________________________________________DATE: 1926-7;ASSOCIATIONS: Chancery House Extension P/L; DESIGNER: Cowper, Christopher;BUILDER: Reinforced Concrete Co.,et al___________________________CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONIndex card1926, July 10 8711 £40,000 Extension at Chancery House...1936 October 17812 £1000 additions to building___________________________CITY SCOPEMAP 28: 11Chancery House, 9, 7 and 4 storeys, largely occuoied by the RAAF, the Army and the Department of Air; acquired tor $390.000 in June,1947. Bourke St frontage 66ft (20.2m); Lt Collins St frontage 6711 (20.4ml; area 20,920 sq feet (1.943m2l.___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1922NEW COMPANIESChancery House Extension Pty Ltd capital £100,000Subscribers to memorandum of association.;-—Christopher Cowpe, -fiegmsld Whitley Appleford, and John Roberts Dunstan. (440 Little Collins street?).1924WHEAT CORPORATIONThe Victorian Wheat Growers Corporation ls removing to new ofllces in Chancery House extension, 440 Little Collins street, which It will occupy from Wednesday next.1927The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954)Wednesday 15 June 1927 - Page 13https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243969532CHANCERY HOUSEBig Building Nears CompletionThe approaching completion of the ten-storied concrete addition to Chancery House, on the Bourke street frontage of the site, emphasises the remarkable advance which the office area of the city has made during the past few years. It Is less than ten years ago since Mr .Chris. A. Cowper purchased the Little Collins- street frontage of Chancery House from the late Sir Rupert Clarke. This site had a frontage of 67 feet and a depth of 156 feet, and was occupied by a one-storey office building, known as "Furnival Inn Chambers," the rental of which was a few hundred pounds a year. When the Intention to demolish the old building and erect an eight-storey concrete building was announced, It was considered by many, who claimed to know the area, to be too venturesome.- The best answer to this Is to be found In the fact that the new building has been full since its erection, and pays a good rate of interest on its present value. The value has been considerably increased in the past year or two by the erection of the new Stock Exchange, and other buildings, almost beside It, and the acquisition by Mr Cowper of the site facing Bourke street. .... which has been occupied by Messrs Rolfe and Co for upwards of 50 years, and. joined the Chancery House site at the back. .THROUGH-WAY PROVIDEDTo enable the property to be handled as a whole, a proprietary company was registered, which immediately erected a nine-storied concrete building on one half of the latter site, and is now completing tho whole scheme by tho erection of the 10-storied building facing Bourke street, already referred to. One great advantage of Joining tho two sites was that a now through-way from Little Collins street to Bourke street was provided, by running tho corridors right through from street to street, "so that tenants could use either street as an entrance 'to or exit from tho building. Already hundreds of people dally use the corridors of Chancery House as a short cut from Little Collins street' to Bourke street; and, as the public get to know of the convenience. It will be used more and more In the future. Chancery House is now one of the largest office buildings in the city, and contains more than GOO offices and shops. There are five lifts and five fireproof stalrcases. The building Is to be centrally heated, and will be equipped In all respects In the most up-to-date manner. The section now being finished contains nearly 100 strongrooms, even two-roomed suites having these necessities. It will Interest many to know that tho rental value of the new building Is more than 00 - times greater than that of the old buildings demolished to make room for the new. The pew elevation, facing Bourke street, will be finished a warm buff color, with a red granite base, and will -be a fine addition to the stately buildings of Melbourne, The architects are Messrs Chris. A. Cowper Murphy and Appleford..1928Manager Victorian Wheatgrowers Corporation Limited, 485 Bourke st.,.1935https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245446132CHANCERY HOUSE SOLDThe biggest property deal in recent years was completed to day, when The City Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd. bought Chancery House, which runs through from Little Collins Street to Bourke Street. The price has not been disclosed but is understood to be in the vicinity of £175,000. Chancery House is a modern building of reinforced concrete construction and comprises nine storeys fronting Bourke Street, four storeys in the middle section, and seven storeys facing Little Collins Street.FAMILY HOLDING The building has frontages of 66 feet to Bourke and Little Collins Streets, the length being approximately 320 feet. The vendors are companies, the shares of which are held in the family of Mr Chris. Cowper architect, of Ard-Rudah, Upper Macedon. Largely because of its proximity to the Law Courts, and the State and Common wealth legal offices, the building is occupied mainly by barristers and solicitors. Chancery House Pty. Ltd. which has direct control of most of the building has 15 tenants. But sub-tenancies bring the total number of firms occupying the building to considerably more. The tenancies will not be affected by the change in ownership. Mr Cowper founded the firm of Cow per, Murphy and Appleford, architects, and designed the building. CONFIDENCE IN FUTUREThe manager of the City Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd. for Victoria and Tasmania (Mr J. A. Thomson) said to day that his society had bought the property as an investment. This transaction indicated the society's confidence in the future of city real estate. The sale was made by Fears and Richardson, of National Bank Chambers, 273 Collins Street.1944GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF SUPPLY & SHIPPING.DIRECTORATE OF SUPPLY, Chancery House, 485 Bourke st., MELBOURNE___________________________
Location of originals:
\\mcc\groups\comserv\Melbourne Library Service\Community Heritage\Spydus\Butler collection\Butler13311.tif
Record types:
Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
752159
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Butler13311 | 59.6 MB ; 3672 x 5644 px | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |