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Sterry's shops and residences, 1-11 Errol Street, North Melbourne

Butler, Graeme15 Jan 1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

15 Jan 1985

Reference number:

BIF-NORTH 103392 103393 103394 103395 103396

Level of description:

Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)

Type of materials:

Graphic materialsTextual material

Part of:

Series: North Melbourne and West Melbourne (BIF-NORTH)

Access restrictions:

UnrestrictedOpen access.

Use restrictions:

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

General notes:

GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading A as at 1985Period : Early Victorian (1871)Grantee : A Russell 1852History- Alfred Sterry, a blindmaker whose firm was established in Russell Street, was the first owner of these shops and former hotel in 1872. In 1881 the buildings were sold at auction under the title of The Colonade [The Argus 19 March 1881, p3] and bought by Thomas Fogarty, the noted councillor and wine and spirit merchant. They stayed in his ownership until at least 1895.The shops appear to have been sought after as the occupants were often quite significant, well-established business firms who generally stayed for some time, e.g. William Kirkus, the auctioneer occupied a number of the shops from 1872-1885. William Leeming, the boot dealer, originally from Canning Street, leased several of the shops including 1 and 3, a double shop frontage from 1885 to 1895. Other lessees included William Barrow, an ironmonger (9 and 11 from 1885-1895), Alexander Brown, a grocer who occupied 5 from 1885 to 1895; and George and Sydney Arnold, auctioneers in 9 from 1890-1895. The Hotel was licensed to quite a number of different publicans such as Joseph Hind, John Hay, William Malone, William McKenzie and Hannah Blaskie.Description- Architect, John M Barry, designed these shops, two-storey stuccoed brick shops and residences in 1870. They have slated and hipped roofs, which is unusual for commercial premises, with bracketted eaves and dentil mould at the entablature. A corner splay in plan is offset in the roof line in a sophisticated manner. Impost architrave and string moulds link the upper arched openings, whilst cast-iron Corinthian iron columns, by Drysdale and Fraser of Melbourne, support deep masonry arches to each shopfront facing Errol Street and Errol Place. Timber-framed shopfronts were placed on high chamfered plinths, A Corporation iron street verandah exists on Errol Street and an original cantilever verandah on Errol Place.Integrity - Arched shoo fronts remain in whole or part only on 11, 9 Errol Street and facing Errol Place; paint colours vary from shop to shop and are intrusive at 1 Errol Street: the street verandah aoe presumably the chimney is missing at 1 Errol Street.Streetscape- A contributive and key element (corner) in the Errol Street commercial precinct.Significance - Architecturally. the work of a successful and prolific architect l of high architectural importance as an early commercial design which departs from the parapetted norm and skilfully utilises subtle mouldings and bold decorative devices (shop front arches). Although of intermediate integrity the presence of the verandah both unifies and conceals missing elements on the facade; the arched shopfronts being of great significance and restorable: of State importance.Historically, this was the most successful if not the oldest group of shops in the Errol Street area which was itself the commercial centre of North and West Melbourne and parts of Carlton. It contained some of the metropolis' more prominent retailers of the 1870s-1890s: of regional importance.RecommendationsRepaint in original colours;restore street verandah;restore shop fronts;remove over-verandah signs and brackets.References:(RB= Rate book; D= Melbourne or Victoria Directory)1. RB 1871-72. 228-22322. The Argus 19/3/81, p.33. RB 1885-86, 1781-1776; RB 1895-96, 1682-1677; RB 1885- 86, 1778; RB 1885-86, 1779; RB 1895-96, 1682. 1678; RB 1885-86. 1780; RB 1890-91, 1780; RB 1873-74. 1754; RB 1875-76, 1789; RB 1880-81, 1759; RB 1895-96. 1678

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