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Reid House, 341-347 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Butler, Graeme1985

Record details

Title:

Creator:

Butler, Graeme (Name details)

Date of work:

1985

Reference number:

BIF-CITY 103951

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 2021:Style: Neo-RenaissancePeriod: EdwardianDATE: 1909;ASSOCIATIONS: Reid, Robert &Co.;DESIGNER: Bates Peebles & Smart;BUILDER: Langford, ClementsIMAGE: https://flic.kr/p/2m7xW8M.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceHistory(Refer 334-40 Flinders Street)As the rear end of Reid House (334-40 Flinders Street), this building was erected in 1908-9 by Clements Langford to the design of Bates Peebles & Smart. Warehousemen, Robert Reid & Co. Ltd. were the owner-occupiers.More recently the building was Reid House, the home of Reid Murray Acceptance group, financiers, with Robert Reid & Co. at the back in the Flinders Lane building, but by the 1970s, the Reid name had disappeared from all but the building. The Flinders Lane address had served as the tenants' address since World War Two, holding in the 1970s an assortment of agents and small manufacturers, particularly in the rag trade. The importing firm, Joseph Pickles & Co. was an earlier long term tenant.DescriptionLike the Stevenson & Sons, Flinders Lane warehouses of ten years before, these five-storey facades possess an austere Modern Renaissance revival facade with large window areas, set between rusticated (giant Order) pilasters, as near continuous strips rather than the norm of `punched' hole fenestration. Consequently, the cornice line is the only dominant horizontal but with a plain entablature. Reputedly marble dados, to lift lobbies at the Flinders Lane entry (later renovation), and panelled and corniced plaster ceilings, survive inside.External IntegrityGenerally original, except for ground level details. The stucco survives unpainted, some window joinery removed on Flinders Street elevation (?).StreetscapePart of a valuable warehouse streetscape.SignificanceA large and near intact design which, although it appears to be a conservative concept, possesses some characteristics of its era (large window areas, rationalized strip fenestration), also associated with reputedly one of the foremost importers of the pre-Second War period..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS 953, source 80.MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVESDigital Resource: https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=105390 c1908-12Building was designed by Bales, Peebles & Smart Architects. Located at 334-340 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Building was occupied by Robert Reid & Co. Ltd. Built by master builders, Clements Langford Pty. Ltd in 1908. The company was originally established as Langford's small Richmond business around 1881. It became incorporated in 1923 and grew into one of Melbourne's largest building firms.Inscription: Name, date and architect of building written in white beneath the photograph.Previous Control Number: UMA/I/2397Previous Control Number: OSBA/117.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)Originally extending as one building through to Flinders Street, this five storey iron-framed rendered brick building was built in 1901 for Robert Reid and Co as a warehouse and showroom. It was designed by Bates Peebles and Smart. This building is one of a number constructed early this century in Flinders Lane for import merchants and agents. It is a critical element of the historic nature of the precinct.Classified: 06/06/1994.HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSOriginally extending as one building through to Flinders Street, this five storey iron-framed rendered brick building was built in 1909 for Robert Reid and Co as a warehouse and showroom. It was designed by Bates Peebles and Smart. This building is one of a number constructed early this century in Flinders Lane for import merchants and agents. It is a critical element of the historic nature of the precinct..DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1920REID, ROBERT, & Co Ltd341-347 Importers, warehousemen & manufacturers,& Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, London.1942341-347 REID HOUSE-341 Pickles. Jos., & Son, warehousemen341-347 Davidson, A. G., manufacturers' agent341 Mado Hats Pty Ltd. milliners341 Hooper & Harrison (Viet) Pty Ltd, woollenwrehsmn341 Bailey, H. E., & Co, mnfrs' agentsCOLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE (AUST)PTY LTD Tel M 5075 (2 lines)347 Gramophone Records & His Master's Voice Radio Distributors341-47 Reid, Robt., & Co Ltd, wrehsemn

Names:

City of Melbourne

Topics:

Central Activities District Conservation Study 1985Conservation studiesNeo-Renaissance styleFederation/Edwardian styleNotable Building Citations (Melbourne Planning Scheme)

Places:

Melbourne (Vic.)

Form/Genre:

Building Identification Forms (BIFs)

Record types:

Research and reports

Record number:

1209095