William Comely house, later Dr. William Maloney residence, 407 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne
Graeme Butler and AssociatesJuly 1991
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Title:
William Comely house, later Dr. William Maloney residence, 407 Dryburgh Street, North Melbourne
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Date of work:
July 1991
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 102840
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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GRAEME BUTLER 1983, 1991 CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading as at 1983, 1991 : B2Period : Mid Victorian 1884Grantee : J Laurens 1865History- It is possible that William Comely, a building contractor, built this house for himself in 1884. In 1895, he was still the owner, but he occupied the house only until 1885, after which it was leased to such people, Walter Boyes, a miller, and in 1895, to Dr William Maloney, M.L.A. , a surgeon.Dr William Maloney was born in Roden Street, West Melbourne in 1854 [Cyclopedia of Victoria Vol 1 p 163] and received his early education at Mattingley's School. [Who's Who 1935 p 319] After some years in the Colonial Bank and trying his hand at land selection, he gained the necessary qualifications to study medicine. After some 8 years practising at several London Hospitals, he returned to Victoria, where he became a surgeon to a railway construction company at Albany. By 1888 he was again practising in Roden Street [Cyclopedia of Victoria op cit] and in 1889 he was elected as M.L.A. for West Melbourne. He resigned in 1903 to become the M.H.R. for Melbourne in 1904, a position he was still holding in 1925.[Who's Who 1935 op cit] He was considered to be a democrat and his interests show his concern with social and humanitarian issues, e.g. he was interested in reform of the Upper House, Women's Suffrage, the treatment of children. He was a member of the Factories Board in 1892, president of the Tramway Employees and a member of the Habitual Drunkards Board of Inquiry - 1898. [Cyclopedia of Victoria op cit]Description- A two storey, stuccoed brick and parapetted house with a two level cast iron verandah and iron picket fence. Parapet decoration includes a rectangular entablature, with anthemion motif centrally placed, flanking piers and a dentillated and bracketted cornice below. The cast iron is panelled, with fringes, and brackets and the terrace possesses an arched window, overlooking Canning Street, with coloured glazed borders. The lower level possesses a bayed window and an impost moulding, the lights themselves being deep.Integrity- Generally original except for colours and the loss of urns from the parapet.Streetscape - Part of a fine row of houses (407-413) which is in turn part of the Dryburgh Street north residential precinct.Significance- Architecturally, it is a successful design within a well used vernacular which is near to original , of regional importance. Historically, briefly the home of one of the State's more prominent medical practitioners and parliamentarians and generally leased by other locally important figures in industry, of regional importance..Recommendations -Repaint in original or typical colours;replace parapet urns:use ogee gutters..References:(RB= Rate book; D= Melbourne or Victoria Directory; C. Of V. = Cyclopedia of Victoria)1. RB 1884-85, 3275; RB 1885-86 , 3299, RB 1894-95, 3462; RB 1895-962. C. of V. Vol.1 p.1633. D 1891 -924. Who's Who 1935, p.3195. C. ot V. Op , cit.6. Who's Who 1935, op. cit.7. C. of V. Op. cit.___________________________The Cyclopedia of Victoria, 1903-1905Vol1, p163 Maloneyhttps://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/60665/images/44420_b214335-00176`Dr. WILLIAM MALONEY, Member of the Legislative Assembly for the West Melbourne district, was born in 1854, and received his early education in the colony. He was for some years in the Colonial Bank of Australia, but left its service to take up a selection in the Brandy Creek district, in Gippsland. He subsequently returned to the bank for a time, and utilised his leisure by studying in Messrs. Ball and Batten's evening classes to pass the matriculation examination, having attained this object, he determined to enter (he medical profession, and in 1880 went to London, and joined St. Mary's Hospital, and, after obtaining his diploma as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, he then won by a competition the post of resident obstetric officer to St. Mary's Hospital, and afterwards held the post of resident house surgeon of the Lock Hospital, Dean Street, Lon-don, and further studied in France and Germany. On the 6th Of August, 1877 he left London in charge of emigrants to Western Australia and arrived in Melbourne the following October from Tasmania. He then returned •to Albany, having accepted the post Of surgeon to the railway works in course of construction by Messrs. C. and E. Millar, and was successful in making a remunerative practice there. He returned Melbourne on Good Friday, 1888, and commenced practising in the street in which he was born. While in England, Mr. Maloney discovered a new invention in decorative art, and obtained congratulatory letters from the two greatest authorities in the world on art decoration, namely; J. Ruskin and August Racinet. Dr. Maloney was elected to a seat in the Legislative Assembly in 1889, which he has since retained. He may fairly be considered one of Victoria's democratic leaders, . and has devoted close attention to the Upper House reform, the extension to women of Parliamentary privileges under the Women's Suffrage Bill, un- improved land values taxation, the legal nursing of children, legitimation of children. Espouses the cause of the employee; was a member of the Factories 130+rd in 1892, president, of the Tram way Employees, and a member of the Habitual Drunkards Board of Inquiry in 1898. ' (illust.)___________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEXComely as builder:71276 Barnet, Nahum; Cameron, W & Co Melbourne VIC Factories Comely & Guillam - Premm Building 1890 03 18 437174636 Pitt, W; McCaughan, P R Melbourne VIC Warehouses Comely & Gwillam - Collins St 1890 06 25 4512___________________________NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1888North Melbourne Advertiser (Vic. : 1873 - 1894)Saturday 9 June 1888 - Page 2https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66149485NORTH MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF ART.The above institution held its annual exhibition and distribution of prizes in the North Melbourne town hall on Monday evening. The drawings and models exhibited showed considerable talent on the part of the young people who have evidently progressed under the tuition given at the school on Monday evenings. There was a large audience present, who passed very friendly criticisms on the drawings, and appeared greatly to enjoy the concert which followed. Mr. W. Comely president, occupied the chair, and on the platform were-Mr. Laurens M.L.A., Mr. Frazer secretary, and Mr. Burt Commissioner of tile Technological Commission, Mr. Duguid, M'Calman, Hardess, and other well known gentlemen….
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 102840 | 1 PDF : 1068 KB ; A4 | Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |