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Muir's shop and residence, 2 Arden Street, 55 Courtney Street, North Melbourne

Butler, Graeme16/01/1985
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Title:
Muir's shop and residence, 2 Arden Street, 55 Courtney Street, North Melbourne
Date of work:
16/01/1985
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 102209
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
Access restrictions:
UnrestrictedOpen access.
Use restrictions:
UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
General notes:
DERIVED FROM GRAEME BUTLER 1983, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading as at 1985 : CPeriod : Mid Victorian (1878-79)Grantee : B Champion 1875History- Grocers, William and James Muir, had this former shop and residence built in 1878-9 and conducted their business there until the early 1890s, when William Kerr, also a grocer, replaced them.Description- A two-level, stuccoed brick and parapetted former shop and residence with stucco opening architraves, a simple string and cornice moulding and bracketted window sills. The building is built to the two major street alignments of its coffin-shaped site.Integrity - The lower level presumed shop fronts or show windows and openings generally have been replaced or altered with some sympathy to the upper fenestration pattern,Streetscape - A major element commencing the Courtney Street residential precinct, and a row of early buildings in Arden Street (4-8), as an elevated cornerbuilding made prominent by the five-way intersection and its uphill aspect within it.Significance- Architecturally, a typically conservative and incomplete design in the Italian Renaissance idiom, but fulfils a major streetscape role: of high local importance.Historically, a typically sited former corner grocery which lacks its presumed former retail characteristics (show windows) and hence its identity within its past role: of local interest.___________________________RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE):1877A tender was accepted by the Public Works Department on Thursday last from Mr James Muir to remove old buildings with repairs to to the quarters of Chief Harbour Master at Williamstown for £1 175 ..1887An old woman named Mary Grainger was found dead shortly after 7 o'clock on Wednesday in a miserable 'hovel, situated in Hotham place, off Courtney street, North Melbourne. A man named William Muir, a grocer who lives in the neighbourhood, discovered the dead woman. Deceased was about 70 years of age, and the place she lived in- had been condemned by the Local Board of Health as unfit for human habitation. The woman could not, however, be got to leave the hovel and she would have been forciblyejected if she had lived. ...Decease was very eccentric in her habits, and kept a number of dogs about her. Therefore the state of the old tenement where she resided can be well imagined. She never did any work, and .was supposed to have a small income which enabled her to support herself. Of this, however, nothing is known for certain; and the police are now making enquiries with a view to ascertain whether deceased possessed property of any description..1897https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241119725PHARMACY PROSECUTION.CASE DISMISSED.At the North Melbourne Court this morning William Muir, grocer, 331 Victoria street, was charged on the Information of Harry William Shillinglaw, with selling poison, to wit, an admixture called "pink pills," contrary to section 4 of the Poison Act. Mr C. J. Barrow appeared for the informant and Mr Glllott for the defendant. Harry William Shillinglaw registrar, to the Pharmacy Board of Victoria, deposed that the defendant was not licensed to sell poison, and that his name was not in the Medical Registrar. Ernest Seccombe deposed to purchasing a box of the pills, he handed the pills to Mr Blackett for the purpose of analysis...Mr Gillott, and dismissed the case..1898COLONIAL WINE LICENSES.William Muir applied for a colonial wine license for premises in Victoria-street, West Melbourne....objections lodged.....1899https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241243181BROTHERS-IN-LAWENGAGED AT LAW,THE GREATHEAD CASE.George Greathead, a son of the late Mr Greathead, of "Greathead's mixture" fame, appeared In the City Court to-day to answer a charge of embezzlement ....William Muir, wine and spirit merchant. Of Courtney and Arden streets, North Melbourne, said that he cashed for accused a cheque of Burns Bros, for L3 8s 4d on either 29th or 31st October. This closed the case for the prosecution.
Record types:
Images, maps and artefacts
Record number:
1347093
TypeReference No.ExtentStatus/Desc
Original1022091 PDF : 660 KB ; A4Single Item (May not be issued, may not be reproduced)
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