Lawrence house, later Bank of New South Wales, 373-375 Queen Street & 207-213 Franklin Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Lawrence house, later Bank of New South Wales, 373-375 Queen Street & 207-213 Franklin Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 108086
Level of description:
Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
Type of materials:
Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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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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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________IMAGE: https://flic.kr/p/2nr4phxDATE: 1860-?; 1930 bank renovation;ASSOCIATIONS: Lawrence, James 1860-; Bank of New South Wales 1930; Frank Vial 1930;DESIGNER: Lawrence, James 1860-?; Godfrey & Spowers 1930;BUILDERS: Lawrence, James 1860-; R H McDonald 1930.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0090https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/794Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?The Bank of New South Wales at 375 Queen Street appears to date from around 1860. It was built by James Lawrence, a stonemason, as his own residence. It consists of a bluestone ground floor with sandstone first floor. It is likely that the mixed use of sandstone and basalt together with the apparent filling-in of previously larger window openings in the ground floor basalt section using sandstone indicates that the building was originally constructed as a single storey structure and extended at a later date. MMBW maps from 1895 indicate the building as a two storey one at that time. The building features sophisticated mouldings defining the ground floor window openings, which consist of one round arch together with four stilted segmental arches. The first floor window recesses replicate the ground floor window openings.How is it significant?The Bank of New South Wales is of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?The Bank of New South Wales is of historical significance as a very rare example of a mid-19th century house in the CBD. It serves as a reminder of the form and character of the city’s early development, when residential and commercial properties shared the city’s central space, indeed when many people worked from their homes. Its apparently staged construction reflects the usually limited means of most small-scale owner-builders, who often added to their original structures when their resources permitted.The Bank of New South Wales is of architectural significance as a rare example of a mid-19th century residential building constructed by an owner-builder. The fine quality of the building is a testament to the skills of many 19th century tradesmen. The unusual combination of stone and unconventional use of motifs – ranging from Doric to Romanesque – give the building a distinctive architectural character. It has the simple character of early colonial building, before the effects of the gold rushes on Melbourne’s architecture were truly felt..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 81, page 39.Yuncken Freeman Architects P/L 1976..Historic Buildings Preservation Council Melbourne CBD Study Area 5, source 81,82Bank of New South Wales375 Queen StreetC. 1860James Lawrence - Stone. Masonvacant (Present)bluestone and sandstonereasonably intact, deterioration in stonework.Built as a private residence.Of no historical significance.Registration recommended* Report incomplete - final report to be forwarded at early date..GENERAL STATEMENTThis building is entered in the M.R.B. for 1864 as a "stone residence" owner "James Lawrence". This building has up till the present time been doubted by many to be of that period. However it is interesting to note that Schoenfeldt's etching of Melbourne done in 1867, would appear to show a single storey building on the site - conforming to the general plan of the existing residence.The idea that the upper floor was added on at a later date would explain this apparent inconsistency and further explain the unusual use of markedly different features from ground floor to first floor. This obviously extends to the explanation of bluestone and sandstone being mixed and the apparent half 'bricking up' of the lower floor windows together with the simple cornice mould at ceiling level of the first floor. The MMBW maps of 1895 are consistent with the plan of of the buildings today.As stated above, further investigations are at present being conducted into this building which has an important ministry to the scale of the street intersection it abounds..DE GRUCHY & LEIGH, 1866. ISOMETRICAL PLAN OF MELBOURNE AND SUBURBS IN 1866shown as a vacant site at corner next to one storey house pair facing Franklin St with hipped roof forms.MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIESSeries 2, Map 11A1923- 375 shown as 2 storey masonry `Board and Residence' yard entered from Franklin St, adjoining F Vial & Sons Belting Manuf., 2 storeys cnr A'beckett St.STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA1871 Cooke panorama shows two storey building at this site1882 Cooke panorama shows two storey building at this site.1880 Calvert panorama similar..LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Lawrence Records71380 Lawrence, James Melbourne VIC Houses Lawrence, James - Queen St 1875 10 22 6525, MCC registration no 6525 [Burchett Index]. Fee 1.15.0 house, Franklin near cnr Franklin & Queen (this site?)71495 Lawrence, James - Queen St north Melbourne VIC Houses Lawrence, James 1860 06 22 367, MCC registration no 367 [Burchett Index]. Fee 8.0.0, four houses, Queen - north - opp. Old Cemetery (Old Cemetery was on the land that Queen Victoria upper Market is now built on. (L.S.))71496 Lawrence, James - Queen St nth Melbourne VIC Houses Lawrence, James 1860 11 24 664, MCC registration no 664 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.0.0 house, Queen - north - Victoria Buildings72858 Lawrence, James - Queen St Melbourne VIC Houses; Shops Lawrence, James 1860 04 10 226, MCC registration no 226 [Burchett Index]. Fee 2.10.0 shop & dwelling, Queen - opp. Old Cemetery (Old Cemetery was on the land that Queen Victoria upper Market is now built on. (L.S.))Vial71588 Cowper, C A; Vial, Frank Melbourne VIC Factories Chaplin, H N - 157 Wellington St Kew 1911 01 31 2416, MCC registration no 2416 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.10.0brick factory, Queen near cnr Queen & A'Beckett.CITY OF MELBOURNE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONSIndex card1930 Sep 12576 ₤1050 alts to building- owner Frank Vial, architect Godfrey & Spowers, builder R H McDonald - carried out by Jan 1931- alterations and general repairs for banking chamber, creating a new private entrance and strong room, new fittings such as fireplaces, bathroom, wc and stove areas. Removal of gaslight fittings and brass picture rods, 28 new air bricks into walls. New door furniture, skirtings, refit sash chords, removal of servants stair, refinish banking chamber. Repainting and papering internally. Norris & Co electricians- occupation of chamber and manager's room by 16th Oct 1930. (see images)etc1979 $30,000 renovations and alterations1992 change of use office to restaurant.VICTORIAN HERITAGE INVENTORY H7822-2038https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/9951Private house built for James Lawrence (stonemason) c.1860. Fabric of this building apparently retained/incorporated into new 2 storey building constructed prior to 1895. 1880 Panorama shows (large) building on this site.1905 - used as 'Board & Residence'.NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/65419An early commercial building, interestingly accommodated on an irregular site, elegantly and unusually combining dressed sandstone with both dressed and undressed bluestone, exhibiting great precision of workmanship and high finish as in the cut stone cornice and the keyed lintels over the openings, but making the most unconventional use of motifs ranging from Doric to Romanesque including triglyphs and guttae, both round and segmental arches and nail-head bosses.Classified: 10/3/1966Re-classified:3/8/1998..HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSA two-storey residence built in c. 1864 for James Lawrence, a stonemason. It is one of the few 19th century residential buildings left in this part of the city and is notable for its fine bluestone and' freestone masonry construction..NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1869https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188572202A BUILDERS' AND CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION.An influential meeting of builders and contractors was held on Wednesday evening, at Grimwood's Hotel, Elizabeth-street, for the purpose of forming an association for their mutual benefit and protection. There were about thirty gentlemen present, by whom Mr James Lawrence was called to the chair. The only business transacted was the appointing a committee, connoting of Messrs Amess, Cain, Cunningham, Mitchell, Ireland, Martin and Pigdon, to draw up a code of rates for the guidance of the association.1885https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/138101603MR. FRANK VIAL. Mr. Frank Vial, of Macaulay-road, Hotham, contributes to the exhibition a large and valuable collection of interesting articles, representing his special manufactures. Mr. Vial's specialty is machine belt making, and the samples sent from his extensive factory will, no doubt, attract general attention during the show. The samples of belting which have gained distinction at recent exhibitions are his "universal leather belt," link belting, and leather buckets. The belt lubricant is also represented, which is claimed to add to the durability and driving power of machine belts. Both the leather and the various articles shown are the manufacture of the exhibitor, and the workmanship is worthy of special commendation1920Frank Vial & Sons Pty., Ltd., manufacturers and importers. — Registered Company 24th August. Regd. Olticv, 369 Queen-st., Melbourne. Capital, £50,0001929Belting, leather, cotton.….Frank Vial and Sons Ptv Ltd . 369 Queen st…1938LATHES, all new, 6ln x 6ft 6.1/2ln x 8ft, 8.1/2 in x 10ft , also smaller sizes Frank Vial and Sons Ptv Ltd . 369 Queen st…1953Illawarra Daily Mercury (Wollongong, NSW : 1950 - 1954)Thursday 24 December 1953 - Page 1https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134000803MELBOURNE, Wed.—In a daring daylight robbery, armed bandits held up employees of the Bank of New South Wales at Victoria Market this afternoon and escaped with at least £2,000. They dashed from the bank to a black sedan, which had been waiting with an accomplice at the wheel. The Branch of the Bank held-up today is a small office in the wholesale ware house of H. M.' Wade and Co. Pty. Ltd., near the corner of Queen and Franklin Sts., City.An employee said one bandit swept several bundles of notes from the counter, stacked them together, pulled other bundles from a drawer and found two loaded revolvers. The bandit slipped one of the revolvers into his pocket and passed the other to the man with the rifle. As one of the gunmen fled from the office, he dropped a bundle of notes worth about £100.'…My clearest recollections are that one gunman had a heavy growth — at least five or six days — of beard. Another who was masked, was wearing a red beret.’Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954)Thursday 24 December 1953 - Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61115453MELBOURNE HOLD-UP YIELDED £2000MELBOURNE-In a daring robbery three armed bandits held up employees of the Bank of New South Wales at Victoria Market yesterday afternoon and escaped with at least £2000.They dashed from the bank to a black sedan which had been waiting with an accomplice at the wheel. The branch of the bank is a small office in the wholesale warehouse of H. M. Wade and Co. Pty. Ltd. (fruit merchant), near the corner of Queen and Franklin Sts. At 1 p.m. when the gunmen made their raid, the only people in the office were the teller. Mr. Colin Downes, of Bowen St., Oakleigh, Mr. Brian Hurnall. a young bank employee, Mr. E. Hyman, who has a store near the office, and Mr Burdie Elliott, of Pigdon St., Carlton. Mr. Elliott, who is about 70, had just paid in several hundreds of pounds for Silk Bros. Pty. Ltd. fruit merchants. Mr. Hyman was standing nearby waiting to deposit a cheque. He said later, "I got the shock of my life when I suddenly heard someone say 'this is a stick up.' "I glanced to my left and , saw a man standing there with a sawn-off rifle. He had it aimed steadily at the bank man and seemed to mean business. There was nothing any- one could do about it, because there were two other armed men nearby."Mr. Hyman said one bandit swept several bundles of notes from the counter, stacked them together, pulled other bundles from a drawer and found two loaded revolvers. The bandit slipped one of the revolvers into his pocket and passed the other to the man with the rifle. As one of the gunmen fled from the office he dropped a bundle of notes worth about £100.Wore Red Beret"My clearest recollections are that one gunman had a heavy growth-at least five or six days-of beard. Another, who was masked, was wearing a red beret."Wireless patrol men and detectives reached the bank within five minutes of the hold-up and all police cars were alerted in the metropolitan area to watch all city out- lets. Mr. Elliott, who suffered severe shock, was unable to give police a full account of the holdup. Yesterday's raid came as a "shock" to the public after assurances last week- end by the police that the recent series of armed hold- ups had been cleared up..DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1880James Lawrence, contractor1893375 Dr J M Rose1915(Frank Vial 369-373)375 Dr J M Rose1920375 Montgomery, Mrs MFranklin st1930(369-373 Vial, Frank, & Sons Pty Ltd, belt manfrs & machinery merchants)375 Mooney, Mrs May1935BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES375 (Markets Branch). Branch manager: F. W. L. Lindsay. Head Office: 368-74 Collins-st, Melb., C.1.Franklin st1942375 Bank of New South Wales375 Marsden, JnoFranklin st.
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Research and reports
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1261348
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 108086 | 1 PDF : 1,255 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |