Stevenson and Sons factory, 17-19 O'Connell Street, North Melbourne
Butler, Graeme16 Jan 1985
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Title:
Stevenson and Sons factory, 17-19 O'Connell Street, North Melbourne
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Date of work:
16 Jan 1985
Reference number:
BIF-NORTH 106690 1
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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, CONSERVATION STUDY FOR THE CITY OF MELBOURNE OF NORTH AND WEST MELBOURNEGrading at at 1985 : APeriod : Mid Victorian 1889Grantee : W Cormack 1864History- This former warehouse was built in 1889 by the firm of L Stevenson and Sons and occupied by various employees of the business, such as Robert Smith, manager Geo Brind, a warehouseman and Robert Johnson, a secretary.The biographies written at the time of George Stevenson eulogise about his career as a pioneering merchant of Melbourne [The Argus 15 October 1907, p 5] especially of Flinders Lane, a man who was .... 'the keystone of our commerce" [Australian Representative Men Vol 2]. The firm had a warehouse in Hobart as early as 1827 and a Melbourne Branch was opened in Queen Street during 1853. Their main establishment was built later in Flinders Lane, a huge elaborate warehouse fitted with all the latest safety features and conveniences. [Victoria and its Metropolis vol IIB p 576] (This building was destroyed by fire at the turn of the 20th Century) [Australian Storekeepers Journal 31 October 1907 p 31] As well as importing soft goods, Stevenson's introduced the manufacture of ready made clothing for the working man, thus claimed to have made Victoria self sufficient. [Australian Representative Men Vol 2]George Stevenson, the owner at the time of the North Melbourne warehouse was built was a pillar of society, He was a President of Chamber of Commerce in 1872, a Vice President of the Free Trade League and a Trustee of the Melbourne Savings Bank [Australian Representative Men Vol 2]The building is the only known surviving building constructed by a firm that pioneered commerce and industry in Victoria.Description- Associated with a brick building at 15 O'Connell Street, this basalt masonry warehouse rises to four levels as a façade, but is built in stone for only two levels, at the side walls. Similarly, the architraves, quoining and storey heights differ between these two parts : the lower two levels appearing to be from the 1870s. Documentation has not revealed the stages of construction beyond what is thought to be construction date of 1889.Twin cement pediments are placed at the parapet, over a generally dressed masonry with rock face quoins at corners and openings (upper levels) and carved architraves, keystones and mask-keystones, plus carved rock face quoining and rustication at the base level. String moulds separate the storeys.Integrity - General1y original except the unfortunate enlarging of the entrance for 2/3 its height.Streetscape - What appears to be one of the older parts of an industrial streetscape which extends to Peel Street (37-41), and ;s reinforced on the opposite side of O'Connell Street by 62-6, three old row houses.Architecturally, an impressively scaled basalt structure with strong detailing evocative of its industrial use; one of the smaller number of basalt warehouses surviving in the metropolitan area and one of the few original examples outside the Melbourne CBD, albeit in two stages. The detailing of the lower two levels is finely executed : of state importance. Historically, the only known building by the prominent merchant firm, L Stevenson in Victoria : of high regional importance.Recommendations –Repaint trim in original or typical colours;consider re-establishing entranceReferences:(RB= Rate book; D= Melbourne or Victoria Directory)1. RB 1889-90, 244; RB 1895-96, 246;2. The Argus 15/10/ 1907, p.5;3. Australian Representative Men Vol. 2;4 V&M Vol IIB, p576;5 Australian Storekeepers Journal 31/10/1907 p31;6 Australian Representative Men Vol. 27 ibid.___________________________Note 2025: converted to residential
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1623537
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 106990 | 1 PDF : 793 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |