Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen Ltd warehouse later Royston House, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen Ltd warehouse later Royston House, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 103941
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2021:Period: VictorianConstruction date: 1898-1899ASSOCIATIONS: Sargood Butler Nichol Ewen Ltd;DESIGNERS: Sulman and Power (Sydney);BUILDER: Armstrong, Stephen - Malvern Rd Malvern..VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0627Statement of SignificanceWhat is significant?Ross House is the remaining section of an extensive six storey brick warehouse which extended from Flinders Street to Flinders Lane and which was erected in 1898-1900 for Melbourne importers Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen. Architects Sulman and Power of Sydney designed the brick structure in a form of the Romanesque style, dominated by giant brick arcades, metal oriel windows and surmounting parapet colonnade. The choice of the prestigious Sydney architectural firm of Sulman and Power was indicative of the company's desire to not only demonstrate their business status, but to engage an architect with experience in fire protection in multi-storey buildings. The Flinders Lane facade sits on a Harcourt granite plinth with sandstone piers rising to the first floor spandrel. Three brick piers with circular arches extend upwards to the fourth floor. The bowed cast iron window frames are recessed behind the wall line. It was believed that the bowed design of the windows maximised the penetration of natural light. The fourth floor spandrel supports polished stone columns interspersed with four caryatides carrying a large cornice over timber frame windows. Internally cast iron columns and steel girders support timber floors. Ross House, which was named Royston House in 1929 following its acquisition and conversion to offices by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, has been maintained intact externally, although the basement and ground floor to the Manchester Lane elevation were reconstructed with reinforced concrete in the 1930s.How is it significant?Ross House is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?Ross House is architecturally significant as a transitional and highly unusual design incorporating ideas from the American Romanesque style developed by HH Richardson in America. The massiveness of the plinth, the huge Romanesque brick arches and the overhanging cornice is offset by the delicacy of the metal oriel windows and the caryatides. Ross House also demonstrates early design concerns for specific fire prevention measures in multi-storey buildings, such as the sprinkler system and fireproof doors. The recessing of the oriel windows was a fire prevention measure adopted from England.Ross House is historically significant as evidence of the large commercial warehouses that once occupied the city around Princes Bridge, Flinders Street and Flinders Lane at the turn of the twentieth century..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites MURPHY ARCHITECTS, JOHN AND PHYLLIS 1976. HISTORIC BUILDINGS STUDY OF PART OF THE C.B.D. MELBOURNE : { AREA 1} WITH MURPHY, JOCK, FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL.MURPHY ARCHITECTS, JOHN AND PHYLLIS 1976. HISTORIC BUILDINGS STUDY OF PART OF THE C.B.D. MELBOURNE : { AREA 1} WITH MURPHY, JOCK, FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL7.12247-251 Flinders Lane -Royston House ..Construction Date 1898/9; Architect Sulman and Power (Sydney) Builder: Stephen ArmstrongOn May 29th, 1899, `…the palatial new premises erected by Messrs Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen Limited, on the site of their former establishment (which thegreat fire destroyed in November '97), were opened with all the eclat appropriate to such an epoch-making event in the history of this great Australian firm…The building, already known to everybody as a remarkable addition to the architecture of the metropolis, is a magnificent structure six stories in height, with a total length of 315 feet running right through from Flinders Street to Flinders Lane’. 1It is surprising to find that although the Flinders Street Warehouse has gone and in its place stands the S.E.C. building, the Flinders Lane Warehouse still exists and it is now called Royston House. The senior partner in this successful business was Senator the Honorable Lieutenant Colonel Sir Frederick Sargood, K.C.M.G., V.D., Territorial J.P., who was born in London in 1834 and migrated to Port Phillip in 1850. 2The opening of the new building was well publicized and it was reported that toasts of the builders and architects were proposed and honoured. In replying to the toast at the opening celebrations, Sir. F.T. Sargood said that the firm had endeavoured to get a building with plenty of light, which would suit their trade, and at the same time they were desirous of it being a credit to the city of Melbourne, and he thought they had fairly succeeded. (Hear, hear).They had had the building fitted up with drenchers and sprinklers, and he thought the risk of fire was now reduced to a minimum. As to the future, he believed that the colony had past through the worst times and that they were now distinctly on the upgrade (Hear, hear). He did not think that Victoria need have any fear as to the future.3Several early photographs of Flinders Street show the name Sargood Butler Nichol & Ewen in large letters beside the Port Phillip Club Hotel. The designs of the Flinders Street and Flinders Lane entrances were the same so Royston House can readily be identified as it has remained generally intact.1. 'The Traveller’, June 10 1899.2. Smith, James (ed), P 149. The Cyclopedia of Victoria, Vol. I,3. The Australian Storekeepers' Journal, June 1899, Pp 152-3.(submitted for consideration to be included in the Register of Historic Buildings).NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VIC)This is the remaining rear portion of a massive warehouse that extended through to Flinders Street. Built for the wholesale importer Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen Ltd. It was designed by the Sydney architects, Sulman and Power and built in 1898-99. It is a most important reminder of the large houses of commerce that occupied the city around Princes Bridge at the turn of the century.Classified: 06/06/1994.HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSThis is the remaining rear portion of a massive warehouse that extended through to F1inders Street. Bui1t for the wholesa1e importer Sargood, But1er, Nicho1 and Ewen Ltd it was designed by the Sydney architects, Sulman and Power, and built in 1898-99. It is a most important reminder of the large houses of commerce that occupied the city around Princes Bridge at the turn of the century ..Lewis, Miles and others (1994, 1995) Melbourne- the City's history and development:Lewis, 1994: 85`Hyndman & Bates's 'Flinders Building' in Flinders Street of 1890 (long demolished), though triangular gables at either end of the facade also recalled the British Queen Anne. It was to be another eight years before the style was taken any further in Melbourne, but it gained some currency in Sydney, and it is not surprising that it was the Sydney architects Sulman and Power who designed Royston House at 247-251 Flinders Lane, of 1898. This was essentially in a giant order red brick Romanesque mode, but with a window form derived explicitly from the English Queen Anne. Its distinctive characteristic is that the bay is recessed between the adjoining piers rather than projecting from the façade This form is first found in Norman Shaw's New ZealandChambers, London, of 1871, and the reason for it is that the fire regulations prohibited the projection of timberwork.The same motif was subsequently used elsewhere in Melbourne.'.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEXSargoodRecords75686 Sargood, F. J. - Great Bourke St Melbourne VIC Warehouses; alterations Sargood, F. J. 1852 09 29 32575705 Sargood, Frederick J - Flinders St Melbourne VIC Warehouses Sargood, Frederick J 1853 05 31 87875768 Sargood, F J Melbourne VIC Warehouses Frames, Clement - 114 Fitzroy St. Coll. 1857 12 8 104875789 Sargood, King & Sargood Melbourne VIC Warehouses Young, John - 43 Stephen (Exhibition) St 1863 04 2 12475811 Sargood & Son Melbourne VIC Warehouses Lockington, Harry - 48 Drummond St 1872 05 10 481475816 Sargood, F J Melbourne VIC Warehouses; alterations Mitchell, David 1873 12 2 568975849 Reed, Henderson & Smart; Sargood, Butler & Nichol Melbourne VIC Warehouses; alterations Butler, C - Morrah St Parkville 1886 01 12 193175876 Sulman & Power - Sydney; Sargood, Sir F Melbourne VIC Warehouses Armstrong, Stephen - Malvern Rd Malvern 1898 07 25 7252, MCC registration no 7252 [Burchett Index]. Fee 12.0.0 warehouse Flinders & Flinders Lane75895 Sargood, Sir F - Trustees Melbourne VIC alterations Smith, A - 23 Wilson St Moonee Ponds 1906 03 27 996175896 King, R M; Sargood, late Sir F - Trustees Melbourne VIC Shops Smith, H - 23 Wilson St Moonee Ponds 1906 03 31 9966.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)1897 FireThe Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)Monday 22 November 1897 - Page 5https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188144520https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/221141467.The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Tuesday 14 February 1899 - Page 5https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9536821ANOTHER FIRE IN FLINDERS- STREET.SARGOOD, BUTLER, NICHOL, AND EWEN'S NEW WAREHOUSE.INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED.THE WATER-MAIN QUESTION.Flinders-street was in flames again last night. About 8 o'clock the handsome ware- house which is being erected by Messrs. Sargood, Butler, Nichol, and Ewen to take the place of that destroyed in the great fire of 1897 was found to be burning, and for the next hour the whole force of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was devoted to preventing a repetition of the terrible destruction of 15 months ago. The outbreak was first noticed by Con- stable Frawley and Mr. Henry Langford, the proprietor of a tobacconist's and out- fitter's shop in the adjoining building. Both were standing on the footpath in front of the open space on the western side of the warehouse, now used as a contractor's yard, when they observed a small fire burning in the basement of the building. "If I could have got hold of a couple of buckets of water at that time it would have been out," said Frawley in relating the circumstance; but, unfortunately, he could find no water, and in a few seconds more the flames had reached the wooden fittings in the basement, and thence to the wooden flooring joists above. Meanwhile Mr. Langford had given the alarm at the Port Phillip Club Hotel, and Mr. Arthur Jacoby, the son of the licensee, promptly communicated with the fire brigade through the Exchange. At the same moment the fire alarm at Messrs. Chambers and Seymour's corner was broken by Mr. R. Rapley, the caretaker of Messrs. William Watson and Sons' ware- house in Flinders-lane, who had noticed the fire while standing with Mr. A. J. Henty, the caretaker of Messrs. Banks and Co.'s premises. According to the statement of both these witnesses, the fire was simply a small burning heap when they first noticed it, and in a few seconds it had arisen to about 30ft in height. Within five minutes after the alarms the brigade was on the spot, under the direction of Chief Officer Stein and Deputy Officer O'Brien, and a vigorous attack was made on the burning mass from the vacant land on the western side. By this time the fire had made its way along the openings of the arches in the western wall, and, though it spread very little laterally, it continued to mount upwards until by half-past 8, or a quarter of and hour after the alarm was given, there was a sold column of fire ex- tending from basement to parapet. The flames, of course, would have showed far more plainly had they been concentrated within the building, and, though the openings provided a draught for the fire, they also permitted the fire brigade to reach the scene of its greatest activity. The Hayes ladder was raised against the red mass, and from every height long white lines of water fell into the arches to lessen the glare with every second. While the centre of the fire was being faced and fought two flank at- tacks were in progress to prevent the escape of any fugitive sparks, and both the Flinders-street and the Flinders-lane frontage echoed with the engines hard at work. It was a few minutes past 9 o'clock when the fire was under control, and the occupants of the surrounding premises were satisfied that they would not be forced to drag their goods and chattels to the Cathedral grounds as they had done when the block went down before the flames. The brigade, how- ever, did not relinquish its work until close to midnight, by which time nothing but blackened beams above and a viscous mass below remained where the fire had raged.THE BUILDING.Unlike the old buildings of the firm mentioned, the new warehouse is neither rambling in plan nor diverse in architectural adornments. By a judicious ex- change of ground areas Messrs. Sargood Butler, Nichol, and Ewen have succeeded in gaining a solid, compact block, with 66ft. frontage to Flinders-street and extending 313ft. back to Flinders-lane, a complete rectangle. On this block has been erected a massive structure of brick with sandstone dressings, each frontage being broken up by three huge arches, which extend through the whole five floors to immediately below the deep cornice which crowns the building. The building is to be divided into two distinct warehouses by a partition wall at half its length, but this wall has reached only the height of the fifth floor, and the openings, which will be fitted with iron doors, are now spaces through which the fire could reach from front to back. The wall in its present condition is of little value in preventing the spread of fire, and the building is practically one huge apartment. The eastern boundary of the warehouse is composed of one solid, unbroken brick wall, while the western is interrupted only about 50ft. from Flinders-street, where there are three such arches as adorn the two frontages. It was along these arches in the western wall that last night's fire was practically concentrated. The roof is not yet on the build- ing, or the damage might have been far greater, for fire will travel along the small roof timbers with great rapidity. Another fortunate circumstance was that neither of the five floors was sheeted with flooring-boards, though the joists were all in readiness to receive them. The building is being erected by day labour under the direction of Mr. Stephen Armstrong, who receives a commission on the work. When completed it is estimated that the premises will cost no less the £50,000.THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.There is nothing whatever in the `post- mortem’ appearances of the place to give the slightest hint as to the cause of the out- break, and in the `remarks’ column of the fire report it is probable that the simple hackneyed expression, `Cause unknown,’ will be entered. But from several persons who were in the vicinity of the new ware- house information has been obtained which gives rather an ugly appearance to the conflagration. Mr. Langford, the occupant of the adjoining shop, was standing at his door shortly before 8 o'clock, when he noticed a man walk slowly along the pavement and look intently at each building.….DAMAGE AND INSURANCES.Mr. Henry Butler, one of the members of the firm on Messrs. Sargood, Butler, Nichol, and Ewen, estimates the damage done by last night's fire at not more than £500. Mr. Armstrong, the builder, endorses this estimate, though he says it is impossible to arrive at any definite opinion till this morning, when the place can be thoroughly inspected. About the close of last year, when the building began to rear its stately proportions, insurances were effected by Messrs. Sargood, Butler, Nichol. and Ewen in various offices through Messrs. John C. Lloyd and Co., insurance brokers, Queen-street, to the extent of £10,000, so that last nights fire will mean no loss to the owners..The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954)Monday 29 May 1899 - Page 4https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241864421A NEW WAREHOUSE. SARGOOD, BUTLER. NICHOL AND EWEN'S.INSPECTION TO-DAY. articlealso https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9514645
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 103941 | 1 PDF : 1,215 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |