45 Albert Street was built for Richard Buchan in 1870 by builder, Robert Spencer. The previous year Richard had married Catherine Martin. Both husband and wife came from Perth, Scotland. Their two daughters, Annie and Lily, were born at the house. The only clue to Mr Buchan’s occupation is a short ad in the Argus on 24 April 1886.

The Notice of Intention to Build describes the proposed building as a cottage however according to the Rate books the house started as seven rooms, grew to eight c.1880, then again to eleven c. 1885. It was owned by the Miers family until c.1880 when it was bought by Montague Cohen, a solicitor. The site is now a block of apartments.

A weatherboard villa was advertised for purchase and removal in 1919 after which the land remained vacant until 1934 when work commenced on the construction of Tunbridge Manor.

Possibly the house referred to in the Notice of Intention to Build as "an additional cottage" The house was built by Thomas Murray, who as a partner in the firm Murray & Hill built many of Melbourne's finest buildings including the Customs House and the Mint.

Thomas Murray was a contractor who with Peter Hill formed the firm Murray & Hill, contractors and joiners. They specialized in high grade work and amongst their achievements are the Customs House and the Mint in Melbourne. Murray was a prominent member of the Cairns Memorial Church and when the church needed enlarging in 1888 he supervised the work in a voluntary capacity.

Thomas Wright, who built and owned the houses was a contractor who built many houses in the East Melbourne area. He lived next door and had his workshop behind, on the site now known as 1 Contractors Lane. The houses were built as investment properties and were let. After his death the properties remained in the ownership of his wife at least until 1890.

These two blocks of apartments were designed by architect Leslie J W Reed for sisters Hylda and Sophie Grattan. They were the daughters of William Grattan, a grazier who died in 1917. Their mother, Kathleen died in 1935.

'Joe' Thompson was a bookmaker and in 1873 he was also the owner of a horse named Don Juan (bought for £50 at Kirk's bazaar) who won the Melbourne Cup that year. Thompson used the proceeds of his winnings to build this house, which he named Don Juan House. The house was said to have cost £20,000.

340 Albert Street was built as a family home for Abraham Goldberg while its neighbour, 342, was an investment property, probably leased as a lodging house. Between 1881 and 1891 Mrs Muir ran the East Melbourne School at 342.

To come.

This pair of houses, together known as Fairmount, were built in 1874 for James Garton, livery stables proprietor, by Robert Huckson to the design of architect George Browne.  

This house was built for Mrs Ellen d’Arcy Harvie by Peter Reid and completed in 1890. It was named Koolkuna.  Mrs Harvie was the daughter of Thomas Lang, a Ballarat seedsman.  In 1865 she had married William Harvie, also a Ballarat seedsman. In 1882 William died and Ellen was left as provider for her four children.

"Cotswold was built in 1891 by W. Parks, Contractor, and Philip E. Treeby, Architect, for a sport minded country doctor who wished to have a town house near the Melbourne Cricket Ground. At that time, the front door was facing the street in the traditional manner, and opened onto a tiled hallway, with the staircase around the corner to the left, in the space now fitted out for drinks and music.

In 1868 the Church of England completed its first East Melbourne vicarage on land granted to it on the south side of Hotham Street, near Hoddle Street, one half acre in all. Today its address would be 21-25 Hotham Street, which address now holds two blocks of apartments. The vicarage was built on the western half of the block leaving the rest as garden.

23 Clarendon Street, known as Holcombe, was built for William Henry Hull in 1855 to the design of John Gill.  Gill advertised for tenders in December 1854. 

The house was built in 1912 for Charles Tait by builders, Morley & Whelan, to the design of architects, Klingender & Alsop. Table Talk gave a glowing account of its features: A new house which is being built in East Melbourne is causing quite a lot of comment because, apparently, it has no chimneys, and has such lovely balconies and verandahs.

Fitzroy Terrace, was a row of six three-storey terrace houses. Three were built in 1855 for Samuel Ramsden. Then in 1864 Ramsden lodged a notice of intention to build a further four houses. The fourth house appears to have been the neighbouring Verona which was Ramsden's family home until its sale in 1887 following his death in 1877.

Belmont was built in 1873 for William Taylor, auctioneer, who lived there for thirty years. He died in 1903 leaving the house to his wife until her death. In later years it became an annexe to the Freemasons' Hospital, but was eventually demolished to create parking space.

The house is believed to be the first built in East Melbourne after the first Crown land sales of 1852 opened the suburb up to the public. It was built for Henry Cooke and was described in the 1854 Rate Books as a wooden house of 12 rooms plus a kitchen and stables, etc.

Clarendon Terrace was built in 1857 by Robert Huckson, to the design of Osgood Pritchard for Charles Lister, wine and spirit merchant and brewer. Additions were made in 1874 by James Billings for Henry Marks. Late in 1973 the then owners applied to develop the site.

The house at 226 Clarendon Street was designed by H W & F B Tompkins in 1911 for Margaret Ethel Leslie (nee Stephenson) and built by W H Bullows. 

The terrace was built house by house over a number of years, presumably as the owner's finances grew. The first two houses to be built were Nos. 8 and 10, and the last was No. 2, which became the owner's own house.

George William Paterson sold his four room cottage very soon after its completion to Andrew Bell who added another room. Bell lived there until at least 1900.