East Melbourne, Albert Street 268, Woollahra
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Large free-standing house.
'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.
When Thompson sold to move to England in 1888 the auction notice stated that it contained,'on the ground floor magnificent hall, with Minton tiles, drawing room, fitted with statuary, marble mantelpieces and gilt chandeliers, dining room, breakfast room' but the description gives no hint of 'the library lined with carved oak bookcases, which were filled with beautifully bound volumes of "Bow Bells"' which was reported elsewhere, or the ballroom built specially to provide entertainment for a visiting belle in March 1888, just before the sale [1].
The next owner was George W. Staples who bought the property for £11,000 and filled it with furniture and artworks bought at the 1888 exhibition [2]. The house was renamed Willyama. Staples, too, sold up and moved to London. This time the auction notice confirmed the existence of a library and ballroom [3].
Charles Campbell was the next owner. In 1871 Charles Campbell and James Mixner had built a pair of houses on the next door block, Nos. 260 and 262. Campbell lived in No. 260 which he called Wollahra. In 1898 he moved to No. 268 and brought his old house's name with him. No. 268 became known as Wollahra. Charles Campbell died in 1905, leaving an estate of about £230,000. The house was valued for probate at £4,650. His widow continued to live there for a few more years, but spent her final months at The Grand (Windsor) Hotel, Spring Street, dying there in 1911.
The house was then sold to the Presbyterian Ladies College next door on the western side. It was given its final name, Woollahra, and used as a boarding house until the school moved to Burwood in 1958. It was demolished, along with the original PLC building, in 1966 to make way for Dallas Brooks Hall.
1874-1888: Joseph Thompson, bookmaker
1888-1898: George W. Staples, stockbroker
1898-1911: Charles Campbell, merchant and station proprietor, and wife Mary Helen. 'Mr. Campbell came to Victoria in 1S58 from his native place, Aberdeen, Scotland. He subsequently went to New Zealand.; but, returning to Victoria, settled in business. He founded the firm of Cuming, Smith, and Co. and was its chairman-of directors at the time of his death. He was also instrumental in establishing the Royal Bank, of which he was a director. He founded the Apollo Candle Company, and when that business became merged in J. Kitchen and Sons, Mr. Campbell occupied a seat on the new directorate, he was a partner in the Malvern Hills Pastoral Company, limited, Queensland, and the Western Queensland Meat Preserving Company. He owned Murray Downs Station, on the Murray River, and Langi Kal Kal, at Trawalla, upon which latter property he had recently erected a substantial homestead. In conjunction with the late Mr. James Service, Mr. Campbell established the Australian Sugar Refining Companv, wliich was subsequently sold to the Colonial Sugar Company, and was a large share holder in the Adelaide Chemical and Fertilising Company, Adelaide. Mr. Campbell has left a widow and grown-up family of five daughters and three sons most of whom are married.'[4]
1. The Argus, 23 Jun 1888, p.3; Western Mail (Perth), 23 Feb 1928, p.29. [Bow Bells was published 1864-1897 and was a magazine of general literature and art for family reading]; and Western Mail (Perth), 10 Mar 1888, p.35.
2. The Capricornian (Rockhamton, Qld.)14 Jul 1888, p.28; and The Argus, 16 Mar 1898, p.2.
3. The Argus, 18 Jun 1898, p.2. 4. The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld.) 23 Sep 1905, p.17 Melbourne Mansions Database: http://fmpro.abp.unimelb.edu.au/fmi/iwp/cgi?-db=mmdb&-loadframes no/cnt: 1126.
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