This pair of houses was built in 1861 by and for William Crawford of Melbourne.  Nothing further can identify this particular William Crawford with any certainty.  The houses, in the Burchett Index of Intents to Build (19 Feb 1861), were described as two 4 room cottages of stone and brick. Crawford named them Bremen Cottages. They were tenanted during Crawford’s ownership.

In 1868/69 Thomas Pavey became the new owner and landlord.  Thomas Pavey was a solicitor who achieved a degree of fame when in 1868 he was the instructing solicitor in the defence of Henry James O’Farrell who was charged with the attempted murder of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf, Sydney on 12 March 1868. It was an unwinnable case and O’Farrell was hanged the following month. He placed a To Let advertisement in the paper which gives a full description of one of the houses: 'Dining and drawing rooms, three bedrooms, kitchen and servant's room, pantry, bathroom, and gas, large yard, washhouse, fowlhouse, and other conveniences'.

In 1883 the houses were put up for auction and were then described as ‘built of brick, and each containing three rooms and bathroom on basement, and three rooms on ground floor. These cottages are well built, and are close to the omnibus route to town. They command good tenants, being a desirable property’. They were purchased by next door neighbour, William Niven, a stationer, for £1200.

Niven died in 1910 but it was not until 1923/24 that the houses were sold. The purchasers were Alfred Victor McClelland and his wife Louisa Annie McClelland.  Alfred was a builder and contractor and at the time was Clerk of Works. It is during their ownership that the houses officially became flats.  The rate books first describe them as such in 1932, but an ad in the Argus of 6 January 1932 indicates a date of 1931.  It read, ‘Villa Flat, exceptional, 5 r, all conv, accom car. Apply downstairs 48 George st.’

The McClellands were the first owners to occupy either of the cottages. But Alfred died in 1938 and Louisa moved out. Their children took over management of the property. In 1951 they put No 50 up for sale as ‘50 GEORGE STREET, EAST MELBOURNE 2 Flats, Vacant Possession of One. Other Let 35/ p.w.’.  Arno and Doreen Herpe bought it and in their hands it reverted to a single dwelling. A short time later No 48 was sold to a different purchaser and it remained as two flats.