East Melbourne, Simpson Street 100

On 11 April 1907 Hubert Patrick Cooney notified the Council that he was about to build a house in Simpson Street. At the same time his brother, Thomas Vincent Cooney, submitted an identical notice. Hubert was about to build 100 Simpson Street, and Thomas was to build 96 Simpson Street, immediately next door. They had both been born and had grown up at Doontallie, 1121 Hoddle Street.
Hubert was still living at 100 Simpson Street when he died 12 April 1951. He had been sacristan and assistant master of ceremonies at St Patrick’s Cathedral for 56 years. The Advocate reported that he had received his primary education at St. John's School, East Melbourne, and St. Ignatius', Richmond, after which he transferred to St. Patrick's College, East Melbourne. He was a classical scholar, his reading including works in Latin, French, Italian and Spanish, and also, as he once put it himself, "everything that Hilaire Belloc ever wrote." Soon after leaving school he became librarian at St Patrick’s and was then appointed as its third sacristan in 1894. Early on he was also sacristan at St John’s, East Melbourne. In 1912 he married Nellie McKimm. Other members of the McKimm family lived with them: Nellie’s father, Robert, a retired civil servant, died there in 1928; and her sister, Elizabeth, also died there in 1947. Nellie lived at 100 Simpson Street until her death in the early 1960s.

Gerald William Vanheems, the architect who designed 100 Simpson Street, is best remembered for his design for the spire of St Ignatius, Richmond; and for his design with W P Connelly for the spire of St Patrick's Cathedral.