A single fronted, single storey house with cast iron verandah
Mrs. Jack had lived at this address since 1866. Until his death in 1868, William, her husband, lived with her. The Rate Books described this house as one room (brick) and shed, with a value of eight pounds. In 1884 their son, William Langlands Jack, manager of an insurance company, described the house for his late father's Statement of Assets and Liabilities, as 'a dilapidated old house which has since been pulled down and replaced.' This description applies to the house as it was at the time of William's death in 1868. It seems remarkable that it should have become dilapidated in the two years since it first appeared in the Rate Books, so it was perhaps a ploy to reduce death duties, unless it was older than the Rate Books imply.
Mrs. Jack continued to live in the new four roomed house until about 1880 when it was bought by Edward Ivers, who by 1895 had increased its number of rooms to seven. Ivers also bought and developed the land next door at 143 Simpson Street.
City of Melbourne Rate Books, 1873 Albert Ward No. 254 (first entry)
Burchett Index: City of Melbourne Notices of Intent to Build, 4 Dec 1872, Reg. No. 5156
Statement of Assets and Liabilities in Letters of Administration of William Jack, 27/644, PROV, VPRS 28/P0002/164