Building histories

The house was built for John Charles Stanford, auctioneer with the firm of Powers, Rutherford & Co., stock and station agents. He sold it around 1909 when it became the home of John Woolcock, manager, and his wife, Matilda, and youngest son, Harry. It was also the residence of Woolcock's daughter, Alice, and her husband, Samuel Barr. Matilda died in 1909, Samuel in 1911 and John in 1912.

The first owner of the home was Frederick John Andrew, hardware merchant. He died in 1932. During his time the house was called Yarra Yarra but real estate advertisements show that the name had been changed to The Villa Virginia by at least 1934. At this time the house was being rented as bed-sits, including a detached brick room at the rear.

The house was built for William McLean. McLean was a partner in McLean Bros. & Rigg, a large and prosperous firm of ironmongers and general merchants with a major store in Elizabeth Street, a warehouse in Collins Place, an iron yard in Bourke Street and offices in London and New York. The company had branches throughout Victoria and Western Australia .

These two houses were built in 1910 by R J Wilson of Ormond Road, Moonee Ponds for Henry Fowler Ransford, customs agent.  Henry Ransford never lived in either house but his two sons, Vernon Seymour Ransford and Clive Ainslie Ransford lived in the corner house, No 28, until about 1919.  They called this house Chandos.

This impressive house was designed in 1882 by Alfred Friedrich (Fritz) Kursteiner for Dr Alexander Buttner and completed in 1883. The builder was William Muller.

This house was built in 1856 for Michael Curtain, J.P., who arrived in Melbourne in 1839. The architect was Patrick Scanlan who advertised for tenders in December 1855 to build a two storied house and out offices. Patrick Scanlan had recently completed St. Patrick’s College, East Melbourne, where Curtain’s sons, Patrick and Robert, went to school.

The house was built in 1870 by G. Griffiths for Thomas Parslow as a four room cottage. Parslow sold it four years later when he returned to England. It was bought by John Ryan, a grazier with a property on the Darling River called Walloo Station. He called the cottage Walloo. He died in 1876 leaving his widow, Mary Teresa Ryan, as owner and occupant.

The house was built for William Phillips in 1869. Phillips was an iron moulder at the Victoria Foundry, Victoria Street, Carlton, and it is probably he who designed and cast the unusual iron brackets to the front verandah.

In 1900 two 2-storey brick houses on this site were sold for demolition and removal to make way for the new extension to the Inner Circle railway line which opened in 1902.  The railway line cut diagonally through the land leaving the cramped, triangular site we see today.  This unused land remained vacant until 1939 when the current building was completed.  Although no advertise

This very grand house was built for James Simpson,Commissioner of Lands, and the man after whom Simpson Street is named. Dr. Miles Lewis states that the house is consistent with the style of Charles Laing. Dr. Lewis also cites an advertisement in April 1856 in which Charles Laing calls for tenders to build a house for Francis McDonnell in Wellington Parade.

The original house built for W.T. Trollope, solicitor, was single storey. The Rate Books up until 1867 give his name as the owner and occupier, and then the owner becomes T.W. Trollope, also a solicitor, until 1881. During the latter's ownership the house was rented out. It would appear that the two owners were in fact one and the same. Other members of W.T.

The building at 136-140 Wellington Parade was built in 1924 on a site previously occupied by a single brick house. It was designed by architect Nahum Barnet for Walter Joseph Williams, a chemist who had previously rented premises on the opposite corner since c.1915.

Owned by Eliza Jane Sprigg at time of her death, 1916. At which time it was valued at one thousand pounds and rented to Mr. Ormond at seven pounds a month

Now part of site occupied by apartment block known as 1 Powlett Street

Eliza Jane Sprigg (maiden name: Eliza Jane Louis James) married first, William Hodgson, artist; and second, (1902) William Gardiner Sprigg. Eliza Jane Sprigg also owned the neighbouring properties 148, 150, 152, 154 and 158 Wellington Parade, now all demolished and the site redevloped as 1 Powlett Street Apartments; and 17 Powlett Street [qv].

John Gill built the house in 1853 and lived there until 1860 when he sold his furniture prior to leaving for England. On his return he lived in Spring Street, Melbourne, where he died in 1866. He left his estate to his wife, Joanna, who retained ownership of Gwyllehurst until 1874. The For Sale notice in the Argus at the time described it as

These two houses were built for William Brooks Hoffman by F R Ratten and designed by William H Cleverdon. William Henry Cleverdon (1855-1930) was born in Richmond. After his marriage to Emma Toon in 1877 he lived in Hawthorn and then Kew while having offices in Collins Street. In 1893 he moved to Geelong where the best known examples of his work can be found.

The house first appears in the Rate Books as a five room brick house on a 33' by 120' allotment. It was owned by George Dean, who initially rented it to John Pitts. A number of short term tenanats followed. George Dean owned the house until his death in 1923. The sale notice in the Argus that year gives the house's name as Roseville.

The house first appears in the Rate Books in 1869 as a four roomed brick house and lists William Walker as owner. The Argus tells us that 'On the 23rd inst. (May 1872), at Morpeth Villa, Agnes Street, Jolimont, Mrs. William F. Walker [had] a son.' William Walker and his family lived in the house until 1875, but he remained owner until 1886.

The four roomed house was built for William Klaws by Philip Orleman and completed in 1865. The address in the Building Register was given as Jolimont Square and for two years the Rate Books gave the address as Jolimont Road. Agnes Street was yet to come. In 1888 the number of rooms was increased to seven.

The houses were completed in 1867 for William Peebles next door to his own residence immediately to the north. William Peebles was a clothier with premises in Bourke Street, Melbourne. He died of consumption aged 49 in 1871. His wife remained the owner of the properties until at least 1890. The houses were rented to short term tenants.

The houses were built as investment properties and were never occupied by their owner, Thomas Watts, who lived at Spring Hill Terrace, Wellington Parade, East Melbourne. Names of some of the occupiers are listed below. Watts owned the houses at least until 1890. The house was owned by A.R. Wilson in 1940 when it was advertised for sale as part of his estate.

The house was built for Thomas Y. Harkness. It was built on land bought from Thomas Lambert, who at the time also owned the houses next door at Nos. 53 and 55. The Rate Books to 1885 describe it as 5 rooms. In 1885 the owner and occupier was given as Mrs. Espinasse. By 1890 it was described as nine rooms and still owned and occupied by Mrs. Espinasse. In 1889 Mrs.

The house was built for Mrs Margaret Henningham who was the widow of Ralph Neppard Henningham. He had died in 1883 at the age of 47 leaving her with several young children. At a sale of her furniture and effects in 1894 the house was described as having a drawing-room, dining-room, breakfast room and six bedrooms. It appears that from that time the house was leased as a boarding house.

The house was completed in 1870 for owners Edward Thomas Slack and his wife Rosetta. Thomas was superintendent of mail services at the GPO. He died in 1907 and the house passed to Rosetta. She died in 1921. At this time the inventory of her assets described the house as 'a very old house of nine rooms three of which are of brick and six of wood'.