House and Shop (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The house and former shop at 69 Bourke Street is an unusual and intact example of a corner weatherboard structure in a composite style of the Federation period. It was associated with members of the Davies family for more than a generation who ran it as the local general store in the Bourke Street area, a way of life that is no longer practiced.

Physical Description

The single storey former shop has an attached dwelling. The external walls of the building are painted weatherboards. The truncated corner appears to have been infilled and is flanked on each wall by identical multipaned shopfront windows. The shop has a gable roof and gable frontage that oversails the truncationand the corner of the roof is bracketed with decorative fretwork brackets. The gable infill is detailed with layered scalloped timbers and has flying gable with a finial. The dwelling is setback, although the edge of the verandah aligns with the shopfront. The verandah posts are simple square timber posts (possibly replacements) with a central stepped entrance within the verandah space. The verandah roof is a separate skillion roof. The windows are timber framed double hung sashes. Zero setback to both streets, corner truncation. Painted finish, probable removal of shop verandah.

History

The south side of Bourke Street between Oxford and Loftus Streets was part of the Fitzroy Park estate, a subdivision of the Leeder Estate bounded by Richmond, Oxford, Bourke and Loftus streets. The property at No. 69 Bourke Street is a weatherboard house with a former shop on the corner. The place was first listed in the Wise Post Office Directories in 1912 as No. 45 Bourke Street with the residents listed as Davies and Sons, grocers; Davies, Harry (D & Son) and Davies, Alberts (D & Son). It was run by Harry and his son Albert and the family lived in the attached house. In 1915 the house and shop were renumbered as 69. By 1930, the business was operating as Mrs Mary Davies & Son. In 1935 Mrs E Taylor operated a mixed business and then in 1938 Amy Nelson was running a mixed business in the premises, in 1940 Mrs D Treacy and in 1949 it was John Sheridan, still with a mixed business. There were many such corner shops in the Vincent area. They served the local residential area as before the days of refrigeration housewives shopped on a daily or near-daily basis. The shop would have stocked milk, bread, cold meats, groceries could not be sold after 6pm. 'At night wire screens were put over the shelves as only certain products could be sold after hours' (Jenny Marshall), they were required to be locked away after that time. Government inspectors were employed to enforce this rule and often employed subterfuge to talk the unsuspecting shopkeepers into supplying some forbidden item. A hefty fine then followed. A Development Application for the subject place was submitted in November 2005 for proposed alterations, additions to accommodate a new kitchen, living, dining and laundry area attached to the rear of the existing building and a garage to the rear of the property. The proposed development was approved at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 14 February 2006 and a Building Licence was issued on 28 July 2006

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate degree

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.