Rosebank Street to Forbes Street - Number 195, 193, and 191

Sydney in the "golden decad" of the 1850s could not adequately house its citizens. Between 1851 and 1861 the population had virtually doubled from 54,000 to 96,000. Tents, shanties, and converted drays were used to house new migrants and returning diggers. Landlords had a field day, and thousands of new houses were built. Those pictured here are but three of a virtually continuous row of fifteen proceeding downhill from number 195 to number 167 167 at the corner of William and Forbes Streets. 195 and 193 have been defaced in the conversion from substantialtown houses to shop with rooms above. The balcony has been removed and the French doors have given way to 1916 modern windows. They are owned by Maurice Solomon who owns five buildings in the street, making him the second largest owner after the Burdekin Estate. Otherwise, the pattern of ownership in William Street is small-scale, with three-quarters of the buildings belonging to owners who had no more than one or two properties there. Above Vernon's Estate and Insurance Agency are the rooms rented by Emily Morrison to run her boarding house. Her neighbour, Elizabeth Madden, also lets rooms above the pawn shop The unaltered house to the right, number 191, is owned by the Weigzell's, the wig-makers from further up the street, and is let to Mrs Mary Buckley who takes in lodgers there. The pawnbroker was an integral part of William Street's ordinary life. a reminder, perhaps, that from them that hathnot, shall often be taken away. The window shown here is typical, with its array of clocks and watches, gold chains, medals, vases and stacks of tin trunks. Don Harrison, a lad at the time, remembers such a shop in his unpublished memoirs. The shop had everything ever made, I think, tumbled into the windows; yellow diamonds, banjos, gold Elgin watches, rings by the hundred, cats' eyes, a stuffed monkey, lots of keys on hooks, spectacles by the gross, brooches, bangles, and necklaces of all sorts, an Aladdin's cave of everything man thought to make, or so it seemed to me. I bought a silver bangle there for my Mum's birthday. Emmanuel Berkman, one of the four pawnbrokers in William Street, advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald. He sought to buy diamonds, jewellery, old gold and silver, electroplate, cutlery, Singer's Sewing Machines and linen. For 18 he would sell a "3 stone diamond and platinum, cross-over, very choice ring", or foe 38, a diamond and platinum, large half-hoop". for 1/6, Berkmann offered "best quality, balanced, silver-handle knives". A more realistic view of the function of the pawn shop is found in the same "For Sale" column where dozens of people have paid money to advertise their own pawnbroker's tickets for sale.

Note: Sydney Loan Office: Money Lent ... two images of an indusstry fading fast on William Street. The night shot taken in 2012; the day shot taken at the end od 2015. The real-estate listing indicates that this freehold property exchanged in July 2015 for $2,300,000. It has rear access from Premier Lane. Is is numbered 187-189 William whereas the 1916 Pawnbroker (for that is what they all are), is numbered 193. They are about equidistant from Forbes Stree, so it would not surprise me if it was rebuilt as a pawnbroker's shop after the 1916 demolitions. Thes listing shows front and rear access to the building, and indicates that the 1916+ rebuild is the ONLY rebuild since then.

Rosebank Street to Forbes Street - Numbers 201 and 199

An 1870s terrace of two, shops below, and rooms to let above. The owner, Mrs Anne Butler, lives in Parramatta and rents the buildings to Michael Donovan, a printer, and Mary and Daniel Prior, poulterers. Donovan lets a room to dress maker, Flora Martin, as well as providing rooms for three lodgers: Sarah Spears, Elizabeth Neilson, and Catherine Clarage. The Priors, now standing in the doorway, offer kosher goods. They, too, let a room to a dressmaker, Miss O'Brien, and have three lodgers. Ann Butler, obviously keeps her investment in good repair. This building is a good example of the art of the painted surface, common practice in the Victorian period, and one which has returned to fashion one hundred years later. The bull-nose iron verandah roofs are painted in contrasting stripes - possibly cream combined with a deep Indian red. The walls are probably of a deep cream or biscuit colour. All other decorative elements - the doors, window frames, sashes, balustrades, are painted in a variety of strong, contrasting colours - possibly black-greens, fawn, rich-red, buff and bronze. The overall impression is further strengthened by detailed colour treatmens on the window capitals, pediment and masonry roundels brackets and friezes. Such paintwork adds to the character of the building and enlivens the streetscape.

Note: Kelly includes the image above in his book. He has cropped this from the top image. Mary Prior is leaning against the plate-glass display window with its Hebrew lettering. Daniel Prior stands just a little bit further into the darkened doorway in his shirt-sleeves. Between them pushes a male customer, who uses a walking-stick. The 1898 Sands Directory also locates a D. Prior, poulterer, at 199 William Street. So the location was not unkind to them.

Rosebank Street to Forbes Street - 215, and 213, and 211 (Perth Terrace)

The City Mutual Life Assurance Society owns this terrace built in the late 1870s, of rendered brick with slate roof. Each house is of 12 rooms, and is rich in the symbols of the classic Sydney terrace. Barley-sugar iron colums support the downstairs windows, and the front doors are fully panelled. Stone-flagged verandahs have thier own "iron-lace" fence and rail. French doors reflect the pattern of balcony iron. The centre house uses venetian blinds as they were used in Venice - to hang outside, to bear the brunt of the heat. A Greek keyhole border decorates the eaves, and each house has six fire-places. These are well-built houses and, or so it appears, well maintained. Number 215, on the left, is rented by Percy Hollander, a dental surgeon, who both works and lives here. The other two are boarding houses or, as the affixed sign-plates indicate, "Residential Chambers". Mrs Florence Sandeman runs 214. The small curved sign by the front door (readable in the original photograph) adds a light, and Italianate touch to Mrs Sandeman's advertising. It reads "Sanflorenzo". In mid-1916 Wiulliam Davis. Albert Johnson, William Ringwood, and Atrchibald McDonald were boarding here. "Glenferrie" next door has Mrs Emily Elizabeth Morrison as its keeper. She runs the business for Joseph Buchanan, who holds the head-lease from the City Mutual.

My Notes: Perth Terrace was immediately west of the Post Office on the south-side of William Street, putting it in the suburb of Darlinghurst, whereas the north-side of the street was in the suburb of Woolloomooloo. The Perth Terrace abutted the Post Office which was on the corner of Rosebank Street. Running behind this terrace was Premier Lane which provided "night services". Originally, this lane was to be resumed, too, but this never happened. It is still there in 2016, known variously as Premier Lane, St Peter's Lane, or Barnet Lane, it stretches from Kirketon Road to Yurong Street. On the left is the rear of Perth Terrace. Rosebank St can be seen crossing in the middle-distance. Perth Terrace was demolished well before the Post Office, which was still standing in 1926.

The City of Sydney Auction for this block in March 1923.

The Post office on the corner was specifically excluded from this auction, held on 23rd March 1923. Each block was offered under Torrens Title. The terms of the sale were: 25% deposit Balance in three equal half-yearly payments, and Interest at 6%. There were also specific rebuilding requirements.

Darlinghurst Road to Rosebank Street - Numbers 229 and 227

These two terraced buiuldings together, represent a microcosm of the life of the street. Originally built in the 1870s as residences, they have subsequently been converted to a variety of uses. The doorway to the left of Sinclair's Newsagent and Circulating Library leads to Stanley &and Sedgwick, estate agents. The partly obscured noticeboard reads, "Agents - Flats, Rooms, Board and Residence", a reminderthat the residential population of the area was one of Sydney's most transient. Sinclair's sold papers but, obviously, a lot more besides. In the window there are mirrors, fishing tackle, magazines, clocks, and a sign for a locksmith. This is the kind of shop Kylie Tennant had in mind when writing of Bud's shop in Foveaux, where it is possible to find anything from "foish-hooks to scent ... fireworks, tobacco, chocolate mice, bootlaces, plaster statuettes, ink bottles, novelties, and hairpins, all jumbled together with skipping ropesor tin whistles". Behind Sinclair's is the American Cleaners and Pressers, one of six such establishments in William Street, a concentration which further emphasises its service nature. Upstairs, Joseph V. Collier, who has the head-lease on the whole building runs a boarding house. Council records show that in 1916 Ada Aspinall, Emily Tyrell,John Laughlin, and Neil Herbert were lodging there. Number 227 is a much more formal affair, having been converted by the English, Scottish and Australian Bank to look as a bank was supposed to be - conservative, secure, serious. Upstais, behind lattice screen and woodn Venetian blinds, lived H. Hewlwtt, the bank's manager, with his family. The pair of houses are of brick with slate roofs. The brick is rendered and the details - the mouldings, cornice, and windows - are painted in contrasting colours. They belong to the estate of the late John Maloney and, according to the Council's valuer, could expect to be rented for about £6 per week each. The young man with newspaper stands in a pose characteristic of many "men about town" in this period. As we pass down the street we will notice a number of others of similar stance, hands held high in pockets, hat worn forward, a stance not quite larrikin but certainly not middle-class - the sort of young Sydneysider recently emancipated from "the push", the corner larrikin on his way to "settling down", the young man so frequently evpoked in Lewis Stone's memorable novel Jonah published in 1911.