105 George Street, The Rocks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 105 George Street, The Rocks |
|
|---|---|
Tenanted as a Kathmandu retail store, in 2019.
|
|
| Location | 105 George Street, The Rocks, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1851 |
| Architectural style(s) | Georgian |
| Owner | Property NSW |
| Official name: Shop and Residence; Kathmandu (current); Beach Culture (former); Dorian Scott (former) | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 May 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1582 |
| Type | Shop |
| Category | Retail and Wholesale |
| Builders |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
105 George Street, The Rocks is a special old building in The Rocks, a historic area in Sydney, Australia. It used to be a home and a shop, and it's been around since 1851! Today, it's still a shop, and you might know it as a Kathmandu store.
This building is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it's an important part of history and needs to be protected. It shows us what buildings looked like a long time ago in Sydney.
Contents
A Look Back: History of 105 George Street
This piece of land was once part of Sydney's hospital garden, way back in the late 1700s and early 1800s. In 1840, a woman named Elizabeth Broughton was given the property.
She divided the land into four parts and tried to sell them. For a while, the land was empty. It was just a path to another street.
Building a Shop in 1851
In 1851, a man named Isaac Stansfield built a shop on the site. Records from 1858 show George Thorne as the owner. The building was a shop with a home above it. It had stone and brick walls and a timber roof. It was three stories tall, with a basement and six rooms.
Many Businesses Over the Years
The shop at 105 George Street has seen many different businesses!
- From 1861 to 1869, Thomas Playfair had his butcher shop here. He later moved it nearby.
- After that, the building was empty for a short time.
- In 1870, it became the "American Hotel" with John Kelly as the manager.
- Just two years later, in 1872, the "American Hotel" moved. Then, the "Union Hotel" opened in this spot.
- By 1875, Michael Cross was selling dairy products here.
- In 1879, it was a hotel again, called the "Sydney & Newcastle".
- Later, it changed names to "Messageries des Maritimes".
- From 1886 to 1892, Joseph Emmanuel was the manager.
- After that, it became a bird and animal shop!
From Groceries to Modern Shops
By 1896, the building was a grocery store. It stayed a grocer's until 1920. Through the 1930s, it was used for other shops, like a candy store and a dressmaker. The top floor was usually a home with its own entrance.
Commercial businesses continued to use the building into the 1980s. For a while in the 1970s, it was even an architect's office.
Rebuilding the Historic Site
In 1985, 105 George Street was completely taken down and rebuilt. This was because the building had serious problems and wasn't safe. Almost none of the original building materials are left. However, the new building was designed to look like the original 1851 shop. Some small parts from the old building's front were even reused.
What 105 George Street Looks Like Now
105 George Street is a simple, three-story building. It looks a bit like buildings from the old Georgian style. It has a timber shopfront that looks like it could be original. On the first floor, there are two windows with twelve small panes of glass. On the second floor, there are two smaller windows with six panes.
A door on one side leads to the offices upstairs. The building has brick walls and a corrugated iron roof. The floors inside are made of timber.
As of 2019, the building is home to a Kathmandu retail store.
How the Building Was Fixed Up
In 1984-1985, the front of the building on George Street was rebuilt. This was done because the upper floors had structural problems. Workers used old photos and drawings to make it look just like it did in 1851. They even reused some of the original bricks and stone window sills. At the same time, a new part was added to the back of the building.
Why 105 George Street is Important
The shop and former home at 105 George Street are very important to the history of New South Wales. This building, and the land it sits on, help us understand the past. It's also part of The Rocks area, which is important on its own.
A Part of Sydney's Commercial History
105 George Street played a role in how The Rocks area grew into a busy shopping spot in the 1800s. This area was a main business center in Sydney back then. It has continued to be a major shopping area for almost 200 years!
A Beautiful Old-Style Building
Even though it was rebuilt, 105 George Street is a nice example of a 19th-century shop and home. It looks very much like its original design. The building helps make the street look historic and adds to the special feel of The Rocks.
Learning from the Past
Because the building was rebuilt, it doesn't have much of its original structure left. So, it can't tell us much about how it was first built. However, the land it's on might still hold clues about the early hospital gardens from the late 1700s and early 1800s.
A Typical Example of Old Buildings
105 George Street is a good example of a simple, multi-story shop and home from the early Victorian era. This type of building was common in Sydney in the 1800s. While it's important to The Rocks area, it's not unique. There are other, more original buildings like it in Sydney. It helps show how The Rocks developed as a business area in the mid-1800s.
