Union Bond Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Union Bond Store (former) |
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The former Union Bond Store, pictured in 2019
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| Location | 47 George Street, The Rocks, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1841–1842 |
| Architect | John Bibb |
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| Owner | Property NSW |
| Official name: Union Bond Store (former); Westpac Bank | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 10 May 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1612 |
| Type | Warehouse/storage area |
| Category | Maritime Industry |
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The Union Bond Store is a very old building in The Rocks, a historic area in Sydney, Australia. It used to be a warehouse and a special type of storage place called a bond store. Later, it became a Westpac bank branch and a museum.
This building is located at 47 George Street. It was designed by an architect named John Bibb and built between 1841 and 1842. Today, the property is owned by Property NSW, which is part of the Government of New South Wales. The Union Bond Store is so important that it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2002.
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What is a Bond Store?
A bond store is a special type of warehouse. When goods arrive from other countries, they sometimes have taxes (called duties) that need to be paid. A bond store is where these goods are kept safely until the taxes are paid. It's like a secure storage locker for imported items before they can be sold or used.
A Look Back in Time
The area where the Union Bond Store stands has a long history. European settlement in this part of Sydney began around 1799.
Early Days in The Rocks
In the early 1800s, a very important merchant named Robert Campbell took over land leases in The Rocks. He was one of Sydney's most well-known business people back then. In 1834, Governor Richard Bourke officially gave Campbell a large piece of land on the western side of George Street.
Campbell later decided to divide his land into smaller plots. This was because he was spending more time at his property near Canberra and wanted to make better use of his land in Sydney.
Building the Store
In 1841, one of Campbell's land plots was divided into six smaller lots. The Union Bond Store was built on Lot 4. It was constructed between 1841 and 1842 for two business partners, John Martyn and James Combes. They were brothers-in-law and ran a plumbing, painting, and glazing business that grew into a merchant company.
The architect, John Bibb, designed this building. He also designed a similar warehouse across the street. Bibb was a famous architect in Sydney during the 1840s to 1860s. The Union Bond Store is one of the few remaining examples of his early work, especially his warehouse designs.
Who Used the Building?
The Union Bond Store had many different tenants over the years:
- Early Tenants: The first known tenant was Ashford Daniels in 1843. Martyn & Combes, the owners, also used the building themselves for a few years.
- Merchants: From 1858 to 1865, a company called Lotz & Larnach, who were merchants, occupied the building.
- Edward Row & Co.: This was the longest-term tenant, from 1875 to about 1921. Edward Row & Co. was a company that made and sold medicines. Their most famous product was "Row's Embrocation," a liniment (a type of liquid medicine rubbed on the skin) originally for horses and farm animals. It was even called the "Farmer's Friend"! Later, people started using it too for things like aches and pains. The company also added a building at the back along Atherden Street around 1887.
- Bushells Coffee Factory: From 1914, the back building on Atherden Street was used by Bushells Ltd as their coffee factory.
Government Ownership
In the early 1900s, the Government of New South Wales took over many buildings in The Rocks, including the Union Bond Store. This was part of a big plan to redevelop the area.
After that, the building continued to be used for storage:
- Clelands Bonded Free Store: From 1927 to 1937, it was used as a bond store.
- H. A. Zlotkowski Pty Ltd: From about 1931 to 1941, it stored cork and other items.
- Craig, Mostyn & Co Pty Ltd: From about 1941 to 1972, this company used it as a "No 2 Store." By 1949, they had turned part of it into a bottling plant for wines and spirits! Later, it stored skins, fruit, and other goods.
Westpac Bank and Museum
In the 1980s, the building got a big makeover. In 1988, work began to turn it into a branch of the Westpac Bank. The ground floor became the banking area, and the upper floors, along with a new building at the back, became the Westpac Museum. This museum showed the history of banking. Westpac moved out of the building in 2008.
What Does It Look Like?
The Union Bond Store is a simple but strong building made of sandstone. It has three floors and is three sections wide. The front of the building has a triangular top part (called a pedimented gable) with a round window. It also has horizontal lines and windows that are set back into the walls.
The building's style is called Old Colonial Georgian and Victorian Regency. It has a roof made of galvanised iron and timber floors.
Why is it Important?
The Union Bond Store is very important to the history of New South Wales. It helps us understand what Sydney was like in the early to mid-1800s, when Circular Quay was Australia's main port.
Here's why it's special:
- Rare Example: It's a rare and well-preserved example of a single-bay warehouse from that time. Most other warehouses built then were more basic.
- Warehouse Features: You can still see its original purpose as a warehouse. It has strong sandstone walls, special doors on each floor for loading goods, and a "cathead beam" (a beam sticking out from the roof) that was used with a winch to lift items.
- Historic Group: It's part of a group of historic buildings (43-49 George Street) that includes the Merchants House next door. This group shows how merchants in the 1800s lived close to their warehouses, near the port.
- Famous Architect: It was designed by the well-known architect John Bibb. This building is one of the few remaining examples of his early work.
- Important Families: The building was owned by the Martyn and Combes families for a long time. It was also home to Edward Row & Co., the medicine manufacturers, for many years.
- Modern Adaptation: Its change into a Westpac Bank branch and museum in the 1980s shows how old warehouse buildings in The Rocks were updated for new uses.
The Union Bond Store helps us understand the history of trade, business, and architecture in Sydney.
