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James Berry House
Location162 Gray St HAMILTON, Southern Grampians Shire
File NumberHAMDS049LevelStage 2 study complete |
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Statement of Significance
SIGNIFICANCE: Most intact shop in Gray St, this is a gem of the Queen Anne style which is also significant for its associations with Thomas O'Neill and James berry. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE [i] Garden, Don, Hamilton, pp 160, 182. [ii] Ibid., p 215. [iii] Hamilton Rate Book 1905, Nos. 176 & 179 (NAV 30 pounds & 100 pounds). [iv] Ibid., 1907, No. 181 (NAV 85 pounds); 1906, No. 174 (NAV 85 pounds). [v] HSA DP No. 227, dated 1 March 1938.
James Berry House
162 Gray Street
This building has local significance for its architectural interest as the most intact shop in Gray Street, for its glazed blue tiles and distinctive shopfront by Gill and for its historical associations from 1907 with Thomas O'Neill, haberdasher and draper, Secretary of the Hamilton Closer Settlement Association in 1905, and Secretary and major force in the Hamilton Progress Association formed in 1908. ([i]) O'Neill was a leading figure in the Hamilton Ratepayers Association in 1933. ([ii]) A new shop on the site (Crown Allotment 8, Section 5) was rated for the first time in 1905 owned by Sarah O'Reilly, who also owned stores and two wooden shops nearby. ([iii]) Thomas O'Neill, mercer and Robert George, tailor, were the owner/occupiers in 1907, O'Neill becoming the sole owner in 1909. ([iv]) By the 1930s, when the owner was James Berry, the property was known as Berry House. ([v])
The building is one of the most delightful examples of the Queen Anne style so popular at the time. It survives significantly intact except for the loss of its original verandah. It is in excellent condition and despite its small scale is an important contributor to the streetscape because of its detailing which charms the passer-by.
Group
Retail and Wholesale
Category
Shop