FORMER F BLIGHT AND COMPANY WAREHOUSE

Charles Cleve, merchant, acquired the land now occupied by the former F Blight & Co buildings in September 1853. Notice of intent to build two stone stores for Cleave and Cameron on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets was given by builder Samuel Amess on 17 August 1853 but these buildings were probably demolished in 1858 to make way for new stores for Cleve Bros, designed by architect Leonard Terry. These stores are the three-storey bluestone building with a facade to King Street.

On 3 March 1854 architect Charles Laing tendered for the erection in King Street of a bluestone and brick store for Charles Cleave. On 10 March 1854 Amess gave notice of intent to build this store for Cleve Bros on the corner of King and Lonsdale. This is the extant building on the southeast corner of King and Lonsdale Streets. These buildings internally now form one building but externally still appear separate entities.

All the buildings were owned by Cleve Bros until 1870 and continuously occupied by them until 1888. Import duties on over 160 items were reduced in 1853 to only wines, spirits, tobacco, tea and coffee. The corner building operated as Bonded Store for goods with import tariffs from 1859 to 1888, whilst the King Street buildings operated as a Free Store between 1856 and 1888. Later operators used the buildings for storing bales of wool for export. From 1922 the buildings were owned by Frederick Blight & Co.

In February 1885 architects Reed, Henderson and Smart tendered for the reinstating fire damage at Cleve's Store in Lonsdale Street. In April 1886 the same architects tendered for the construction of an additional storey. Internally this part of the building possesses a riveted steel frame, possibly introduced to support the additional floor. This corner building, constructed with a bluestone ground floor and upper floors of brick, has been considerably altered externally. Access doors on the upper levels to both King Street and Lonsdale Street, served by a jib and pulley, have been removed and replaced by windows.

The interior of the building was refurbished in the 1970s as a restaurant and now has a very low degree of integrity.

How is it significant?

The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are historically significant as an example of the bonded and free stores that operated under the colonial tariff system before Federation in 1901. They were located close to the docks on the Yarra River, where most inter-colonial and international goods were landed in Victoria. With Seabrook House, this group of buildings is a reminder of the historic mercantile importance of this part of Melbourne.

The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are architecturally significant for their associations with noted architects Charles Laing and Leonard Terry. The King Street building by Terry is a particularly notable as a restrained example of his preferred Renaissance Revival style. The restrained styling is in contrast to the more elaborate and finely detailed Seabrook House (VHR 0068) around the corner in Lonsdale Street, also designed in bluestone by Terry for Cleve Bros in the 1850s.

The Former F Blight & Co Warehouses are architecturally and historically significant for their contribution to the small but distinct precinct of warehouses and stores built by Cleves Bros on the corner of King and Lonsdale Streets in the 1850s.

Group

Commercial

Category

Warehouse/storage area