The BuildingsCOLLINS STREET
Collins House
The building
Built in 1908 by F.E. Shillabeer for the St James Church of England trustees, this three-storey office building took the steamship firm Huddart, Parker & Co. as its first tenant, with the Orbost Shipping Co. above. Its symmetrical façade is unusual for the city, drawing on Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts sources — fluted pilasters and a parapet of foliage and tendril detail. The façade survives today as the heritage base of the Collins House tower.
In brief
- 1908The three-storey office building is built by F.E. Shillabeer for the St James Church of England trustees. The steamship firm Huddart, Parker & Co. take it as their head office, with the Orbost Shipping Co. on the second floor.
- 1910Huddart Parker had grown to rank 24th of the top 100 companies in Australia by asset value.
- 1914Hebburn Limited, a Newcastle colliery company in which Huddart Parker held a substantial shareholding, takes its head office at 464 Collins Street.
The doorstep
Two places within a short walk.
What each one is, and how far it is from the front door. Select a place to see it on the map.
1
Nature847 m · 11 min walk
Flagstaff Gardens
Melbourne's oldest public park, on the hill that was the colony's first burial ground and signal station.
2
Arcade680 m · 9 min walk
Royal Arcade
Australia's oldest surviving arcade, opened 1870, where the carved giants Gog and Magog have struck the hour for over a century.
For buyers
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