SUM KUM LEE
112-114 LITTLE BOURKE STREET MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
This place is included on the Victorian Heritage Inventory, for its potential to contain historical archaeological remains associated with the settlement and growth of early Melbourne. Under the terms of the Heritage Act 2017 there is protection for all historical archaeology sites and objects in the state.
Please visit the Heritage Victoria website to find out more about the Heritage Inventory.
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SUM KUM LEE - History
Heritage Inventory History of Site: Date of first documented occupation, 1887/8Heritage Inventory Description
SUM KUM LEE - Heritage Inventory Description
Building constructed 1887/8 for wealthy merchant and Chinese community leader Sum Kum Lee as business premises, warehouse and residence. Used as Chinese general store until 1900. Purchased by Maurice Brodsky in 1889 who had founded the 'Table Talk' newspaper in 1885. Premises used by 'Table Talk' 1900-1903.
Heritage Inventory Significance: NATIONAL TRUST: A BUILDING OF 1887, DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT DE LACY EVANS, IN A WESTERN INTERPRETATION OF CHINESE STYLE, FOR SUM KUM LEE, A PROMINENT CHINESE MERCHANT. IT HAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, NOT ONLY WITH THE CHINESE QUARTER OF LITTLE BOURKE STREET, BUT IT ALSO HOUSED THE OFFICES OF 'TABLE TALK', A NEWSPAPER WHICH EXERTED CONSIDERABLE INFLUENCE DURING THE 'LAND BOOM' PERIOD IN MELBOURNE. ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA: THE ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY WISHES TO SUPPORT THE ADDITION OF THIS BUILDING TO THE REGISTER OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS FOR TWO REASONS. FIRSTLY, AS THE BUILDING WAS ERECTED FOR SUM KUM LEE, ONE OF MELBOURNE'S LEADING CHINESE MERCHANTS OF LAST CENTURY, IT IS ONE OF THE REMAINING STRUCTURES THAT GAVE THAT SECTION OF LITTLE BOURKE STREET ITS ORIGINAL 'CHINATOWN' IMAGE. SECONDLY, THE BUILDING IS IMPORTANT FOR ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE PUBLISHER, MAURICE BRODZKY WHO OCCUPIED THE BUILDING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. DURING THAT TIME THE BUILDING WAS HOME TO BRODSKY'S TABLE TALK NEWSPAPER, A SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL, POLITICAL, FINANCIAL AND ARTISTIC WEEKLY JOURNAL THAT VIGOROUSLY INVESTIGATED AND UNCOVERED MANY OF THE SCANDALS OF THE BOOM YEARS OF THE 1880'S AND 1890'S.SUMMARY OF THE REPORT OF THE CONSULTANTS, MR. NIGEL LEWIS TO THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS PRESERVATION COUNCIL: THESE PREMISES HAVE A FRONTAGE OF 25'6" TO LITTLE BOURKE STREET, A DEPTH OF OVER 100'0" AND A HEIGHT OF OVER 60'0" ABOVE PAVEMENT LEVEL. IT ORIGINALLY COMPRISED BUSINESS PREMISES, WAREHOUSE AND FIRST-CLASS RESIDENCE COMBINES. IN ELEVATION, GREAT DIFFICULTY WAS EXPERIENCED IN TREATING A FRONT OF SUCH PROPORTIONS AND IN ORDER TO OBTAIN BREADTH AND LIGHT AND SHADE, LARGE FACE PROJECTIONS AND REVEAL THICKNESSES WERE EMPLOYED, WHILE EVERY DETAIL FROM PARAPET TO BASEMENT WAS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND WORKED OUT. THE GROUND FLOOR, UP TO AND INCLUDING THE PIER CAPS, IS CONSTRUCTED OF FINE RUBBED MALMSBURY STONE, THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT BEING FINISHED IN CEMENT. THE IRON WORK GRILLES, FANLIGHT GUARD AND RAILINGS ARE OF ECLECTIC DESIGN AND LEAD-LIGHT GLAZING IS USED SPARINGLY INSIDE AND OUT. ARCHITECT G. DE LACY EVANS, CONTRACTOR HEWITT AND SMETHURST. ACCORDING TO SANDS AND MCDOUGALL, THE BUILDING WAS RUN AS A CHINESE GENERAL STORE UNTIL 1900. FROM THEN UNTIL 1903, IT WAS THE OFFICES OF 'TABLE TALK' NEWSPAPER. AFTER THAT CLOSED DOWN, THE BUILDING WAS VACANT UNTIL 1906 AND FROM THEN UNTIL 1920 SANDS AND MCDOUGALL REGISTER IT AS OCCUPIED BY VARIOUS CHINESE. THE BUILDING IS CURRENTLY RUN AS A CHINESE RESTAURANT. THE BUILDING IS STILL IN GOOD EXTERNAL CONDITION ALTHOUGH PAINTED YELLOW. IT EXERTS STRONG VISUAL IMPACT DUE TO ITS UNIQUE MODELLING AND SCALE SET IN THIS NARROW STREET; IT REPRESENTS A WESTERN INTERPRETATION OF CHINESE STYLE IN A HIGHLY PERSONAL WAY. THE BUILDING IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR ITS CONNECTION WITH THE CHINESE SECTOR AND HAS IMMEDIATE IMPACT AS PART OF MELBOURNE'S CHINATOWN.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCE: REGISTER OF THE NATIONAL ESTATE CITATION:THE SUM KUM LEE BUILDING AT 112 LITTLE BOURKE STREET, MELBOURNE WAS DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT GEORGE DE LACY EVANS AND ERECTED IN 1887-88 FOR WEALTHY CHINESE MERCHANT SUM KUM LEE. THIS THREE STOREY BRICK BUILDING WITH BASEMENT SERVED AS BUSINESS WAREHOUSE AND RESIDENCE UNTIL 1900 WHEN THE NEWSPAPER 'TABLE TALK' OCCUPIED THE STRUCTURE. THE HEAVILY EMBELLISHED BOOM STYLE CLASSICISM FACADE IS WELL MODELLED IN STUCCO WITH MALMSBURY STONE AT GROUND LEVEL. THE SUM KUM LEE BUILDING IS IN THE HEART OF CHINATOWN AND WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR WEALTHY MERCHANT AND CHINESE COMMUNITY LEADER, SUM KUM LEE. THE STRUCTURE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS IMPORTANT PRECINCT AND THE BUILDING IS A NOTABLE EXAMPLE OF BOOM STYLE CLASSICISM IN MELBOURNE AND A DISTINGUISHED WORK OF GEORGE DE LACY EVANS. THE NARROWNESS OF LITTLE BOURKE STREET ACCENTUATES THE SCALE AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPACT OF THE FACADE. THE EXTERIOR OF THE SUM KUM LEE BUILDING IS MAINTAINED VIRTUALLY AS BUILT. THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY REDECORATED AS A RESTAURANT. OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE
Archeological Potential: Potential (area)
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FORMER CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERYVictorian Heritage Register H0024
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ROSAVILLEVictorian Heritage Register H0408
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MEDLEY HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0409
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