UNITED TANNERY & BOOT FACTORY (FORMER)
121 Rokeby Street COLLINGWOOD, YARRA CITY (aka 112A Rokeby Street)
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Statement of Significance
The following wording is from the Allom and Lovell Building Citation, 1998 for the property. Please note that this is a "Building Citation", not a "Statement of Significance". For further information refer to the Building Citation held by the City of Yarra.
History:
In the early 1850s, William Overton established Victoria's first glassworks on Collingwood Flat in the vicinity of what is now Glasshouse Road. The glassworks was unsuccessful and by 1855 the building had been taken over by Rae Dickson & Co. for use as a stearine candle factory. By the late 1950s the candle works had also closed down.
After lying vacant for a number of years, the site was taken up by a prominent Melbourne leather merchant, Hugh Thompson in 1864, for use a tannery and boot factory. Beginning with a staff of 20 the firm grew rapidly to over 200 employees by the late 1860s, after the introduction of protective import tariffs on boots and shoes. The works was one of Collingwood's first steam powered factories with a six horsepower diagonal steam engine driving a variety of machines including leather rolls, a pricking machine, eccentric sole-cutting press and a number of sewing machines. By 1868 the tannery section employed 20 staff with 36 tan pits and a large curing room. The firm had introduced new technology including machine rolls to flatten the sole leather (previously beaten out by hand) and a pricking machine to pre punch holes in the soles for sewing. In 1868, however, most of the boot making work was still done by hand with the factory floor having eight large work benches for 20 sewers each, two additional benches with lasts for the 36 hand riveter's, and 12 finisher's stools. In 1930, the company was still in business, specialising in men's and women's welts and heavy machine sewn men's boots.
The business took the name of Hugh Thompson & Sons Victoria Tannery c.1890, and H Thompson & Son Pty Ltd by 1920. Initially, Thompson carried out the work of tanner, currier and boot maker. His was the only establishment described in the directories and census returns as a boot factory in the 1870s. Thompson expanding to an additional tannery in Alexandra Parade, Clifton Hill, in the early twentieth century and appears to have restricted his business to tanning in these years, although the factory resumed boot manufacturing in the 1920s.
Description:
The former United Tannery and Boot Factory, 112 Rokeby Street, Collingwood, is a double storey brick industrial building. Its walls are of red face brick, with evenly spaced single window openings at both levels. On the east elevation, the ground floor has a two-leaf timber door flanked by one window to the south and two to the north, whilst the first floor has four windows. Window openings have segmental brick arched lintels, whilst the door has a flat concrete lintel below a brick relieving arch. Windows are generally multi-paned timber-framed double-hung sashes. The longitudinal gabled roof is concealed behind an unadorned brick parapet.
Significance:
The former United Tannery and Boot Factory, 112 Rokeby Street, Collingwood is of local historical and architectural significance. Historically, it was occupied by a prominent tannery and boot factory from the 1860s until the mid-20th century. Architecturally, it is a substantially intact example of a very austere mid-Victorian industrial building, and, as such, makes a contributes to the mixed industrial streetscape.
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UNITED TANNERY & BOOT FACTORY (FORMER) - Physical Description 2
Scheduled in Clause 43 as 112 Rokeby; 1870s wing faþade and ruinous side wall only, attached to later factory; recent changes for office conversion; corner site at Glasshouse St
UNITED TANNERY & BOOT FACTORY (FORMER) - Physical Description 1
The former United Tannery and Boot Factory, 112 Rokeby Street, Collingwood, is a double storey brick industrial building. Its walls are of red face brick, with evenly spaced single window openings at both levels. On the east elevation, the ground floor has a two-leaf timber door flanked by one window to the south and two to the north, whilst the first floor has four windows. Window openings have segmental brick arched lintels, whilst the door has a flat concrete lintel
below a brick relieving arch. Windows are generally multi-paned timber-framed double-hung sashes. The longitudinal gabled roof is concealed behind an unadorned brick parapet.UNITED TANNERY & BOOT FACTORY (FORMER) - Integrity
Fair
Heritage Study and Grading
Yarra - City of Collingwood Conservation Study
Author: Andrew Ward & Associates
Year: 1989
Grading:Yarra - City of Collingwood Conservation Study
Author: Andrew Ward & Associates
Year: 1995
Grading: LocalYarra - City of Yarra Heritage Review
Author: Allom Lovell & Associates
Year: 1998
Grading: LocalYarra - City of Yarra Review of Heritage Overlay Areas
Author: Graeme Butler & Associates
Year: 2007
Grading: Local
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