CHINESE CLUB HOUSE "NUM PON SOON"
200-202 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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CHINESE CLUB HOUSE "NUM PON SOON" - History
Heritage Inventory History of Site: Date of first documented occupation, 1861Heritage Inventory Description
CHINESE CLUB HOUSE "NUM PON SOON" - Heritage Inventory Description
Extant building built 1861. Used as Chinese lodging house, meeting rooms, clubhouse. Owner: Lowe Kong Meng, President of Sam Yup Society & prominent merchant/ importer, leader of the Chinese community in Victoria. Urged his countrymen to adopt English ways.
Heritage Inventory Significance: THE CHINESE CLUB HOUSE KNOWN AS NUM PON SOON WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1861 AND 1862 TO A DESIGN BY ARCHITECT PETER KERR. THIS DESIGN WAS COMPLETED FOR LOWE KONG MENG, MERCHANT AND CHINESE COMMUNITY LEADER. IT WAS INITIALLY CONSTRUCTED FOR USE AS A CHINESE LODGING HOUSE AND MEETING ROOMS. ITS MAJOR IMPACT IS IN TERMS OF ITS FACADE TO LITTLE BOURKE STREET WHICH IS CARRIED OUT IN A RESTRAINED CLASSICAL DESIGN. THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED OF BRICK AND THE FACADE IS CEMENT RENDERED.THIS BUILDING IS IMPORTANT IN BOTH ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL TERMS. THE AUSTRALIAN DICTIONARY OF BIOGRAPHY DESCRIBES LOWE KONG MENG AS "A POPULAR AND ENLIGHTENED LEADER IN MELBOURNE'S CHINESE COMMUNITY". HE WAS ELECTED BY THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT AS A COMMISSIONER OF THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITIONS OF 1880 AND 1888 AND ONCE AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE ADB HE WAS DESCRIBED AS "'CULTURED', 'SUPERIOR,' 'INFLUENTIAL' AND 'HIGHLY ESTEEMED.'" "HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN VICTORIA WAS ALSO RECOGNISED BY EMPEROR T'UNG CH'LH, WHO CONFERRED ON HIM THE TITLE OF MANDARIN OF THE BLUE BUTTON CIVIL ORDER, IN 1863." THE ARCHITECT PETER KERR IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN THE DESIGN OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MELBOURNE. HE WAS A PUPIL OF SIR CHARLES BARRY, ARCHITECT OF THE BRITISH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND WAS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR A NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN VICTORIA. THIS BUILDING RELIES LARGELY ON ITS RESTRAINED APPEARANCE, IN PARTICULAR ITS USE OF TWO STOREY COLONNADING. ITS CURRENT GENERAL LEVEL OF SOUNDNESS SPEAKS WELL FOR THE CRAFTSMANSHIP WHICH WENT INTO ITS CONSTRUCTION. IT HAS BEEN ALTERED ON THE GROUND FLOOR BY THE CLOSING IN OF THE COLONNADING TO PROVIDE A SHOP FRONT. HISTORICAL NOTE: CHINESE FIRST CAME TO VICTORIA IN LARGE NUMBERS DURING THE GOLDRUSHES OF THE 1850'S. LIKE THE THOUSANDS OF CHINESE WHO WENT TO THE USA, CANADA AND NEW ZEALAND IN THIS PERIOD THEY CAME OVERWHELMINGLY FROM SMALL FARMING VILLAGES IN THE CANTON DELTA AREA OF KWANGTUNG, CHINA'S SOUTH MOST PROVINCE.
Archeological Potential: Extant bldg Fabric,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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