The stickiness of the floor at Revolver in Prahran has always led me to assume this must be Melbourne's oldest building. It is like an archeological site.
If you walk to the corners of revs you'll see the mummified people who were unable to leave and were sadly forever stuck. This is where the phrase 'dance til your dead' was originated from
Visited Dirty Dick's pub in London during the sixties. I asked why the floor was covered in sawdust. As a men-only bar, patrons could spit on the floor and the sawdust would absorb the spit.
I have restored perhaps the oldest salvaged door in Melbourne. I think the owner of the door said it dated back to the 1850s. I also restored some cupboard doors of that same era. The home owner was a captain of a ship at that time and the house was constructed by the ship carpenters. The house itself was dismantled and is in storage. The very early houses were made or flat pack timber frames that were shipped from the uk. Then put together like an IKEA flat pack. Just recently I replaced 2 large windows copying the originals for a blue plaque property in Williamstown. The plaque states it is one of the oldest houses in Williamstown. It's great knowing I am touching the very same joinery that built Australian early history. I have been doing this type of work for over 40 years.
How interesting, and what a great opportunity to do that. I love Williamstown with its bluestone cobbles, and lived there until I was three. My great great grandparents lived there, and my great uncle was living there when he embarked for Belgium in 1917 with the 1st AIF.
I’ve only ever known Russell’s corner store to be quoted as the oldest house surviving in Melbourne, not the oldest building. Used to be a quaint old style Victorian tea room before the fire. Had lunch there, it was charming 🫖
Used to work a few doors down We went to lunch there 15-20 years and it was very like they weren’t expecting anyone to actually enter the store let alone want lunch. I think they managed ham and cheese sandwiches. It was an experience
I moved to the area in 2011 and would often walk up King St to go through Flagstaff Gardens - passing Russell's corner store in the process - and more often than not there was an elderly woman sitting alone by the window. This was when there was still the "Cafe Open" sign on the door. Didn't realise the significance of the place at the time, and I regret not stepping inside once in those 7ish years I walked by it.
Worked around the corner from The Mitre for 10 year and many a parma has fallen victim to my ample frame. So much character and ducking through doorways is a must.
Hi Philip, I Like your series about Melbourne. The wreckers who took out a lot of old Melbourne were Whelan's. It's pronounced like wheel. Wheelen. Look them up. Plenty of monkey business there.
There is a house in Saint Kilda Built in 1847 and is still standing today and used still to today, it was owned by Samuel Jackson and the street is named after him, he one of the first settlers in Melbourne and built a lot of buildings including his personal house, I believe it’s the oldest house in Melbourne or one of the oldest still standing and being used how do I know this? I used to live in that house.
There is definitely older stuff in the Melbourne area, not knocked down for city works. In more original farming areas. My Family have a bluestone cottage 1850, not far from the Yan Yean reservoir, initially a pub, but there is a lot of stuff still standing. Churches in particular. I think it is important to note that many old homes or buildings in this climate can become quite unwell ie grow moulds and bacteria in their fabrications. My family also have a 4 beautiful old homes in the city area, but they all have issues like this, even though a lot of renovation and upkeep has been done. If I had my way, I would strip out all the internal workings of them, which is expensive. Mould and lack of good air and light is a serious health issue, as lovely as the old architecture is. I would not live in any of them longterm. But I think Melbourne has such an attractive air to it , and many magnificent Buildings. Definitely paid for by gold no doubt. I wish someone would come and knock down the trashy cheap 'fast fashion' architecture that has popped up in more recent times. Thank you for the video!
@@murraykitson1436 ✌😃 nothing a good earthquake or major heatwave couldn't look after there! From my understanding a lot of that stuff is meant to be a drawcard for kids in particular, and some is OK in my mind, it is the landfill that concerns me.. The buildings I was referring to are ones you can see from my Aunt/ Uncles lovely big window (on back of 3 story bluestone circa 1906 ) they added to view the city. The view would be from North, north west. Just a bit back from Flagstaff Gardens. I believe they are cheap chinese living and office buildings. I could not tell you what streets they are on. They look like they were built in a few weeks and will last a decade, max. I do think so much of the other civil design is really in keeping and I am impressed. There are a lot of People certainly trying their best. It is the private stuff I think I was poking at. It is tricky when there isn't the same big$$ coming through the system to care and build quality. And I think a somewhat untrained population, to care for what they have. Having only been down here 7 years, I am not qualified to make more opinions. Was just curious first, to know the oldest building, then second, realised how new Melbourne is, and how different it is from Sydney in particular, but also Brisbane and Perth where I spent a decent chunk of adult life. Take care! Enjoy the beautiful day.
yeah I was thinking some of the blue stone cottages would have to be a similar period. 97 THE AVENUE, COBURG - was built in 1845 which is pretty early.
There are much older buildings in country vic than in Melbourne. My brothers house in New Gisborne was built in 1854. There are buildings in Gisborne as old as 1847. I live in Sunbury which was established in 1836, some houses remain here too. Melbourne has lost the old charm.
The oldest building in Victoria was the sealers hut at Rhyll onPhilip island. The oldest structure by Europeans would be the cairn built by Mathew Flinders at Arthur’s seat. Before that I think we will leave it to the archeologists to cover the previous 65,000 years 😊
I believe they are pronounced "whee-lan" the wrecker and they certainly have torn down a lot of Melbourne's history. No slight on Whelan and they are now history having closed the business 30 years ago.
Whelan the Wrecker was a popular nickname for the rowdy little boys who ran round yelling and broke their toys often. The Whelan signs were big around Melbourne growing up in the early 1960’s.
on the corner of Bell Street and Sydney Road is a bluestone church, behind the church adjacent to Coburg primary school is a non descript brick building that was built in the late 1830's/early 1840's
@@NewFalconerRecords I have since uncovered a document that says it was built in 1849 as the original wesleyan chapel and the much larger bluestone church was built next to it taking a few years to construct. its mentioned in a document city of coburg heritage and conversation streetscape study 1991. as a long time resident (I'm old) with family living there for generations I remember being told it was pre-gold rush
Thanks for that, now I know. And to think I used to drink at the Mitre Tavern 35 years ago, without knowing. The prefarbricated houses in South Melbourne, from the 1850s, would make an interesting video.
In the Late 80's & early 90's "The Mitre Tavern" in the laneway would be packed out on a Friday night straight after work, beautiful people everywhere in summer
Melbourne wasn't the first place for setteling in the State we now called Victoria. In 1810 there was a little camp and later village in the near of stony point. This area was only used til 1830 because of problems with water supply. Melbourne as we now know started in 1835 and was first named Melbourne in 1840 after Sir Melbourne the prime minister of Great Britain. At this same time die part of the state New South Wales that was south of the Murray River was a seperate State and named Victoria after Queen Victoria
…thought it might have been LaTrobe’s cottage, too, when I saw the title of the video…have never actually heard of the Mitre Tavern (family of teetotallers)…have learnt something new!
Not in the league of oldest buildings but one that I find intriguing is the The City of Melbourne Building (cnr. Elizabeth and Little Collins). Viewed from the outside, I always imagined the building to be filled with tiny, dark, labyrinthine corridors and secret rooms. Having lived and attended school and work in several different countries, Melbourne has become my favourite city.
Thanks for the interesting video. I am going to visit Melbourne again in October 2023 to find and see all the places I missed the first time. I love the history of the city and knowing where I can go helps out a lot.
Great video Phillip, it’s exactly what I thought is correct. Oldest in the state is probably Emu Bottom near Sunbury from 1836, which is extremely similar to my 1847 house near Heidelberg, which is oldest Earth building (rammed earth/ pisé construction) in metropolitan Melbourne, and probably the third oldest in the state after Bear’s Castle and a buildings in the west and far north of the state. It was one of many rammed earth market gardener’s cottage along the Yarra, luckily one survived. Another in Elsternwick was demolished in the 1960s and on Toorak Rd was demolished in the 1970s.
@@isabeller6506 the oldest part of ‘Banyule House’ is four rooms that along with St John’s Church and one room of the Old England Hotel all date from the same era, are near by.
He says 1755 at 0:33 🤔??? My old rental 3 Elliot St Fitzroy was 1854. Still standing, it sold in 2018 and was renovated. Went from $860 per month to $890 per week.😮
The Russell corner store days are number. Falling into disrepair and no one will to pay to fix it. Those supports have been holding it up at least 4 years now. Getting graffiti and it has survived one arson attack so far. Probably developers who will know doubt try it again.
LaTrobe’s Cottage (1839) is one of our oldest buildings. Given it is made of prefabricated material to have survived all these years is pretty amazing.
There are plenty of old skool mansions n basic homes scattered throughout the city built in 1850s n onwards even a few much earlier but youd have to find em amongst many.. i remember going to the cooks cottages n como house as a kid i believe como was built around 1840s
The Romance of the Catholic Presbyterian Church by W. Gray Dixon has a chapter (xviii) titled under the Southern Cross that you will find very informative and interesting.
Had an inkling that it would be the one that it turned out to be. Lovely old building. In Thomastown there's an old bluestone barn that was built in 1850 that's part of what is now the Ziebell's Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden. Only 13 years newer than the oldest building in inner-city Melbourne.
I’ll have to look up all the history of it but a close contender may be a flour mill in North Melbourne who’s dated roughly the late 1800s when it was first built..
Really cool vid. heard that church with the big white pillars up the hill on collins st was one of the first buildings in that area of the city and apparently used to be in the bush before stuff was built around it (collins st baptist church) think it was built in 1843
It really shows the priorities of the council and the state government when you look at the state of Russels Corner Shop. They know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. You know they are just itching for it to fall down or be declared unsafe so - the facade can remain but a god awful tower block will emerge from within. Melbourne has been utterly destroyed over the last 20 years. it was once a stunning city, now it's just gross and soulless
Do know where you’re coming from. Melbourne kind of has nice little ‘pockets’ here and there, but on a trip to Sydney very recently, have to say, I discovered Sydney far out-shines Melbourne as far as the presence of ‘historic’ (and otherwise ‘culturally valuable’) buildings is concerned.
The may technically be one older building in Melbourne, the Emu Bottom homestead in Sunbury. This depends on whether you count Sunbury as part of Melbourne, which it wasn't when it was built in 1836. It is the oldest extant building in Victoria.
Hey Phillip I would love to see you visit my home town of Gawler, the oldest town in south Australia with a heritage listed area called Church Hill designed by Colonel William Light, the guy who designed Adelaide and the area has kept true to its roots.
Hello! I have been there twice and it's a lovely place. I did film part of my video on the Victor Harbor Railway there th-cam.com/video/wVu1mrhk_8s/w-d-xo.html but I haven't done a specific video on its history - would be an interesting topic for sure! I
So much more suppressed history in Melbourne but the gov and schools and uni will disagree with. Go look at the theatres and cathedrals. These church’s are a basic design that peasants can achieve.
An ancestor of my partner came to Melbourne in 1842 and brought out a "flat pack" house which they built in Lonsdale St. In the 1970s our family would drive to Melbourne from a town on the Murray once a year for a day of shopping at Myer. We would park in the grounds of St Francis. Always a parking spot available. 😊
The fist structure built on the site of Melbourne was a storage 'hut' , built by George Evans , he was part of John Batemans party. Uncle George then took up land at Sunburra (Sunbury) and established the property of Emu Bottom.
The info on uncle George is contained in a family history written and researched by my late uncle in the 1980s.. George Evans was actually with John Pascoe Fawkner on the schooner "Enterprise " and explored western Port Bay before sailing in to Port Phillip Bay then up the Yarra River landing near Spencer Street in August 1835.. A sod hut to house stores..
How interesting! Thank you. I know St Francis church very well, as my family went there and my parents sang in the choir from when I was little. In the evening, we'd have dinner at Fown Wong's Chinese Restaurant (? in Bourke Street), and on Sunday afternoons we'd go to the Fitzroy Gardens, or the Botanical Gardens. I always loved the neon signs in Melbourne, including the Nylex clock, the Allen's sweets sign over the Princes Bridge, and the Skipping Girl vinegar sign in Richmond.
I would like to know whether there are any Melbourne CBD buildings older than the Num Pon Soon building that are still owned by their original owners to this day. The Num Pon Soon Society built this building in 1861 at 200 Lt Bourke Street in Chinatown. There are other buildings in Chinatown with the similar longevity, which stand as testament to the continuous history that Chinese Australians have on Melbourne City.
That's a very good question! I'm aware of the building but don't know of any that have been in the same hands for that long. Russell's Corner Store would have been a contender but obviously that doesn't come close to 1861.
Captain Cook's Cottage. [not literally but maybe] But as for later buildings that were actually built in Melbourne, I'm in your hands. (in other words, I didn't know until after the video.)
St Vincent's Boys' Orphanage Melbourne’s first Catholic orphanage, St Vincent’s was originally founded in Prahran in 1854 before moving to South Melbourne in 1857.
Brilliant! I had my hopes that the Mitre would be one of the oldest but never knew for sure. Could there be anything older somewhere around the inner suburbs, though?
Out in East Burwood on the Gardiner's Creek walking trail there's a settler's house. Well it's more of the remnants of it and it doesn't amount to much but I imagine it dates back to a similar date. I couldn't find any info online.
Duke was a pub first but was shut for a few years then was substantially refurbished - so the Mitre's the "oldest continuously operating pub" in the city as I understand it - but happy to be proven wrong. Anyway, both good spots for a pint before the footy.
Great video. My first thought was St James, totally forgot about the Mitre Tavern. St James was designed by Robert Russell who was an assistant to Robert Hoddle.
There is a house in Williamstown about 300 years old ,trnasported from Ireland.Propably more stuff in Willy that pre-dates Melbourne but I love your quest.
Can't say that Mitre Tavern is oldest building in Melbourne as Mitre Tavern, which opened 1868, was built around the original home, & building has been added to three times since, & renovated (while retaining much of the 1860s features) 2 decades ago. But not known what, if any features, remain from the circa 1839/40 built home. Saying that Ye Olde Mitre Tavern (name for some of 1800s) is oldest building suggests to people that what's there, as it is now, is oldest city building. But only part of it, within, is from what was the original home it was. And no one actually knows for sure how much of the interior rooms of the original house remain. Despite what sign says on the outside wall of Mitre Tavern as it being oldest building in Melbourne (tho did change the description on their website a while ago) Saying it as oldest building leads many people to think it's oldest pub in Melbourne. Certainly isn't. Mac's Hotel (trading as Captain Melville), & Duke of Wellington, were both licensed in 1853, 3 decades before Mitre Tavern existed. If using more specific criteria, the oldest building, with building almost exactly as was when built, at original site, perhaps* is Russell's Home & corner store. Building was built with the shop. Later becoming a Tea room when Nola Russell & husband George Dixon got older. St Francis was also added to, just the central part (nave) is the original 1841 part. So saying St Francis, as it is later was/now as oldest building isn't correct either. Only part of it, internally, & as walls were removed, to add to extend it, does it count? I would certainly give Nola & George's home as oldest home building in Melb. Some people have argued their home is older, but the house, upstairs part of shop+home building, etc has seen different people, &/or building had changes. *A building on corner of Bourke St & McKillop St dates to 1848. (was as Kozminsky Jewellers for several decades until about 15 years ago). Part of Crossley Building 54-62 Bourke St also dates to 1848. 62 with the Paperback Book shop for past 4-5 decades & shop next door were built in 1848. Building was added to (remaining 2 storey) in 1851. Those other shops (using more than 1 shop) were named, & building more commonly known as, Job's Warehouse from mid 1900s to early 2010s. Until 2018 (when it closed) Oddfellows Hotel was also one of the oldest, still trading, pubs in Melb. Like Mitre Tavern, the pub was built around the original home, on the site. That home was mid 1840s. As for District of Port Phillip (as much of the area was untill became Victoria in 1851), have to mention that the Henty Family settled near (now) Portland in 1834, the year prior to people sailing up the (now) Yarra river and started settling there from 1835. However, I believe that a stone cottage built mid 1840s, & licensed as London Hotel in 1847 is no longer there. Great & big range of beers on tap at Mitre, so am to discuss/argue with Phil or anyone, as long as you buy lol, more points why my comments do work, & why I won't give Mitre Tavern title as oldest building in Melb. If you somehow manage to prove that I should give it to Mitre Taven, we'll go to Mac's Hotel, & i'll buy lol. Whichever is whatever, it reminds of places to look at when I next do a walk with a social walks & urban exploring group. Perhaps we could oldest buildings & oldest pubs, then by time we get last couple places won't give a rat's lol which is oldest
I remember in Mum’s house at me being 14 yrs old. I remember the traffic being vehicles with flicking lights on and at this stage of life I wondered how flickering lights are everywhere where cars are driving. Extremely unusual. My mum didn’t understand and neither did us kids. Long time ago. Nifty J. Neville Jones.
We hear this time and time again all over the world. I just don’t believe they were dismantling buildings and re constructing them again down the road using the same parts.
I think the Roundhouse in Fremantle is older than the oldest building in Melbourne. Also 1836 was when London got its first commuter railway line. I used it to go to work in the 1990s and it's still going strong.
This guy totally got it wrong the oldest building in Melbourne is captain cook’s cottage it was dismantled in England and rebuilt in Melbourne. Come on lift your game
It's a shame Victoria does not have functional heritage protection. They demolished the oldest building in our town so the neighbour could gravel the area and put his bins there. It was 115 years old, and on the victorian heritage register (which apparently does nothing) and of course the council was fine with it because they are all developers. Melbourne city used to have pocket parks built into its design until the council sold them all for the cash, and now they allow the oldest buildings to be destroyed routinely. They have no respect for history or culture - unless it's pandering to recent cultural imports.
Yes you're right, there are many heritage sites in that area. And Williamstown was very close (1836) but the first 'official' European settlement was in Portland Bay in 1834
dismantling a building and moving it elsewhere always feels like cheating. "oldest" building is always such a 'thing' because - its amazing its lasted exactly where it is for so long and you can imagine what life was like exactly as it stood. moving buildings is moving atoms. The atoms in my body are billions of years old, am i billions of years old?
Captains cook cottage shouldn't even be on this list as it was moved to the the current site at Fitzroy gardens somewhere in the mid 20th century or later and reassembled/reconstructed on site as a display.
Would have been hard for any of the cook' to have actuly lived in the cottage in Aus because it wasn't shipped to Aus untill the mid 1930's according to Wikipedia and it's my understanding that captain cook only set foot in Aus once and that was only because his ship needed repairs
A friend our the family is the wife of one of the original founders of Mitre10. She has been trying to put the naming myth to rest for years. Mitre10 was NOT named after the tavern. It is the name of a carpentry joint. I have contacted the Tavern in the past to forward this in with no response.
A bit of a stretch to say at the Captain Cook cottage is being the oldest building certainly wasn’t the oldest building prior to it being moved to Australia so it’s a bit of a cheat
umm captains cooks cottage it predates modern Australia and yes I know it was brought here from England in later years but it's still older than anything else
The stickiness of the floor at Revolver in Prahran has always led me to assume this must be Melbourne's oldest building.
It is like an archeological site.
Same carpet as the old Espy
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
LOL! I'm sure you could walk off the sticky floor straight up the sticky walls. 😂 I fell down those stairs once. Ouch.
If you walk to the corners of revs you'll see the mummified people who were unable to leave and were sadly forever stuck. This is where the phrase 'dance til your dead' was originated from
@@lokinube 😂😂😂
I met my husband in the Mitre in the 1970’s and we got married upstairs, it has beautiful exposed beams and stained glass windows.
The Mitre Tavern is probably named after Ye Olde Mitre in London (1546). I've had an ale in that one, too.
Visited Dirty Dick's pub in London during the sixties. I asked why the floor was covered in sawdust. As a men-only bar, patrons could spit on the floor and the sawdust would absorb the spit.
Mite 10 is named after a group of men who would gather at the Mitre for an ale or two.
I have restored perhaps the oldest salvaged door in Melbourne. I think the owner of the door said it dated back to the 1850s. I also restored some cupboard doors of that same era. The home owner was a captain of a ship at that time and the house was constructed by the ship carpenters. The house itself was dismantled and is in storage. The very early houses were made or flat pack timber frames that were shipped from the uk. Then put together like an IKEA flat pack. Just recently I replaced 2 large windows copying the originals for a blue plaque property in Williamstown. The plaque states it is one of the oldest houses in Williamstown. It's great knowing I am touching the very same joinery that built Australian early history. I have been doing this type of work for over 40 years.
Sounds like you have a very interesting job! The history of doors would be an interesting topic in itself
@@philipmallis yes some of the oldest doors I have worked on were in central London along Buckingham palace rd. Very big heavy doors.
How interesting, and what a great opportunity to do that.
I love Williamstown with its bluestone cobbles, and lived there until I was three.
My great great grandparents lived there, and my great uncle was living there when he embarked for Belgium in 1917 with the 1st AIF.
I’ve only ever known Russell’s corner store to be quoted as the oldest house surviving in Melbourne, not the oldest building. Used to be a quaint old style Victorian tea room before the fire. Had lunch there, it was charming 🫖
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
@@GlennFloyd Thank you, that was wonderful!
Used to work a few doors down
We went to lunch there 15-20 years and it was very like they weren’t expecting anyone to actually enter the store let alone want lunch.
I think they managed ham and cheese sandwiches.
It was an experience
I moved to the area in 2011 and would often walk up King St to go through Flagstaff Gardens - passing Russell's corner store in the process - and more often than not there was an elderly woman sitting alone by the window. This was when there was still the "Cafe Open" sign on the door. Didn't realise the significance of the place at the time, and I regret not stepping inside once in those 7ish years I walked by it.
Worked around the corner from The Mitre for 10 year and many a parma has fallen victim to my ample frame. So much character and ducking through doorways is a must.
I think I may have watched you eating one from afar.
Ahh yes Whelan the Wrecker. I remember the signs they put up on the fences of those properties they were, well, wrecking.
Sad we lost so many historical buildings
Though, when I was a kid the pronunciation of Whelan was "wheel-an".
Hi Philip, I Like your series about Melbourne. The wreckers who took out a lot of old Melbourne were Whelan's. It's pronounced like wheel. Wheelen. Look them up. Plenty of monkey business there.
...yep, Robyn Annear has written a great book on Whelan's gross destruction activity: A City Lost & Found.
Thank you! And thanks for the pronunciation information, I'll be sure to correct that in the future
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
Went to school with someone with last name Whelan. It was pronounced whalen, however that was in NSW 😊
@@philipmallis Good way to remember it was from their old ad that went "It's a great feelin' dealin' with whelan"
There is a house in Saint Kilda Built in 1847 and is still standing today and used still to today, it was owned by Samuel Jackson and the street is named after him, he one of the first settlers in Melbourne and built a lot of buildings including his personal house, I believe it’s the oldest house in Melbourne or one of the oldest still standing and being used how do I know this? I used to live in that house.
The mitre tavern is special for me as it’s the last time dad and I shared a beer before he died.
There is definitely older stuff in the Melbourne area, not knocked down for city works. In more original farming areas.
My Family have a bluestone cottage 1850, not far from the Yan Yean reservoir, initially a pub, but there is a lot of stuff still standing. Churches in particular.
I think it is important to note that many old homes or buildings in this climate can become quite unwell ie grow moulds and bacteria in their fabrications.
My family also have a 4 beautiful old homes in the city area, but they all have issues like this, even though a lot of renovation and upkeep has been done. If I had my way, I would strip out all the internal workings of them, which is expensive.
Mould and lack of good air and light is a serious health issue, as lovely as the old architecture is. I would not live in any of them longterm.
But I think Melbourne has such an attractive air to it , and many magnificent Buildings. Definitely paid for by gold no doubt. I wish someone would come and knock down the trashy cheap 'fast fashion' architecture that has popped up in more recent times.
Thank you for the video!
You must absolutely "love " Federation Square 😂 !
@@murraykitson1436 ✌😃 nothing a good earthquake or major heatwave couldn't look after there!
From my understanding a lot of that stuff is meant to be a drawcard for kids in particular, and some is OK in my mind, it is the landfill that concerns me..
The buildings I was referring to are ones you can see from my Aunt/ Uncles lovely big window (on back of 3 story bluestone circa 1906 ) they added to view the city. The view would be from North, north west. Just a bit back from Flagstaff Gardens. I believe they are cheap chinese living and office buildings. I could not tell you what streets they are on. They look like they were built in a few weeks and will last a decade, max.
I do think so much of the other civil design is really in keeping and I am impressed. There are a lot of People certainly trying their best. It is the private stuff I think I was poking at. It is tricky when there isn't the same big$$ coming through the system to care and build quality. And I think a somewhat untrained population, to care for what they have.
Having only been down here 7 years, I am not qualified to make more opinions.
Was just curious first, to know the oldest building, then second, realised how new Melbourne is, and how different it is from Sydney in particular, but also Brisbane and Perth where I spent a decent chunk of adult life.
Take care! Enjoy the beautiful day.
@@em945 Agreed !
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
yeah I was thinking some of the blue stone cottages would have to be a similar period.
97 THE AVENUE, COBURG - was built in 1845 which is pretty early.
There are much older buildings in country vic than in Melbourne. My brothers house in New Gisborne was built in 1854. There are buildings in Gisborne as old as 1847. I live in Sunbury which was established in 1836, some houses remain here too. Melbourne has lost the old charm.
The oldest building in Victoria was the sealers hut at Rhyll onPhilip island. The oldest structure by Europeans would be the cairn built by Mathew Flinders at Arthur’s seat. Before that I think we will leave it to the archeologists to cover the previous 65,000 years 😊
I believe they are pronounced "whee-lan" the wrecker and they certainly have torn down a lot of Melbourne's history. No slight on Whelan and they are now history having closed the business 30 years ago.
💯
Ah thank you, I'll be sure to correct that in the future!
Whelan the Wrecker was a popular nickname for the rowdy little boys who ran round yelling and broke their toys often. The Whelan signs were big around Melbourne growing up in the early 1960’s.
on the corner of Bell Street and Sydney Road is a bluestone church, behind the church adjacent to Coburg primary school is a non descript brick building that was built in the late 1830's/early 1840's
I'd say more 1850s.
@@NewFalconerRecords I have since uncovered a document that says it was built in 1849 as the original wesleyan chapel and the much larger bluestone church was built next to it taking a few years to construct. its mentioned in a document city of coburg heritage and conversation streetscape study 1991. as a long time resident (I'm old) with family living there for generations I remember being told it was pre-gold rush
@@bonza167 Fantastic! I'll definitely check it out properly when I'm next in the area.
I had thought the old Gaol was with a mention, being started in 1841 and added to in 1864. The spookiest place I have ever been.
Thanks for that, now I know. And to think I used to drink at the Mitre Tavern 35 years ago, without knowing.
The prefarbricated houses in South Melbourne, from the 1850s, would make an interesting video.
I used to go there for drinks after work on a Friday evening. That's back in the 1990's. Used to to be packed out.
Yes it was on a Friday nights
In the Late 80's & early 90's "The Mitre Tavern" in the laneway would be packed out on a Friday night straight after work, beautiful people everywhere in summer
Loved going to the Mitre tavern 8 years worked across from it even friends would meet there 😀 lots of history in that pub
I thought Melbourne was older than 1835 ..even Perth and Brisbane are older ..Melbourne, the new kid on the block 😁
Melbourne wasn't the first place for setteling in the State we now called Victoria. In 1810 there was a little camp and later village in the near of stony point. This area was only used til 1830 because of problems with water supply.
Melbourne as we now know started in 1835 and was first named Melbourne in 1840 after Sir Melbourne the prime minister of Great Britain. At this same time die part of the state New South Wales that was south of the Murray River was a seperate State and named Victoria after Queen Victoria
Another contender would be Governor LaTrobes cottage. But think it dates to 1839, so the Mitre Tavern still takes the prize.
…thought it might have been LaTrobe’s cottage, too, when I saw the title of the video…have never actually heard of the Mitre Tavern (family of teetotallers)…have learnt something new!
Not in the league of oldest buildings but one that I find intriguing is the The City of Melbourne Building (cnr. Elizabeth and Little Collins). Viewed from the outside, I always imagined the building to be filled with tiny, dark, labyrinthine corridors and secret rooms.
Having lived and attended school and work in several different countries, Melbourne has become my favourite city.
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
As someone who has lived in Melbourne all my life that building has always been a mystery to me. And it has that faded for lease sign too.
Thanks for the interesting video. I am going to visit Melbourne again in October 2023 to find and see all the places I missed the first time. I love the history of the city and knowing where I can go helps out a lot.
Thanks very much, glad to hear it's helpful!
I have eaten in the upstairs steak house on several occasions in the Mitre Tavern. Interesting video Philip.
Subscribing! Just started working as a craftsman in the heritage industry in Melbourne. Glad there's more and more people becoming interested!
Thank you!
I need to visit Bank Place now...
Great video Phillip, it’s exactly what I thought is correct. Oldest in the state is probably Emu Bottom near Sunbury from 1836, which is extremely similar to my 1847 house near Heidelberg, which is oldest Earth building (rammed earth/ pisé construction) in metropolitan Melbourne, and probably the third oldest in the state after Bear’s Castle and a buildings in the west and far north of the state. It was one of many rammed earth market gardener’s cottage along the Yarra, luckily one survived. Another in Elsternwick was demolished in the 1960s and on Toorak Rd was demolished in the 1970s.
are you talking about Banyule Homestead in Heidelberg?
@@isabeller6506 the oldest part of ‘Banyule House’ is four rooms that along with St John’s Church and one room of the Old England Hotel all date from the same era, are near by.
That's very interesting, thank you! I didn't know about Emu Bottom
@@philipmallis the owners of Emu Botton are lovely people, they are wonderful custodians of the property and I was lucky enough to get a private tour.
He says 1755 at 0:33 🤔???
My old rental 3 Elliot St Fitzroy was 1854.
Still standing, it sold in 2018 and was renovated.
Went from $860 per month to $890 per week.😮
The Russell corner store days are number. Falling into disrepair and no one will to pay to fix it. Those supports have been holding it up at least 4 years now. Getting graffiti and it has survived one arson attack so far. Probably developers who will know doubt try it again.
Captain Cook's Cottage was built in 1755! That's about eighty years BEFORE Melbourne was built.
But it was transported and reconstructed brick by brick in Melbourne in 1934. Does not qualify.
In the reconstruction process it was built, or re-built, so it qualifies as a building. @@NewFalconerRecords
LaTrobe’s Cottage (1839) is one of our oldest buildings. Given it is made of prefabricated material to have survived all these years is pretty amazing.
There are plenty of old skool mansions n basic homes scattered throughout the city built in 1850s n onwards even a few much earlier but youd have to find em amongst many.. i remember going to the cooks cottages n como house as a kid i believe como was built around 1840s
Melbourne certainly has a nice mix of old and new buildings. What do you think of all the new developments in your city? Too hemmed in?
I thought that was going to be the answer, it's a great little pub well worth visiting!
What about the shot tower in Melbourne Central?
That was built in 1889-1890, so a couple of years after the Mitre Tavern: www.melbournecentral.com.au/visitor-info/our-heritage
You gotta assume the Mitre10 website explanation comes from a department far removed from the origin and is to deter any sort of litany.
The Romance of the Catholic Presbyterian Church by W. Gray Dixon has a chapter (xviii) titled under the Southern Cross that you will find very informative and interesting.
Chateau Yering Hotel 1838 - 1854 - Victorias first wine cellar 1840 - first wine vines planted 1938 etc
This is only worth while if you say where it is
Great video mate. Love supporting Aussie creators on TH-cam. Cheers
Many thanks!
I had no idea the Mitre Tavern was our oldest surviving building. I should have paid more attention back in the days when I was drinking there 😊
This is a cool little video detailing the topic, thank you!
Had an inkling that it would be the one that it turned out to be. Lovely old building. In Thomastown there's an old bluestone barn that was built in 1850 that's part of what is now the Ziebell's Farmhouse Museum and Heritage Garden. Only 13 years newer than the oldest building in inner-city Melbourne.
I’ll have to look up all the history of it but a close contender may be a flour mill in North Melbourne who’s dated roughly the late 1800s when it was first built..
For sure, is this the Weston flour mill in Kensington next to the railway or am I thinking of the wrong one?
Really cool vid. heard that church with the big white pillars up the hill on collins st was one of the first buildings in that area of the city and apparently used to be in the bush before stuff was built around it (collins st baptist church) think it was built in 1843
Got married at the Mitre. Nice to see it featured in a video.
Grew up seeing "Whelan the Wrecker is here" all over the place.
It really shows the priorities of the council and the state government when you look at the state of Russels Corner Shop. They know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. You know they are just itching for it to fall down or be declared unsafe so - the facade can remain but a god awful tower block will emerge from within. Melbourne has been utterly destroyed over the last 20 years. it was once a stunning city, now it's just gross and soulless
Do know where you’re coming from. Melbourne kind of has nice little ‘pockets’ here and there, but on a trip to Sydney very recently, have to say, I discovered Sydney far out-shines Melbourne as far as the presence of ‘historic’ (and otherwise ‘culturally valuable’) buildings is concerned.
The may technically be one older building in Melbourne, the Emu Bottom homestead in Sunbury. This depends on whether you count Sunbury as part of Melbourne, which it wasn't when it was built in 1836. It is the oldest extant building in Victoria.
Hey Phillip I would love to see you visit my home town of Gawler, the oldest town in south Australia with a heritage listed area called Church Hill designed by Colonel William Light, the guy who designed Adelaide and the area has kept true to its roots.
Hello! I have been there twice and it's a lovely place. I did film part of my video on the Victor Harbor Railway there th-cam.com/video/wVu1mrhk_8s/w-d-xo.html but I haven't done a specific video on its history - would be an interesting topic for sure! I
@@philipmallis That's Goolwa, Gawler is in the north. Great video though, just watched it.
Thanks
Been a few occasions I've and an ale or three at the Mitre!
Lovely old pub!
Ah! I thought it wold have been State Library lol,
Anyhow interesting as always!
So much more suppressed history in Melbourne but the gov and schools and uni will disagree with. Go look at the theatres and cathedrals. These church’s are a basic design that peasants can achieve.
Claims of old usually infer that a large proportion of the building is actually original.
Another great video. I'm going to have a beer at the Mitre Tavern.
An ancestor of my partner came to Melbourne in 1842 and brought out a "flat pack" house which they built in Lonsdale St.
In the 1970s our family would drive to Melbourne from a town on the Murray once a year for a day of shopping at Myer.
We would park in the grounds of St Francis. Always a parking spot available. 😊
The fist structure built on the site of Melbourne was a storage 'hut' , built by George Evans , he was part of John Batemans party. Uncle George then took up land at Sunburra (Sunbury) and established the property of Emu Bottom.
That's very interesting, thank you! Do you have any further reading on this? I can't seem to find anything myself
The info on uncle George is contained in a family history written and researched by my late uncle in the 1980s..
George Evans was actually with John Pascoe Fawkner on the schooner "Enterprise " and explored western Port Bay before sailing in to Port Phillip Bay then up the Yarra River landing near Spencer Street in August 1835..
A sod hut to house stores..
How interesting!
Thank you.
I know St Francis church very well, as my family went there and my parents sang in the choir from when I was little.
In the evening, we'd have dinner at Fown Wong's Chinese Restaurant (? in Bourke Street), and on Sunday afternoons we'd go to the Fitzroy Gardens, or the Botanical Gardens.
I always loved the neon signs in Melbourne, including the Nylex clock, the Allen's sweets sign over the Princes Bridge, and the Skipping Girl vinegar sign in Richmond.
I would like to know whether there are any Melbourne CBD buildings older than the Num Pon Soon building that are still owned by their original owners to this day. The Num Pon Soon Society built this building in 1861 at 200 Lt Bourke Street in Chinatown. There are other buildings in Chinatown with the similar longevity, which stand as testament to the continuous history that Chinese Australians have on Melbourne City.
That's a very good question! I'm aware of the building but don't know of any that have been in the same hands for that long. Russell's Corner Store would have been a contender but obviously that doesn't come close to 1861.
Alot of Melbourne's very old pre gold rush buildings have been knocked down recently unfortunately. Melbourne more looks like Hong Kong now.
Captain Cook's Cottage. [not literally but maybe] But as for later buildings that were actually built in Melbourne, I'm in your hands. (in other words, I didn't know until after the video.)
Yep! Built in 1755.
Cook's mothers surname is very rare and shared by James Cook's Mother (maiden name) and I.@@majorlaff8682
Great Vid!
St Vincent's Boys' Orphanage
Melbourne’s first Catholic orphanage, St Vincent’s was originally founded in Prahran in 1854 before moving to South Melbourne in 1857.
Oh its tricky, when time warps and begins again. What is the oldest building REALLY? Lets look underneath Melbourne......ohhhh
Brilliant! I had my hopes that the Mitre would be one of the oldest but never knew for sure. Could there be anything older somewhere around the inner suburbs, though?
Out in East Burwood on the Gardiner's Creek walking trail there's a settler's house. Well it's more of the remnants of it and it doesn't amount to much but I imagine it dates back to a similar date. I couldn't find any info online.
Quite probably, and there are likely other structures around Victoria as well.
Hi Phillip . Love your videos. Some people also think the Mitre Tavern is our oldest pub given its age. In fact it’s the Duke of Wellington.
Ah yes of course, maybe another video on that topic!
I was told the oldest pub in Melbourne is Macs hotel in Franklin St between Swanston and Elizabeth Sts?
@@dogthatshags aaaah this is a good debate...both claim to be - @philipmallis I think need you to weigh into this debate!
Duke was a pub first but was shut for a few years then was substantially refurbished - so the Mitre's the "oldest continuously operating pub" in the city as I understand it - but happy to be proven wrong. Anyway, both good spots for a pint before the footy.
Great video. My first thought was St James, totally forgot about the Mitre Tavern. St James was designed by Robert Russell who was an assistant to Robert Hoddle.
Can you do a video of the oldest building in Australia?
Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta.
There certainly was older buildings but greedy developers have bulldozed them!
Lola and George at Russell's Old Corner Shop th-cam.com/video/gF20D8Ms7po/w-d-xo.html
No way! I work in this lane!!! awesome to learn that the mitre tavern is the oldest building in Melbourne
I presumed everyone knew Mitre10 stores were named after reference to carpentry as I have since a kid .
Thank you Phillip I love the Mitre Tavern. I spent time there often with friends from work. ❤😊
There is a house in Williamstown about 300 years old ,trnasported from Ireland.Propably more stuff in Willy that pre-dates Melbourne but I love your quest.
WOW. I am from Western Australia. Yeah. Long way from normal. I’m with all of you over many years like today. Nifty. Vietnam Veteran.
Can't say that Mitre Tavern is oldest building in Melbourne as Mitre Tavern, which opened 1868, was built around the original home, & building has been added to three times since, & renovated (while retaining much of the 1860s features) 2 decades ago. But not known what, if any features, remain from the circa 1839/40 built home.
Saying that Ye Olde Mitre Tavern (name for some of 1800s) is oldest building suggests to people that what's there, as it is now, is oldest city building. But only part of it, within, is from what was the original home it was. And no one actually knows for sure how much of the interior rooms of the original house remain.
Despite what sign says on the outside wall of Mitre Tavern as it being oldest building in Melbourne (tho did change the description on their website a while ago)
Saying it as oldest building leads many people to think it's oldest pub in Melbourne. Certainly isn't. Mac's Hotel (trading as Captain Melville), & Duke of Wellington, were both licensed in 1853, 3 decades before Mitre Tavern existed.
If using more specific criteria, the oldest building, with building almost exactly as was when built, at original site, perhaps* is Russell's Home & corner store. Building was built with the shop. Later becoming a Tea room when Nola Russell & husband George Dixon got older.
St Francis was also added to, just the central part (nave) is the original 1841 part. So saying St Francis, as it is later was/now as oldest building isn't correct either. Only part of it, internally, & as walls were removed, to add to extend it, does it count?
I would certainly give Nola & George's home as oldest home building in Melb. Some people have argued their home is older, but the house, upstairs part of shop+home building, etc has seen different people, &/or building had changes.
*A building on corner of Bourke St & McKillop St dates to 1848. (was as Kozminsky Jewellers for several decades until about 15 years ago). Part of Crossley Building 54-62 Bourke St also dates to 1848. 62 with the Paperback Book shop for past 4-5 decades & shop next door were built in 1848. Building was added to (remaining 2 storey) in 1851. Those other shops (using more than 1 shop) were named, & building more commonly known as, Job's Warehouse from mid 1900s to early 2010s.
Until 2018 (when it closed) Oddfellows Hotel was also one of the oldest, still trading, pubs in Melb. Like Mitre Tavern, the pub was built around the original home, on the site. That home was mid 1840s.
As for District of Port Phillip (as much of the area was untill became Victoria in 1851), have to mention that the Henty Family settled near (now) Portland in 1834, the year prior to people sailing up the (now) Yarra river and started settling there from 1835. However, I believe that a stone cottage built mid 1840s, & licensed as London Hotel in 1847 is no longer there.
Great & big range of beers on tap at Mitre, so am to discuss/argue with Phil or anyone, as long as you buy lol, more points why my comments do work, & why I won't give Mitre Tavern title as oldest building in Melb.
If you somehow manage to prove that I should give it to Mitre Taven, we'll go to Mac's Hotel, & i'll buy lol.
Whichever is whatever, it reminds of places to look at when I next do a walk with a social walks & urban exploring group. Perhaps we could oldest buildings & oldest pubs, then by time we get last couple places won't give a rat's lol which is oldest
I remember in Mum’s house at me being 14 yrs old. I remember the traffic being vehicles with flicking lights on and at this stage of life I wondered how flickering lights are everywhere where cars are driving. Extremely unusual. My mum didn’t understand and neither did us kids. Long time ago. Nifty J. Neville Jones.
Also, the old and exclusive boys den the Savage club is across the lane from Mitre Tav.
St Francis is a pretty good effort for a pre-rush Melbourne church. Very handsome.
We hear this time and time again all over the world. I just don’t believe they were dismantling buildings and re constructing them again down the road using the same parts.
Melburnians define the word milquetoast
I think the Roundhouse in Fremantle is older than the oldest building in Melbourne. Also 1836 was when London got its first commuter railway line. I used it to go to work in the 1990s and it's still going strong.
This guy totally got it wrong the oldest building in Melbourne is captain cook’s cottage it was dismantled in England and rebuilt in Melbourne. Come on lift your game
It's a shame Victoria does not have functional heritage protection. They demolished the oldest building in our town so the neighbour could gravel the area and put his bins there. It was 115 years old, and on the victorian heritage register (which apparently does nothing) and of course the council was fine with it because they are all developers. Melbourne city used to have pocket parks built into its design until the council sold them all for the cash, and now they allow the oldest buildings to be destroyed routinely. They have no respect for history or culture - unless it's pandering to recent cultural imports.
Williamstown too has many very old buildings and I believe was the first settlement in Victoria?
Yes you're right, there are many heritage sites in that area. And Williamstown was very close (1836) but the first 'official' European settlement was in Portland Bay in 1834
@@philipmallis Thanks I never new that
dismantling a building and moving it elsewhere always feels like cheating. "oldest" building is always such a 'thing' because - its amazing its lasted exactly where it is for so long and you can imagine what life was like exactly as it stood.
moving buildings is moving atoms. The atoms in my body are billions of years old, am i billions of years old?
Captains cook cottage shouldn't even be on this list as it was moved to the the current site at Fitzroy gardens somewhere in the mid 20th century or later and reassembled/reconstructed on site as a display.
I used to drink every friday night at the Mitre Tavern in the 90s for years....great pub back then.
Would have been hard for any of the cook' to have actuly lived in the cottage in Aus because it wasn't shipped to Aus untill the mid 1930's according to Wikipedia and it's my understanding that captain cook only set foot in Aus once and that was only because his ship needed repairs
A friend our the family is the wife of one of the original founders of Mitre10. She has been trying to put the naming myth to rest for years. Mitre10 was NOT named after the tavern. It is the name of a carpentry joint. I have contacted the Tavern in the past to forward this in with no response.
Mitre Tavern also has the reputation as being one of the most haunted locations in Victoria.
What about the row of single fronted pre fab houses in port melbourne. They have a very small foot print.
2 years after Melbourne was established. Not going to find many older than that.
A bit of a stretch to say at the Captain Cook cottage is being the oldest building certainly wasn’t the oldest building prior to it being moved to Australia so it’s a bit of a cheat
Even my dads house built 1840's has the full history
Love the Mitre Tavern. My partner and I once had a date there during the forst few months of our relationship. Love their steak. 😅
@DesA-etc Sydnerdians define the term "insipid".
Awesome mate, I will have to go to the Mitre Tavern very soon,
I love Mite Tavern and the whole Bank Place
Well that explains the cockroach in the salad the only time I ate there!
umm captains cooks cottage it predates modern Australia and yes I know it was brought here from England in later years but it's still older than anything else
Correct.