16 Capel Street

I once lived in the building, and recently had cause to dig into its history.

I’ve come up with a list of dates about the occupancy of 16 Capel, & its commercial neighbours.

While I won’t claim my data is perfect, it may supplement some details on your page.
Hope it’s helpful,
Niels

16 Capel Street (south)

Prior to 1920, the house numbering of Capel St south of Victoria Street, was duplicated in the northern block. The only difference in an address was the name of the suburb – North Melbourne (north of Victoria Street) or West Melbourne (south). The present continuous numbering system was adopted in 1920.
Originally, Sands & McDougall listed both North and West Melbournes alphabetically, among the other suburbs. In 1926, the Capel-Peel St block was included in the listings for the City of Melbourne. (Some other streets of West Melbourne migrated, too.) Dates below are a mix, from S & McD street lists and the electoral rolls, which sometimes differ by a year.

https://www.melbournestreets.com.au/16-capel-street/

OCCUPANTS

1859              Mr. Alexander Cooper, first Crown land purchaser
1885-1918     William Cooper, builder
1919-1922     Ernest S. Walker
1922-1926     Mrs. Laura Walker
1927-1940     Mrs. Mary A. Pulle
1945?            Thomas Pulle
1950-1955     Thomas De Gruchy
1960-1962     “Chinese”
1963               H. & S. Frankel
1968-1973     H. & S. Frankel
1977-1979     Niels Hutchison, studio
1979-1991     Niels Hutchison, studio & residence

9/5/1891 The Leader, Melbourne
COOPER. – On the 3rd May, at his late residence, 16 Capel-street, West Melbourne, Alexander Cooper, contractor, aged 63 years, dearly beloved father of William Cooper and Mrs. J. H. Thompson, Balaclava.
• Wm Cooper, builder, resided at 16 Capel St in 1900-03, and probably continuously until 1916-18.
2/9/1915  The Argus, Melbourne
1915. COOPER—ROCKE.—[Silver Wedding.] — [married] On the 2nd September, 1890, at East Melbourne, by the Rev. Robert Hamilton, William, only son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Cooper, West Melbourne, to Ellen, only daughter of M. I. Rocke, and the late Mrs. Rocke, North Melbourne. Present address – Aberdeen, 16 Capel street, West Melbourne.
• Ernest Sydney Walker took up residence in no.16 in 1919-22, followed by his widow Mrs Laura Walker, 1922-6.
23/2/1822  The Argus, Melbourne
Rest in peace. WALKER. – On the 22nd February, Ernest Sydney, the beloved husband of Laura Walker, 16 Capel street, West Melbourne, and loving father of Jessie and Rowland, aged 55 years.
• 27 Peel St was first listed as an address in 1926, when Mrs Mary A Pulle started a woodyard there. She also moved Into 16 Capel in 1927, perhaps as a resident, following Mrs Walker. Even though her woodyard closed in 1930, Mrs Pulle stayed at no.16, until 1940 at least.
• By 1940, the fruiterer H & S Frankel had taken over 5 Peel St for storage only.

• In 1955, a De Gruchy resided at 16 Capel St, giving some indication it was habitable.

An aerial photo (about mid-50s) seems to indicate the back yard of 16 Capel St was not roofed, as yet.

• As early as 1960, Frankel moved their storage to 21-23 Peel St. It is the first time those numbers appear for Peel St. The premises abuts the rear of 16 Capel St; together, they form the north boundary of Rouch’s timber yard. Frankel remained at 21-3 Peel St until 1974 at least.
  • From 1960-62, residents of 16 Capel St were simply listed as ‘Chinese’.
  • In 1963, Frankel moved into 16 Capel St as well. The following year it was listed as not available. It remained so until 1968, when Frankel used it again as their office. They remained there until 1973, when it became unavailable again.
  S & McD LISTINGS END 1974
  • NH moved in to a derelict 16 Capel Street, as ‘artist’s studio’ in 1977 and got the permit extended to ‘& caretaker’s house’ in 1979. The basement was still being used commercially, separated from the house by a locked door.

  Capel  and Peel Streets block (southern end)

  • 1900, between 9 & 29 Peel St, was McKnight, a cooper, and a right-of-way. McKnight was replaced by Miss Webb in 1901-2, succeeded by Roxburgh in 1903.
  • From 1916 to 1918, Kennedy (potatoes) and Chas Rouch & Co (timber yard & box making) occupied 11 Peel St. Their lot bordered 16 Capel Street on the north and spanned the block from Peel St to Capel St. On the south-west border of their lot, Rouch the timber merchant and Laing occupied 6 Capel St, from 1917 to 1920 or 21.
  • By 1919, Kennedy is gone; 11 Peel is listed as vacant though Rouch and his activities are still mentioned. In 1920, Rouch alone appears at the Peel Street address; his Capel St frontage of nos.8-14, is also included in 1922, though he and Laing no longer occupy no.6.
  • Rouch remains listed at 11-19 Peel and 8-14 Capel until 1932.
  • 6 Capel had fallen vacant in 1931; Rouch incorporated the property into his block in 1933, widening his Capel Street frontage to nos.6-14.
  • By 1960, Rouch was using 5 Peel St as an office, in addition to the timber yard bounded by 11-19 Peel St and 6-14 Capel St.
  • Rouch’s address at 11-19 Peel St was listed as ‘not available’ in 1966, though 6-14 Capel St were still designated as his.
  • The following year, 1967, no properties were listed south of 16 Capel and 21-23 Peel St. Eventually, the area was designated a car park in 1973.

COLOUR MUSIC
by Niels Hutchison
www.colourmusic.info

source: Niels Hutchison

source: The Argus 1915

1869. WANTED, GENERAL SERVANT. 16 Capel-street west, near Eagle Foundry. Apply tomorrow, from 10 to 1 a.m.

source: The Argus 1869