37 Provost Street

37 Provost Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051
photographer: Stephen Hatcher

Also known as
Previous Address
Constructed before 1876
Style
Architect
Builder [George] Thomson [Roden Street]

Timelapse Building Images

1983

photographer: Graeme Butler


Land Details

Building Details

1875 The Argus

TENDERS WANTED, for SLATER’S WORK of three four roomed cottages. Apply Thomson, contractor, Provost street. Hotham.

TENDERS WANTED, for PLASTERERS WORK of three four roomed cottages Apply Thomson, contractor, Provost-street, Hotham. Labour only.

source: The Argus

source: The Argus


Subsequent Building Alterations

No Entries Found

Architectural Features



    No Entries Found


Heritage Significance and Listings

Heritage Listings and Explanatory Notes

As at 2022, this historic building is one of only seventeen heritage buildings that remains and survived the wave of new developments in Provost street.

This group of three buildings, 33, 35 and 37, are unique for their simple and understated Victorian facade and their association to the families who lived here over the years.

Owners

From To Owner More Info Data Source
to date Private source: Hatcher Index
1854 Mr. J. Baker, first Crown land purchaser source: Hatcher Index
abt 40 thousand years earlier 1835 Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Victoria source: Hatcher Index

Residents

From To Resident More Info Data Source
to date Private source Hatcher Index
1970 1974 Verna source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1960 1965 C. Tence source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1945 1955 James and Elizabeth Ovenstone http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205155336 source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1940 1940 Marcus Martin source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1935 1935 Mrs. Vera Horne source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1930 1930 vacant source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1925 1925 Robert Maslen source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1920 1920 James Mitchell source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1915 1915 Michael Cahill source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1910 1910 Stanley Farr source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1905 1905 Joseph Floyd source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1900 1900 Edward Allen source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.
1887 1895 James Hill source: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Stephen Hatcher.

Social History



Context and Streetscape

Precinct

This property sits within the municipality of the City of Melbourne. We respectfully acknowledge it is on the traditional land of the Kulin Nation.
source: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/history-city-of-melbourne.pdf
historical map source: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/explore-collections-format/maps/maps-melbourne-city-suburbs

Zoning
This information must be verified with the relevant planning or heritage authority.

Streetscape

Provost Street was once predominantly a residential street with single and two storey Victorian terrace dwellings, a green grocer shop, butcher shop, pork purveyors, a dairy, a confectioner, dressmaker, bootmaker shop, horse livery, wood yard, cabies, a Coach builder and hotels at either end known as the North Star Hotel at Abbotsford Street corner and Commercial Hotel on the Curzon Street corner.

Provost streetscape today is characterised by significantly less heritage dwellings, an addition of some contemporary multi-storey townhouses, and some 1940s to 1960s industrial buildings.

In 2022, only seventeen of the original forty seven heritage buildings remain (64% destroyed) which once existed on Provost street, compared to an 1895 Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works map.

As of 2022, some addresses on this street’s density level has been allowed to rise by four to five times larger, due to recent increase in council approved multi-level building redevelopments since 1895. In some cases, unrestricted increases in density can be detrimental to existing residents enjoyment of amenity and quality of life.

Other Information

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Copyright status: This work is in copyright.
Conditions of use: Use of this work allowed provided the creators name and Hotham History Project Inc are acknowledged.

If you or someone you know has any more to add either by old photos or stories of this area, please contact us today. Email info@hothamhistory.org.au