Sturgess, William (1829-1891) | Melbourne Streets

William Sturgess was born around 1829 in Cheshire, England, his father, William, was 31 and his mother, Mary, was 32. Wife Fanny Watson was born in 1829 in Manchester, Lancashire.

William Sturgess married Fanny Watson in 1853 at St John’s, Deansgate, Lancashire England. His occupation on the certificate stated he was a bricklayer.

William 23 years and Fanny Sturgess, 22 years of age, arrived in Port Phillip in 1853 onboard the ship Thames departing from Liverpool England. Fanny and William had 9 children.

The Sturgess family resided in the North and West Melbourne area at 9 Cobden Street Hotham, 20 Milton Street West Melbourne (both homes gone) and finally at 1 Miller Street West Melbourne at the time of William’s passing in 1891. Fanny Sturgess nee Watson sadly passed at the age of 47, during a holiday voyage back to England in 1875, she was buried at sea.

Below is a list of significant building works carried out by William Sturgess.

The table below can be scrolled left to right if viewed on a mobile device.

Building ID	Architects	Owner	Suburb	Building State	Building Type	Builder	Build Date (YYYY MM DD)	Registration no
77412		Valance	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – Melbourne	1853 09 6	1526
73567		Stewart, J & R	Melbourne	VIC	Warehouses	Sturgess, William – Nth Melbourne	1856 03 14	192
85360		McKenzie, John	Fitzroy	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William	1858 03 4	198
81204		McFarlane, D	East Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – Nth Melbourne	1860 07 17	404
71674	Terry, L	Fanning, Nankerville & Co	Melbourne	VIC	Warehouses	Sturgess, William – Dryburgh St, Hotham	1863 11 10	403
71198		Sturgess, W	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, W – Dryburgh St Hotham	1864 03 21	158
72130		Hustone, Hugh – 117 Little Bourke west	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – Dryburgh St – Hotham	1864 05 30	275
74780		Sturgess, William – Dryburgh St, Hotham	Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William	1864 07 26	375
73713		Pigott Bros.	Melbourne	VIC	Buildings	Downie & Sturgess – Melbourne	1868 03 26	2531
71793		Ward, Mrs	Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess	1868 11 15	2924
74457		Robinson, G	Melbourne	VIC	Warehouses	Downie & Sturgess- 9 Cobden St Hawthorn	1868 12 21	2980
72979		Anderson & Sandilands	Melbourne	VIC	Buildings	Downer & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1869 05 15	3224
77367		Rogers, James	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1870 01 12	3656
74465		Miller, Henry	Melbourne	VIC	Buildings	Downie & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1870 02 14	3734
86013		Wilton, –	Fitzroy	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess – Melbourne	1870 03 3	3775
76116		Miller, Henry	Melbourne	VIC	Buildings	Downie & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1870 09 26	4134
74467		London Chartered Bank	Melbourne	VIC	alterations	Downie & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1870 10 10	4158
81325		Bunny, –	East Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess – 9 Cobden St Hotham	1870 10 21	4176
80887		Thatcher, –	East Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess – 20 Milton St West Melb	1871 09 11	4550
72166		Dixon, P G	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Downie & Sturgess – 20 Milton St West Melb.	1873 03 13	5312
72962		Robertson, George	Melbourne	VIC	Warehouses	Downie & Sturgess – 20 Milton St West Melb	1873 05 26	5406
77495		Sturgess, Wm	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, Wm – 20 Milton St	1873 10 14	5634
71115		Sturgess, William	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – West Melb.	1874 05 2	5867
77381		Merrell, Harry	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – 1 Milller St West Melb	1879 11 14	8168
77382		Rogers, James	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – 1 Milller St West Melb	1880 01 22	8239
71915		Sturgess, William	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – 1 Miller St, West Melbourne	1882 11 10	62
71919		Sturgess, William	West Melbourne	VIC	Houses	Sturgess, William – 1 Miller St	1883 08 25	459
13876	Adamson, Robert	Wilton, –		VIC	Funerary	Downie & Sturgess – Melbourne	1884 9 27	3775
13223	Beswicke & Coote	McKenzie, John		VIC	Factories	Sturgess, William	1892 1 16	198

Table source: https://www.mileslewis.net/australian-architectural/

Main source: Public Records Office of Victoria, BDM Victoria and the Melbourne edition of the Sands & McDougall Melbourne directory.