SUSSEX HAYCENTRE 405-411SUSSEX STREET , SYDNEYnswaol.library.usyd.edu.au/data/pdfs/13845_ID_Thorp2003SussexHa… · Hordern's continued to use these bUildings as stores, factory and

STATEMENT OF CULTURALSIGNIFICANCE

SUSSEX HAY CENTRE

405-411 SUSSEX STREET, SYDNEY

Cultural Resources Management

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h1

STATEMENT OF CULTURALSIGNIFICANCE

SUSSEX HAY CENTRE

405-411 SUSSEX STREETSYDNEY

February 2003

Cultural Resources ManagementFor PTW Pty Ltd

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CONTENTS OF THE REPORT

1.0 PRECIS OF THE REPORT 011.1 THE WORK 011.2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 011.3 RESOURCES 02

1.3.1 Streetscape 021.3.2 Archaeological Resources 021.3.3 Building Style 021.3.4 Building Type 021.3.5 BUilding Fabric 02

1.4 CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE 02

2.0 THE INVESTIGATION 042.1 BACKGROUND 042.2 THE SiTE 042.3 STATUS 042.4 METHODOLOGY 042.5 OBJECTIVES 042.6 TASKS 052.7 AUTHORSHIP, CLIENT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 05

Site Location Plan

3.0 HISTORICAL PROFILE 063.1 FROM MILLS TO STORES: BEFORE ANTHONY HORDERNS 07

The site in 1880 before Hordern's began to purchase the allotments3.2 THE UNIVERSAL PROVIDERS: ANTHONY HORDERNS AND SONS 093.3 ACQUIRING AND DEVELOPING THE SUSSEX STREET SITE 11

3.3.1 405-407 Sussex Street 113.3.2 Little Hay and Dixon Streets 123.3.3 409-411 Sussex Street 12Survey of the site in 1892

3.4 ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS 143.5 HORDERN'S BUILK STORES 15

3.5.1 Original Form and Use 153.5.2 Alterations 17Survey of the site in 1901Sketch plan of 405-409 Sussex Street in 1944Sketch plan of 411 Sussex Street in 9144Plan of tank support, 1920

3.6 MIXED USES 213.7 THEMATIC FRAMEWORK 25

4.0 CULTURAL RESOURCES 264.1 THE SETTING 264.2 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES 294.3 THE BUILDINGS 30

4.3.1 Style 304.3.2 The Type 334.3.3 The Fabric 34

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5.0 CULTURAL SiGNIFiCANCE 385.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA 385.2 ASSESSMENT OF SiGNIFiCANCE 40

5.2.1 Criterion A 405.2.2 Criterion B 405.2.3 Criterion C 405.2.4 Criterion G 41

5.3 COMPARATIVE SIGNIFICANCE 415.4 STATEMENT OF SiGNIFiCANCE 42

6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY 436.1 BOOKS AND REPORTS 436.2 PROPERTY RECORDS 446.3 MAPS AND PLANS 44

1.2 Historical Context

The architect for each component is most likely to have been Albert Bond. He was theprincipal architect used by the Hordern's for their commercial and private constructionprojects. He designed, amongst others, both the old and new Hordern's emporiums onBrickfield Hill and is cited by company records as the architect of most of the Haymarketwarehouses.

The subject of this report is the Sussex Hay Centre, 405-411 Sussex Street, Sydney. Thepurpose of the work has been to determine the cultural significance of this building. Thisinformation will be used to inform a Heritage Impact Statement that is to be prepared forthe building and its site. The building has no individual heritage listing. It is included withinan area identified to have heritage values by both Sydney City Council and the Register ofthe National Estate.

Hordern's continued to use these bUildings as stores, factory and workshops until thebuilding's sale in 1960. From that time onwards, in common with many buildings of asimilar type and date, the history of this place has been one of adaptation for many smalltenants, with a diverse range of interests and needs. Restaurant use of the lower floorshas been a feature from the 1970s onwards. This long period of adaptation and increasingconcerns for safety and upgraded services has seen the removal and adaptation of someoriginal interior fabric. The almost complete lack of primary documentation for theevolution of this building means that the building fabric is the best document of itsdevelopment.

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February 2003

Cultural Resources Management for PTW Architects

PRECIS OF THE REPORT

SECTION 1.0

Statement of Cultural Significance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney

The Sussex Hay Centre was built in three separate phases on the sites of early-middlenineteenth century commercial, residential and industrial development. A fourthcomponent of this development, on Dixon Street, is no longer included within the studyarea. The site was developed for Anthony Hordern and Sons Pty Ltd, as a stores andfactory supporting its great retail emporium on near-by Brickfield Hill. The first part of thedevelopment comprised the Dixon Street frontage including the site behind 405-409Sussex Street that is no longer part of the complex. This was built in 1888 or shortly afteras a factory. The portion at the intersection of Little Hay and Dixon Street may have beenpart of a programme of work in 1892/3. This work certainly encompassed the largest partof the building, 405-409 Sussex Street. This was constructed for use as a bulk store. Thefinal component, at the corner of Sussex and Little Hay Streets, was built in 1897 as aclothing and drapery factory supplying the main store.

1.1 The Work

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1.3.3 Building Style

1.3.2 Archaeological Resources

1.3.4 Building Type

1.4 Cultural Significance

Page 2

February 2003Statement of Cultural Significance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney


The Sussex Hay Centre is associated with an important period of retail development inSydney one that marked a change from the small individual commercial premises of theearly-mid nineteenth century to the massive emporia of the later nineteenth to twentiethcenturies. This changed the way that people shopped and goods were sold and had asubstantial impact on the development of the city. The fringe districts of the CBOdeveloped as warehouse precincts to either service the large emporia or provide

Generally, it may be said that the building is largely intact from when it was first builtparticularly the facades although the ground floor has been obscured by the introductionof awnings and changes made to provide for shop windows. Internally, there has beensubstantially more change, much cosmetic, although more intrusive additions have beenmade in the last forty years. It still demonstrates, both inside and out, its strictly utilitariancharacter and role. The fabric is the most substantial document of the development of thebuilding and the relationships between the components.

The Sussex Hay Centre may be said to belong to a distinctive group of buildings largelyfound on the western fringe of the CBO that illustrate the importance of this precinct as awarehousing district which growth was influenced by a significant change in the operationof retail businesses. It was built in the peak period of warehouse development of this type.

The below ground resources of the site are likely to encompass a moderately to highlysignificant resource of the late eighteenth to mid-later nineteenth century. It would includeresidential, commercial and industrial components. However, the ability of the resource torealize its potential is likely to have been sUbstantially compromised by the impact of theconstruction programme associated with the buildings that now occupy the site.

1.3 Resources

The Sussex Hay Centre has no strictly identifiable architectural style although it hasseveral features of the Federation Warehouse style, one largely particular to Sydney andits commercial fringe areas. It is not a typical or fine example of the style. However,reference to the earlier work of Albert Bond suggests that it may have been an adaptationof his earlier work towards this more fashionable style. It appears to owe more to earlierwool store design than commercial warehouses and its utilitarian character may reflecteconomies practiced in the face of a wo'rsening economic climate. It certainly reflects thecompany policy of "plain" architecture for the several factory buildings constructed forHordern's.

The Sussex Hay Centre is the most substantial component of a largely intact laternineteenth-early twentieth century commercial streetscape in lower Sussex Street.Council has recognised the heritage values of this area by identifying it as a specialheritage precinct, "Haymarket".

1.3.5 Building Fabric

1.3.1 Streetscape

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stores and factories that were used by Anthony Horderns to supply its vast Brickfield Hillshop.

Anthony Horderns was one of the pre-eminent retail companies in NSW during thenineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were an iconic family firm whose productsand marketing were instantly recognisable. The main emporium on Brickfield Hill hasbeen demolished; the stores remain the last link to the importance of this store and thefamily operation in the history of retail in Sydney and NSW. This relationship is now onlyexplicit through archival sources although it could be expressed on site

The Sussex Hay Centre has a very significant role to play in a largely intact commercialstreetscape of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is the most imposingelement in this part of Sussex Street and makes a major contribution towards defining theearlier role and character of this part of Sydney. Along with the adjoining former Hordern'sbuilding on the opposite side of Little Hay Street it creates an imposing entrance to thisstreet at this point. Its form, materials and scale compliment the other buildings of itsperiod on both sides of Sussex Street.

This building was constructed at the peak of Sydney's warehouse development and is oneof a group of similarly purposed buildings that remain within the CBD. The buildingremains largely intact and expressive of its original utilitarian purpose. The building doesnot conform to a standard architectural style although it has characteristics of theFederation Warehouse style. In some ways it has more in common with earlier wool-storedevelopment. It appears to be a completely personal expression of the architect to hisbrief within the economic climate of the period drawing references from his earlier workwithin a period of changing architectural taste. It may be considered significant as whatmay be one of the few remaining identifiable works of the later nineteenth century Sydneyarchitect Albert Bond, the first permanently appointed City Architect and responsible for aprolific private practice that included several other notable Sydney commercial buildings.

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February 2003

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SECTION 2.0

THE INVESTIGATION

February 2003

2.2 The Site

2.3 Status

2.5 Objectives

2.4 Methodology

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2.1 Background

The principal objectives of this report have been to determine the cultural significance ofthis bUilding and its site. Subsequently, this assessment will be used to address theimpact that the potential removal of this building would have on that significance.


This report has been prepared in accordance with the principles expressed by theHeritage Office of NSW in its publications "Heritage Assessments" and the more recentrevision of this manual "Assessing Heritage Significance". It also draws on the methodsand procedures presented in the NSW Heritage Manual and the Surra Charter.

The subject of this investigation, the "study area", encompasses property within theSydney CSD, at 405-411 Sussex Street, known as the Sussex Hay Centre. The site isbound by Sussex Street to the east, Dixon Street to the west, Little Hay Street to thesouth and commercial properties to the north. The site may be identified as Lot 1 inDeposited Plan 53987. It is located within the Parish of St Andrew, County ofCumberland. It is within the Local Government Area of Sydney City Council.

The subject of this report is the Sussex Hay Centre in Sussex Street, Sydney. This site isbeing considered for redevelopment. This report is intended to provide an assessment ofthe cultural significance of this building. This evaluation will be used to address theheritage impact of its potential demolition. This report will be prepared separately as hasan assessment of the archaeological potential of the site. The present report onlyaddresses the cultural significance of the standing structure.

Cultural significance is understood to mean the appreciation and value placed upon theitem by contemporary society in terms of the criteria expressed in the Surra Charter anddefined by the Heritage Office of NSW (refer Section 5.0 of this report).

The Sussex Hay Centre has not been the subject of any earlier heritage study. Thebuilding does not have any individual heritage listings on local, state or national registers.It is included within a special area identified to be of heritage value, Haymarket, byCSLEP 1996. The Haymarket Urban Conservation Area is also included in the Register ofthe National Estate.

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The work undertaken to achieve these objectives has encompassed the following:

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2.6 Tasks

February 2003

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•

•

•

•

Primary and secondary archival research

Site inspection

Evaluation of significance made according to standard criteria

Reference to the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory and Schedule 1 of the CSLEP

111

2.7 Authorship, Client and Acknowledgements

This report has been written and researched by Wendy Thorp (Cultural ResourcesManagement). The work was commissioned by PTW Architects Pty Ltd. Photographswere taken by Wendy Thorp. A fuJI bibliography of primary and secondary sources isincluded in Section 6.0 of the report.

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Location of Study Area(Base Plan: Sydney Water RE 7266 MFJ


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• Hordern's Bulk Stores

• Mixed Uses

• Architects and Builders

• The Universal Providors: Anthony Hordern and Sons

Page 6

February 2003


1 NSW Heritage Office, History and Heritage: 1

• From Mills to Stores: Before Anthony Horderns

• Acquiring and Developing the Sussex Street Site

The development of this site is discussed in the following sections:

'~ heritage item needs to be considered in the context of the history and historicalgeography of the area surrounding it...a purely visual approach is inadequate. It isimportant to understand the underlying historical influences.,,1.

This section looks specifically at the development of the building that now stands on thissite. It establishes, as far as possible, its principal relationships, the context in which itwas built and used and the changes that have been made to it. At the end of this sectionlocal and state themes are identified to provide the comparative framework.

HISTORICAL PROFILE

The relationship between an item and its historical context underlies the assessmentprocess. It provides the framework in which the heritage assessment criteria are appliedand allows for comparative analysis. The NSW Heritage Office states the relationshipthus,

SECTION 3.0


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The land on which the Sussex Hay Centre is built has associations with some of theearliest European industrial development in Australia. A detailed analysis of this periodhas been presented in a separate report2

. The following paragraphs summarise this longhistory of commercial, industrial and residential use.

Dickson auctioned most of his lan~ in 1830 and 1833. The study area, leased in partbefore this time, was sold in three parcels at these sales. It is likely that each of the newowners carried out some site rectification in the form of filling and levelling prior todeveloping their properties. The first development of the site is likely to have occurred inthe later 1830s.

The land at the corner of Little Hay and Dixon Streets was also likely to have beendeveloped by the later 1830s but these improvements had been removed by 1865. It mayhave remained vacant until 1880. By that year a hotel occupied the corner lot andcommercial/residential premises were constructed along Little Hay Street. Theseremained standing until 1887, a year after the site had been purchased by SamuelHordern.

The land at the corner of Little Hay and Sussex Streets, 409 - 411 Sussex Street, wasprobably first developed for residenti.al/commercial purposes at that time. It wasredeveloped for a similar but denser occupation in the c.1860s. These improvementswere demolished in the later 1870s and the site lay vacant until c.1885. At about that timetwo shops were constructed on the corner and they were rented to several commercialtenants until 1897. Samuel Hordern purchased this site in 1895.

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February 2003

3.1 From Mills to Stores: Before Anthony Horderns.



2 CRM, Archaeological Assessment Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney. 2003

The study area is located on land that was at the interface between the mangroves ofDarling Harbour and shallow foot slopes beyond. It is likely to have been a quite wet areaparticularly as a stream entered the bay just a little to the south at present-day Hay Street.It is possible that the earliest European activity here was associated with the Governmentbrickyards located close-by. Clay extraction and lime production could have been carriedout on this site. The first documented European association is that of Dickson's mill. Thissite was part of the grant made in 1813 to John Dickson. He established the first steammill in Australia a little to the north-west of this site. It is possible that channels were cutthrough the study area to aid water-run off to a pond that supplied the mill.

The land adjoining on Sussex Street, 405-407 Sussex Street, including the land behind itto Dixon Street was developed probably in the later 1830s with a large commercial flourmill. Several sheds associated with this business occupied part of the Dixon Street land.The mill remained in operation until Samuel Hordern purchased the site in 1883. The millmay have lain vacant for a few years and then, from 1885 to 1888, it was used as acabinet making factory for Horderns. Between 1888 and 1892 the mill was demolished butprior to that work, a new factory had been constructed on the back of the lot, on the DixonStreet frontage (and possibly the land adjoining at the corner of Little Hay Street).

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. /<\~e \CIThe study area in 1880 before Hordern's began to purchase the allotments. It shows the mill, hotel and otherdevelopment along Little Hay Street.(Source: Percy Dove, New Street. Wharf Directory for Sydney 1880)

Samuel I died in 1909. After his death the business became a private company headed bySamuel Hordern 11 with other family members becoming part of the Board of Directors.The business weathered the difficult commercial climate of the years of the First World

By 1881 the brothers had opened the Palace Emporium on Brickfield Hill employing overthree hundred staff. The Hordern's had no competitors or equal and they styledthemselves the "Universal Providers". Anthony III died in 1886 leaving the business in thehands of Samuel I.

"The big (family run) stores were popular because they became part of the family. Everyfamily member from baby up to grandfather could be clothed, fed and accommodated inbed or out of bed by any of the large family stores. The stores became part of theindividual families - well thought of and well recommended by every household member.Furniture, clothing, toys, sporting equipment were all available in the family store of one'schoice,,3.

Hordern's survived the great Depression of the early 1890s but calamity came in 1901with the complete destruction by fire of the enormous emporium in the Haymarket.Despite the almost complete destruction of stock the company was trading again withinfifty-one days? A new store, though, was required and Samuel I chose the original site onBrickfield Hill of the family business along with a miscellany of adjoining properties. TheNew Palace Emporium was opened in 1905. It was the largest store in Australia.

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February 2003


3 Frances Pollen, Shopkeepers and Shoppers A Social History of Retailing in NSW from 1788: 504 Ibid: 61-2slbid: 626 Ibid: 637 Ibid: 70

Anthony Hordern I and his wife Ann and four children arrived as free settlers in New SouthWales in August 1823. Anthony's first business was established in King Street, as acoach builder, and his wife ran a millinery and haberdashery business. The Hordern'sremained in King Street until 1844. By that time Anthony had joined his wife in the retailbusiness4

. One of the couple's eldest twin boys, John, established a drapery shop inGrosvenor Street. John had three sons who all went into the retail trade. Eventually thethree boys opened a store in Pitt Street in 1878 as Hordern Brothers5

.

3.2 The Universal Providers: Anthony Hordern and Sons

The Hordern family is amongst the greatest retailing family businesses of Australia. Theyalong with other great commercial families such as the Graces, Farmers and Jones haveshaped the way Australians and particularly Sydney-siders have shopped for generations.The Hordern family were an Australian by-word in part because of the scale of theiroperations but also their widespread mail order business brought their name and goods tofar flung parts of the country. Horderns claimed to be "the Australian Friend". FrancesPollen, the historian of retail development, stated it thus,


John's brother Anthony 11 had gone to Melbourne for a few years and after returning toSydney established another shop with a third brother Lebbeus in George Street, BrickfieldHill. Anthony 11 and his wife and growing family lived over the shop at this site. The storeat Brickfield Hill grew increasingly successful from its advantageous position along thepremier retail street in Sydney and clever retailing strategies. By the mid-1850s thepremises were too small and a new two-storey shop was opened further down GeorgeStreet in the Haymarket6• In this period Anthony lI's children, including the young Samuel,joined their father in the business. Anthony Hordern 11 died in 1876 leaving his sonsAnthony III and Samuel I in charge of the increasingly large commercial empire.


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Statement of Cultural Significance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney February 2003

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War and expanded in the increasingly buoyant economy of the post-war period. Hordernseven acquired a marble works in Camperdown that supplied elements such as columnsand stairs to many of the city's new buildings8

.

An advertisement for the company at about that time detailed the extent of the variousdepartments and holdings of the firm. It listed the bulk stores on Dixon and SussexStreets, bonded stores in Brisbane Street, cabinet works and a bedding factory both inRedfern, an iron and brass foundry, galvanizing works, sheet iron factory and bedsteadworks also in Redfern, marble and slate works in Elizabeth Street, a clothing factory inSussex Street, timber yards and an iron yard both in Redfern, printing works in SwanStreet, stables in Redfern, horse paddocks in Enfield and the principal retail and deliverydepartment in the Haymarket emporium9

• Finally there was the London branch of thecompany.

Horderns ceased to be a private family concern in 1926. Other significant changesemerged in the 1930s. Hordern's flag store at Brickfield Hill was facing serious problemsbecause of changing retail patterns in the city. The main commercial districts were movingfurther north and east leaving Hordern's stranded in an increasingly isolated andunfashionable part of the city. The advent of war in the 1940s and the post-war economicproblems inevitably meant that the once greatest store in Sydney gradually ceased totrade. An agent was found to sell the property. It was finally sold in 1981 1°. It wasdemolished to make way for the World Square development.

ANTHONY HORDE-RN &W.HA YMARKET, .

AND _

,--.EXHIBITION BUILDI~

HorOern, Rnlnon~ &Sons Hordern, Anthony&Sons'BRICKFIUD HILL. SYDNEY.

MANUFACTURERS

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BULK STORES Olxon, Sussex

and Cunni"t:,harn Streets..'\nd K''''bcr Lane

BONDED STORES Brisbane St.

CAB' NET WORKS ercat Buck.Ingham Streot, Rcdf'orn.

BEDDING FACTORY Bucking.hanl Lane, Rcdfcrn.

IRON AND BRASS FOUNDRY,GALVANIZING WORKS, SHEETIRON FACTORY, AND BED.STEAD WORKS - ElizabethStreet. Redtern.

MARBLE AND BLATE WORKS.r:'u::aboth Stroet, City.

CLOTHING FACTORY - SussexStreet, City.

TIMBER YARDS -Landcr St.& Abercrornbio St., Redfern.

IRROe~f~::.D--o.,.tlerea~h Bt.,

PRJNTING WORKS ~Bwan St.•City,

STABLES - Qoodlot Street

~~~fe~n~a.t10reai:'h Street:

tiORSE PADDOCKS - Went~

......orth St., Enfield.

DELIVERY DEPARTMENT -NewPalace Emporium.

LONDON OFFICE 9 Colden.Lane. E.C.

8 lbid: 739 Reproduced in Ken Arnold, Australian Preserving and Storage Jars: 1810 Frances Pollen, OD Cit: 74-5


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UNIVERSAL PROVIDERS"SYDNEY.

Bel,K STOHK~-DIXOl-lA:>D SU~~;:X: ST~

FURNITURE F.~CTORY-BliCKIKGB.UIST.R';UFBRN.

[HOX AND BR.\S~ Fo':xul'.' AND GAL\. A:>IZING WOHK~, .\X D BED~TE""'D

WO!\KS-Br.;CKINUU.l.M ST., REDFEHX

CLOTHiNG FACTORY-Sl:SSI;X ST.

BEDDIXG FACTOR¥-Bl:CKIXG~Hll S·l'.;REDFKR::-;. :

:\I.\RD!.E WOI\KS - ELIZ.\DKTll ST.,REDFERK.

DELIYERY DEP.\RTMEX'l'-GIPI'S ST.

S'l'ADLES-GOODLET ST., REDr'EHX•

LO:HION HOUSE-9 GOLDh:X LAXl" I-:.C.

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3.3.1 405-407 Sussex Street

"It is a very busy place at all times of the day, the traffic being enormous, a constantstream of vehicles pouring into it from all directions"11

It was one of the pre-eminent streets for business transactions and lithe inter-colonialtrade,,12. Hordern's choice of the site reflects the critical role that this area of the cityplayed in its commercial life.

Secondly this was an area of the city that had developed through the later part of thenineteenth century into an important warehouse and bulk store service area on the fringeof the commercial district. From York Street to Darling Harbour were huge buildingsdevoted to servicing commercial outlets elsewhere or providing warehouse retailingoutlets. Even by 1882 of Sussex Street it was stated that,

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February 2003


11 Gibbs,Shallard and co. Guide to Sydney 1882: 4512 Ibid.13 LTO, Primary Application 624514 The history of the development of this land is described in CRM, Archaeological Assessment the Sussex Hay Centre,Section 3.6: 1515 Sydney City Council, Rate Assessment 188216 Sands Sydney Directory, Sussex Street 1888-1885 listings17 Sands Sydney Directory, 405-407 Sussex Street, 189318 Sydney City Council, Rate Assessment 1894

However, before the mill was demolished on Sussex Street the nearly vacant site behindit on Dixon Street had been used to construct a new factory. It was first recorded as beingin use by Hordern's in 1888. This infers that this new building was constructed between1883 and 1885. This factory was used by Hordern's while a new six-storey building wasconstructed on Sussex Street, the present-day 405-407 Sussex Street. It was completedin 1893 when it is recorded as Anthony Hordern and Sons, Stores17. The Council RateAssessment for 1894 describes the new building as brick-built, six storeys comprisingeighteen rooms18. The new building was used as a store and workshop and the factory

The store stands on what were three individual allotments. In fact, as first built andoccupied, there was a fourth allotment being the land on Dixon Street behind 405 - 407Sussex Street. These two allotments, from Sussex to Dixon Streets, were the firstpurchase of Samuel Hordern in 188313. At that time the combined property was occupiedby a commercial flour mill that had been in operation from the later 1830s14. After itspurchase the mill appears to have lain vacant for approximately two years. Between 1885and 1888 this four-storey stone building15 was used by Hordern's as a cabinet makingfactory16. This building was demolished between 1888 and 1892, probably within the firstyear. There are no directory listings for this site between those years.


3.3 Acquiring and Developing the Sussex Street Site

The development of the study area and the building that now stands upon it was a gradualprocess that spanned the period between approximately 1888 and 1897. The Sussex HayCentre documents this progressive process of development. The choice of the sitereflects two considerations. First and probably most important it was close to the site ofthe major commercial outlet just around the corner and up the hill on Brickfield Hill. In factHorderns was to buy other large properties immediately adjacent to the study area forsimilar purposes. Another large bulk store was located across Little Hay Street at 413-415Sussex Street running all the way back to Dixon Street. Across from it on Dixon Street, atthe intersection with Little Hay Street, was another bulk store for Horderns.

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3.3.3409-411 Sussex Street

3.3.2 Little Hay and Dixon Streets

behind on Dixon Street remained in use as a factory. The company magazine stated thatwhen this building was completed in 1893 it housed all of the furnishing departments19.

Samuel Hordern purchased this part of the study area in 1895. The third and final part ofthe Sussex Hay Centre was built on this 'property in 1897. It was constructed as a clothingfactory21. The earliest survey of this new building was prepared by Sydney Water Board in1901 22. This bUilding became the largest factory of its type. In the 1930s the Companydescribed its role:

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As part of this development, the remaining nineteenth century buildings along Little HayStreet must have been demolished as well. The 1892 survey shows the land between theback of the Hordern's factory on the Dixon and Little Hay Street intersection and theSussex Street frontage to be contained by a brick wall but it is vacant within it. Thiscombined site on Dixon Street is shown to be the premises of Anthony Hordern and SonsPty Ltd well into the twentieth century on both surveys and Directory listings.

Samuel Hordern purchased the land at this intersection, including half of the Little HayStreet frontage, in 1887. Either in the following year it was developed as part of theHordern's factory constructed on the adjoining vacant Dixon Street land or a year or twoafter 1888. More likely it was the latter. Contemporary surveys show a line through thisbuilding as if to indicate two periods of construction. It was certainly completed by 18922°.Possibly it was part of the i 892/3 work programme that saw the construction of the mainstores on Sussex Street.


19 The Hordernian Monthly January 1938: 3720 Shown of Sydney Water, Plan FB 2147: 189221 The Hordernian Monthly January 1938: 9822 Sydney Water, Plan FB 3034: 190123 The Hordernian Monthly January 1938: 98

"The clothing factory was established in 1897.. .in a few years it was the largest factory ofits kind in Sydney.. .it still maintains itself as a valuable and important unit of theCompany's secondary industries. The factory is located in the group of buildings inSussex Street containing also the shirt factory, the bulk stores and iron stores and hasduring many years provided employment for many Australians on both sexes besidesoffering substantial support to the Australian woollen industry through the large quantity ofgarments made there of totally manufactured woollens, serges, worsteds etc. Thecombined factories produce mens and boys clothing, blazers for men, boys, women andgirls especially the growing sporting variety, dressing gowns, overalls, dust coats,uniforms, shirts and pyjamas,,23.


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Survey of the site in 1892 showing it in the process of redevelopment for Anthony Hordern's. The building nowat the corner of Little Hay and Sussex Streets has not yet been built at this date.(Source: Sydney Water: Plan FB 2147/20/21)

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Cultural Resources Management for PTW Architects Page 13

The builder is most likely to have been David Brodie. He is claimed to have beenresponsible for the construction of all Hordern's stores and warehouses3o

•

'The factory, in accordance with the established practice of the form, has been builtabsolutely plain but the most liberal provision has been made for light, ventilation andworking spacetl29

•

Bond was a well-known architect of the later nineteenth century his fame in no small partderived from his work for the Hordern family. He was the first permanently appointedarchitect for the City of Sydney, in office between June 1873 and December 1877 andwas one of several architects that contributed to the design of Sydney Town Ha1l26. Bondis thought to have been responsible for the detailed design of the turrets, the addition ofthe stained glass dome and for the decoration of the vestibule27

.

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February 2003

~24 Described in Frances Pollen, op Cil: 79 - ~.,r::::;::'__25 The Hordemian Monthly January 1938: 55 ... <7". ....~ -

26 Morton Hermann, The Architecture of Victorian Sydney: 2121 State Projects, Sydney Town Hall Conservation Management Plan: 10628 Balint, Howells, Smyth, Warehouses and Woolstores of Victorian Sydn~: 88-8929 While I Live I Grow: 2230 Ibid.


Harrison, Jones and Devlin Woo/stores 1878

Among his other works were the design of several buildings for the Presbyterian LadiesCollege at Pymble, the Equitable and Permanent Building Society at the corner of Pitt andPark Street, Victoria House at the corner of Pitt and Market Streets, shops in Elizabethand Castlereagh Street and a six storey wool store for Harrison, Jones and Devlin inMacquarie Place. Several of these buildings have strong similarities to the stores buildingconstructed for Hordern's28. The design of the building, however, owes much to CompanyPolicy. In 1906 it was stated with reference to this building that,

3.4 Architects and Builders

The plans for the building have not been found; it is possible that they no longer survive,The most likely architect for the design of these separate buildings was Albert Bond, Hewas the architect for the Warehouse built in 1876 and the Palace Emporium in 1881, Healso designed the New Palace Emporium completed in 190524 , Apart from commercialbuildings he also designed many of the private family homes including Retford Hall atDarling Point and Shubra Hall at Croyden. The company magazine The HordernianMonthly stated that "Mr Albert Bond...was the architect for most of the Haymarketwarehouses..25

.



L...- _

31 The Hordemian Monthly January 1938: 9132 While I Live I Grow Being An Account of the Foundation and Growth of Australia's Mammoth Business Anthony Hordernand Sons Only Universal Providers.33 Sydney Water Archives, Revision Survey Section 1 Sheet 2 1901: Plan FB 3034

The contemporary description provides evidence for the use and appearance of thebuilding at the beginning of the twentieth century. The principal subject is the 1897clothing and furnishings factory at the corner of Little Hay and Sussex Streets.

"Leaving the art and furnishing drapery factory the visitor descends to the floor below to asection of the clothing factory known as the coat-room devoted entirely to the making ofcoats. About 110 hands are employed in this room and row after row of machines - 42 inall - driven at high speed give the place the appearance as well as the sound ofceaseless activity...The cutting is done in a room below ...

The development of these buildings as stores, workshops and factories was part of along-term business strategy developed by Samuel Hordern. He sought to establishproducts for every day use that could compete with the cheaper products then beingproduced; special mention was made of the lower priced furniture made by small Chineseoperated companies. His idea was to provide affordable articles of every type on 'a scalethat would enable Hordern's to market for less than the competition31

•

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February 2003

--------------


3.5.1 Original Form and Use

Sufficient survives of the fabric and comparisons with contemporary surveys to indicatethe original configuration. The buildings encompassed six storeys and a basement. Theconstruction was carried out in brick with wooden floors and rafters. The roof was coveredin iron. Inside were goods lifts from the basement to the upper floors. Access was from acart dock from Little Hay Street. The main difference from these details was a toilet blockerected over the cart dock and linking the buildings on the corners of Little Hay Street.Although this appears to have been a later addition it is shown on a survey of 1901 33

• Thestriking feature of this work is that although the three buildings (four originally) wereconstructed up to ten years apart (1888 or a little later, 1892 and 1897) they initially "read"as one structure. It is clear that efforts were made to marry each phase of the building tothose earlier elements. There are no plans available for any of these later additions.

(~ large portion of the block of buildings in Sussex-street is used as a bulk store, but thefactory itself is of five floors and a basement each of which has an inside measurement of132ft by 47ft. Ascending by a lift one finds that the fifth floor is devoted to the manufactureof furnishing drapery and art drapery. Thirty-one power-driven sewing machines are usedin the various details of the work and the number is constantly being added to .... Thewhole of the varied assortment of articles used in the different sections of the factory arekept in the adjoining reserve store which serves the purposes of the factory only andwhich is arranged in such a manner that everything required is most easily accessiblefrom the place where it is likely to be wanted...


In 1906 the Town and Country Journal published a series of articles on the newly openedemporium and all the factories and secondary establishments associated with theHorderns' company. These were gathered together into a single publication by thecompany as a means of advertising and describing the growth of the business32

• It is themost detailed account of the separate business spread about Sydney and the onlydescription of the present-day Sussex Hay Centre during its service for Hordern's. It isparticularly valuable in that the plans for this building are no longer available.

3.5 Hordern's Bulk Stores

IIIII'1IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

16

34 While I Live I Grow 22

Cuttural Resources MaJ'laQ'ement for PTW Architects

The pressing room in 409·11 Sussex Street(Source: Anthony Hordem and Sons, While I Live I'll Grow: 23)

"The basement floor is used as a dining room and is partitioned off so as to provideseparate rooms for the male and female employees,i34.

'The floor immediately beneath is the cutting room .. .no fewer than seventeen cutters areconstantly hard at work in this department.. .. In the pressing room eighteen men are keptcontinually at work doing nothing else but pressing the new clothing ...The pressing roomis upon the ground floor. ..In a room adjoining the pressing room are a number ofmen ...whose work is to examine and test all the work before it goes out.

work is entirely confined to manufacture of outer wear andvests. . a mentioned is most that isthere are so many operatives engaged in one room, the system of ventilation maintains aperfectly sweet and wholesome atmosphere and the light has almost the brightness of theopen air...

"A portion of the factory is fitted up as a machine repairing shop with lathes, emery wheelsetc and a cabinet extensively stocked with spare parts so that anything that wronecan be rectified with the least delay ...

Statement of Cultural Sigi'lific'anc:e Sussex


The best indication of the appearance and use of the premises in the twentieth century isprovided by notes and sketch plans prepared by the City Architect and BuildingSurveyor's Department in 1944.

35 Plan of Tank Supports Sussex Street City for Messrs Anthony Hordern and Sons Ltd, 1920: SCA CRS 164 109/2036 Sydney City Archives, Street Cards: Sussex Street, 192037 BA 2858/57, Sydney City Archives.36 Report of City Architect and Building Surveyor's Department: 405-4-9 Sussex Street, 1944. Sydney City Archives

The sketch accompanying the description shows that, at that time, 405-409 Sussex Streetstill encompassed the building behind on Dixon Street. The six goods lifts and stairs weredivided equally between these two buildings. The lifts were accessed from the cart dock,which was roofed at the first floor level, and were centrally located in each building andopposite each other across the dock yard.

The earliest record of new works for the building is from 1920. In that year a tank standwas added to the roof of the building. It was designed in a style to suit the form of themain structure. The architects were Morrow and Deputron of Sydney35. There is a recordof other works for the same building by Morrow and Gordon in the same year but thereare no surviving plans of this work36

•

Page 17

Pebruary 2003


411 Sussex Street, meaning the building on Sussex Street and the wing separate from itand behind on Dixon and Little Hay Streets, was described as Anthony Horderns clothingfactory. It also contained two workshops dedicated to machine repairs. The constructiondetails of the bUilding are similar being brick, hardwood story posts and girders, woodenfloors and a wooden stair running from the ground to fifth floor in each one of thesebuildings. One significant change was the addition of an enclosed concrete fire stair in thisbuilding. As well, the sketch plan shows that there were double fireproof doorsinterconnecting on each level of these buildings to the adjoining Sussex and Dixon Street

405-409 Sussex Street was assessed as one building although the assessor made a cleardistinction between the three parts of the building. It is even listed as 405, 407 and 409Sussex Street. It was described as Anthony Horderns bulk stores and a case factory. Itcomprised six floors and a basement. It was constructed in brick with hardwood storyposts and girders. It also had wooden floors on all levels except for the basement whichhad a cement floor. The roof was galvanised iron. Wooden stairs provided access fromthe ground floor to the fifth floor. There was no fire escape. Six hydraulic goods lifts ranfrom the basement to the fifth floor. There were three toilets "one in each building"meaning 405, 407 and 409 Sussex Street. The building was provided with automaticsprinklers and had a large gas meter in the basement. It was described as having goodnatural ventilation. Lighting, however, was said to be very poor. It was noted that ten ortwelve men generally occupied the building, however, it had been commandeered for warpurposes and "a large portion is under Army occupation with military staff of varyingnumbers". Generally, there were a number of unauthorised structures38

.

There is little evidence to suggest that any substantial changes were made to this buildingduring the entire time that Hordern's continued to use it for stores, until 1960. Althoughnumerous surveys show the combined site to be occupied by Horderns as a store nonerecord any significant changes to the envelope. There is not a single record of a buildingor development application being made for this building to Sydney City Council until 1957.In that year Morrow and Gordon prepared plans of showers for the first floor. The plans nolonger survive so it is impossible to determine which part of the building was intended forthis purpose37

.

3.5.2 Alterations


IIIII"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

buildings. It is tempting to see this as Bond's reaction to the fire that destroyed the PalaceEmporium in 1901. The difficulty is in determining the precise date for this building.

The building was sold in the post-war period as Hordern's grip on the retail market ofSydney was coming to an end. It was purchased by Bulwark Investments Pty Ltd in19604°.

There was a hydraulic lift from the basement to the fifth floor and a toilet on each floor.There were sprinklers throughout the building and lighting here was said to be good. Ithoused between 110 and 130 people39

•

IIIII


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Page 18

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39 Ibid: 411 Sussex Street40 LTO, Certificate of Title Volume 1242 Folio 65

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Sketch plan of 405-409 Sussex Street and the building behind on Dixon Street, no longer part of the group, in1944.(Source: Sydney City Archives, Report of City Architect and Building Surveyors Department)




February 2003

Page 19

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February 2003

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Sketch plan of 411 Sussex Street through to Dixon Street in 1944.(Source: Sydney City Archives, Report of City Architect and Building Surveyors Department)



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1976: restaurant use57

1973: restaurant54

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1965: manufacture of plastics47, unspecified manufactures48

Page 21

February 2003

3.6 Mixed Uses


41 Sydney City Council, DA 453/6042 Sydney City Council, DA 818/1/6343 Sydney City Council, DA 252/6344 Sydney City Council, DA 1103/6445 Sydney City Council, DA 17/6446 Sydney City Council, DA 477/02/6447 Sydney City Council, DA 17/6548 Sydney City Council, DA 695/6549 Sydney City Council, DA 1013/6750 Sydney City Council, DA 90716751 Sydney City Council, DA 9717052 Sydney City Council, DA 13417053 Sydney City Council, DA 21017054 Sydney City Council, DA 37017355 Sydney City Council, DA 41017456 Sydney City Council, DA 24017557 Sydney City Council, BA 633/7658 Sydney City Council, DA 325/7859 Sydney City Council, DA 370/78

1978: book store58, fashion shop59

1979: jewellery shop60, restaurant61

From 1975 there was an increasing use of the ground floor space for restaurant purposesbut the remainder of the building continued to be used for a variety of purposes. Thesemay be summarised as follows:

1975: restaurant use56


1967: storage and manufacture of shearing equipment49, ships chandlery5o.

1970: silk screen printing and displays51, photographic studi052, electronic sales andstorage53

Like many similarly dated buildings of its type in the later twentieth century the vast bulk ofthe old stores building no longer suited commercial uses and the new owners madeapplications to adapt its envelope to many smaller and mixed uses. The history of thisbuilding since the 1960s has been one of constant adaptation. A summary of these worksis included at the end of the chapter.

The new owners first sought to use the building for storage and light industrial works41 .The first substantial changes inside the building were made in 1963 and in the same yearmore applications were made to use part of the ground floor for display purposes and anoffice for the sale of shearing supplies42. As well, offices were to be created and theestablishment of a light engineering business in other parts of the bUilding43. In 1964 morespaces were sub-let for businesses that included silk screen printing44, offices and ashowroom45 and a ladies clothing manufacturer46. In the following ten years an evengreater variety of small businesses rented space in the old buildings. They may besummarised as follows:


The building is still occupied predominantly by a variety of small businesses on the upperfloors and restaurants on the lower floors.

The impact of these numerous tenants and their different needs as well as increasingconcerns for issues such as fire safety has had a considerable impact on the building. Thewooden floors, for example, have been removed from it. Large quantities of partitionshave come and gone and come again, services have been added and upgraded andelements such as signs have been added to the exterior of the building. These works aresummarised in the following:


Statement of Cultura/ Significance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney

1980: restaurant62

1988: restaurant63, cake shop64

1989: travel agency65.

1963: Glass entrance for 407 Sussex Street at a cost of £17866

Partition wall for the ground floor at a cost of £8067

Partitions on the ground floor of 405 Sussex Street at a cost of £58368

Partitions for the ground floor at a cost of £28069

Toilets for the ground floor at a cost of £300070

Unspecified alterations and additions at a cost of £50,00071

Partitions at a cost of £10072

Demolition of "sundry items to existing buildings,,73.

1964: Mechanical ventilation at a cost of £15074

An awning at a cost of £40075

Unspecified alterations at a cost of £8776

Timber wall in the basement for £4577

Partitions at a cost of £70078

Partitions at a cost of £15079.

1965: Mechanical ventilation to cost £6080

Partitions to the third floor to cost £18081

1967: Partitions on the fifth floor to cost $340082

60 Sydney City Council, DA 80417961 Sydney City Council, DA 892/7962 Sydney City Council, BA 4987/8063 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/048364 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/164365 Sydney City Council, DA 148/8966 Sydney City Council, BA 927/6367 Sydney City Council, BA 991/6366 Sydney City Council, BA 999/6369 Sydney City Council, BA 1333/6370 Sydney City Council, BA 1406/6371 Sydney City Council, BA 175/6372 Sydney City Council, BA 2869/6373 Sydney City Council, DA 115/6374 Sydney City Council, BA 307/6475 Sydney City Council, BA 1106/6476 Sydney City Council, BA 2135/6477 Sydney City Council, BA2266/6478 Sydney City Council, BA 2524/6479 Sydney City Council, BA 2870/6480 Sydney City Council, BA 451/6581 Sydney City Council, BA 2432/6582 Sydney City Council, BA 2567/67

Cultura/ Resources Management for PTW Architects

February 2003

Page 22

IStatement of Cultural Significance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney February 2003

I1970: Partitions and a ceiling on the fifth floor at a cost of $600083

I 1973: Alterations for restaurant purposes84

1974: Two illuminated signs85

I 1975: An awning86

Alterations to the ground floor to cost $10,00087

IAn awning to cost $57588

An illuminated sign89

-I 1976: Alterations to the ground floor for $100090

1977: Air conditioning91

IAlterations to the ground floor to cost $200092

Partitions to the value of $100093

1979: Unspecified alterations to cost $50094

I 1980: Exhaust ventilation to cost $500095

Alterations for restaurant purposes to the value of $150,00096

I Mechanical ventilation to cost $39,00097

An illuminated wall sign for $600098

I1983: A sunblind for 409 Sussex Street99

1985: A prefabricated cool room in the Dixon Street restaurant100

I 1987: Alterations to one shop101

1988: Restaurant fit-out on ground floor for $100,000102

I Office partitioning on the ground floor for $8000103

Cake shop fit out for $25,000104

New shop front, toilets and partitions in a restaurant105

I New shop front and partitions106

A new awning107

Conversion of several shops to new purposes108

I 63 Sydney City Council, BA 121no64 Sydney City Council, DA 370/7365 Sydney City Council, DA 36/3n4

I66 Sydney City Council, BA 126/0876n567 Sydney City Council, BA 528/7566 Sydney City Council, BA 876n569 Sydney City Council, DA 529/75

I90 Sydney City Council, BA 1080n691 Sydney City Council, BA 126/1214/7792 Sydney City Council, BA 1264n793 Sydney City Council, BA 972n794 Sydney City Council, BA 1516/79

I95 Sydney City Council, BA 45/80/041496 Sydney City Council, BA 4987/8097 Sydney City Council, BA 45/80/80696 Sydney City Council, BA 45/80/0826

I99 Sydney City Council, BA 45/83/0281100 Sydney City Council, BA 45/85/1095101 Sydney City Council, DA 44/87/1684102 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/0483103 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/1643

I 104 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/1778105 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/1847106 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/1868107 Sydney City Council, BA 45/88/2108

ICu/tural Resources Management for PTW Architects Page 23

I

Of all these works the only plans that survive are for an awning to 405 Sussex Street,planned in 1975, air-conditioning ~for 405-407 Sussex Street) and alterations (to 405Sussex Street) planned for 197711 . The building fabric retains the best account of thechanges made to it for the later history of its use.



1991: Renovation to ground floor restaurant109

Canvas sunblinds at Sussex Street entrance110Illuminated sign111

1992: New display window and awningl12

1994: Fit out of shop front and awning for jewellery ShOp113New signl14

The roof tops of the Sussex Street buildings

100 Sydney City Council, DA 44/881717109 Sydney City Council, BA 186/91110 Sydney City Council, BA 366/91III Sydney City Council, DA 17/91112 Sydney City Council, BA 119/92113 Sydney City Council, BA 408/94114 Sydney City Council, BA 540/94115 Sydney City Archives, Series 126 Items 0876175,1214177,1264/77


February 2003

Page 24

The preceding sections present a specific analysis of the evidence that is available fordescribing the development, use and associations of this building. An importantcomponent of an historical analysis is the identification of generic themes relevant to thisspecific history. The NSW Heritage Office describes this process;

"Historical themes help in evaluating comparative significance, as like themes under likethemes can be compared and their rarity or representativeness assessed. Applying thethemes also helps to prevent one value from taking precedence over another.Themes ...help in deciding whether historical or social values may be more important tothe heritage significance of a building than its aesthetics or research potentiaf'116.

There are two sets of themes used to define the place of an item, local and state themes.Local themes have been prepared as part of the evaluation of heritage assets preparedfor the City of Sydney Heritage Study. Of the seventeen principal historical themesdeveloped for the City of Sydney the following have relevance to the Sussex Hay Centrebuilding:

III11i-

I11


3.7 Thematic Framework

February 2003

• Commerce

• Labour

• Persons118.

There are thirty-five state historical themes. Of these, three have particular relevance tothis place. These are:

Page 25

116 NSW Heritage Office, Assessing Heritage Significance: 5117 W. Thorp, Thematic Framework Sydney CBO Heritage Inventory118 NSW Heritage Office, History and Heritage: 6


• Money in the City (sub-theme: A Retail Centre)

• Supplying the City (sub-themes: Stock Piling)117.

There are a substantial number of other buildings in the CBD that illustrate these themesincluding all of the major retail buildings such as Mark Foys on Liverpool Street and DavidJones on Elizabeth Street as well as warehouses such as Sargoods in York Street andRobert Reid and Co. warehouse in King Street.

1I1I1II1111II

The importance of this and the wider area as a heritage precinct has been recognised bySydney City Council. It is identified in CSLEP 1996 (revised 2000) as a special areaknown as "Haymarket".

Within this predominantly intact later nineteenth and early twentieth century commercialprecinct 405-411 Sussex Street is the most dominant element by means of its size andstrong fac;ade treatment.

The Sussex Hay Centre is located at the lower, southern end of Sussex Street. This is anarea now particularly associated with Sydney's Chinatown. In the nineteenth and earlierpart of the twentieth century it was a district noted for its important role in the city'scommercial life as a warehousing and commercial precinct.

On the eastern side of Sussex Street there is a similar streetscape developed from laternineteenth and early twentieth century two-three storey commercial buildings. Theprincipal exception is a multi-storey residential tower that has been built over one of theearlier buildings just to the south of the Little Hay Street intersection.

Page 26

February 2003

4.1 The Setting



CULTURAL RESOURCES

SECTION 4.0

The view north along the western side of Sussex Street to its intersection with GoulburnStreet is also predominantly an intact streetscape of later nineteenth and early twentiethcentury commercial premises. The only building that does not belong within theseparameters is that adjoining 405-411 Sussex Street to the north. This site of a formerwomen's refuge has been rebuilt in the later part of the twentieth century.

A considerable degree of this older character is retained in the immediate environs of thisbuilding. Across Little Hay Street at 411-413 Sussex Street is another early twentiethcentury warehouse used by Hordern's. The two buildings combine to provide a powerfulentrance to Little Hay Street. Adjoining 411-413 Sussex Street is a row of two-storey earlytwentieth century premises concluding in 431-439 Sussex Street at its intersection withHay Street. This five-storey former hotel and coffee palace built in 1913 acts as a"bookend" to the two storey-shops between it and 411-413 Sussex Street. 431-439Sussex Street is included on Schedule 1 of the Central Sydney Heritage LEP. From 405Sussex Street to 439 Sussex Street' is a substantially intact late nineteenth-earlytwentieth century commercial streetscape.

IIIII"I

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

II


IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII The streetscape to the south of the study area on the western side of Sussex Street (above). Opposite the

study area on the eastern side of Sussex Street (below).

II


An intrusive element in the Sussex Street built environment of the later nineteenth and early twentiethcenturies on the eastern side of Sussex Street south of Little Hay Street (above). Another former Hordern'sbuilding on the southern side of Little Hay Street that, together with the Sussex Hay centre, forms a "gateway"to this street (below).




February 2003

Page 28

• Some evidence of channelling cut through the site for Dickson's mill

• Substantial evidence of filling and levelling from several different periods includingthe 1830s and 1850s

• Some evidence of the pre-settlement environment in the form of preserved microflora

• Some evidence of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century brick-making in theform of filled borrow pits, clamps or lime-burning areas.

Page 29

February 2003

• Evidence of nineteenth century services and, possibly, some evidence of mid-laternineteenth century services.

• Evidence of a substantial excavation programme associated with the cut-down ofthe topography and deposits to accommodate the construction of the presentbuildings.

• Evidence of a flour-mill of the 1830s-1880s on the northern Sussex Street frontagethrough to Dixon Street. This is likely to comprise only deeper excavated featuressuch as machinery footings, tanks, wells or services.

• Fragmented evidence (structural, deposits and artefacts) of up to five periods ofoccupation largely comprising commercial and domestic occupation along thesouthern part of Sussex Street, Little Hay Street and Dixon Street. This is likely tohave been substantially removed or fragmented by the construction worksassociated with the present buildings.


119 CRM, Archaeological Assessment Sussex Hay Centre: 2003

Generally, it may be concluded that the site is likely to contain archaeological relics anddeposits but, except at the lowest level of the profile, these will have been substantiallyfragmented or removed by the works carried out to cut-down and level the site for theconstruction of the present buildings at the end of the nineteenth century. Intact elementsof the archaeological resource were assessed to have moderate-high significance.

4.2 The Archaeological Resource

A separate report has been prepared on the potential of this site to encompassarchaeological relics119. The conclusions of this analysis were that the profile couldcontain all or some of the following:




---=:---------------------------------------------

II

114.3 The Buildings

4.3.1 Style

• Utilitarian character

• Sandstone dressings or arches contrasting with the brickwork

• Load bearing walls, internal storey posts and beams and timber floors

• Strongly emphasised vertical piers

Page 30

• Plain face brickwork is peculiar to the style

Although built in up to three phases over ten years the building has a strong visualintegrity of style. Considerable effort has been placed on marrying the separatecomponents of the building although there is a decided difference in levels between thetwo components on Sussex Street that is expressed in the fagade. However, the formerstore has no readily identifiable architectural style. It is perhaps best described as anapproximation of the Federation Warehouse style of architecture that was fashionablemainly between c.1890 to c.1915. Typical features of this style are:

• Strongly emphasised arches at the top of the piers are peculiar to the style• Strongly emphasised base

• Flat spandrels recessed behind the plane of the piers120.

• Rectangularity of fagade emphasised by the treatment of the parapet or cornice

120 Apperley, Irving and Reynolds, Identifying Australian Architecture: 130

It is a style predominantly found in Sydney in less prestigious areas on the fringe of thecommercial district. The building next to the Sussex Hay Centre, across Little Hay Street,also built for Horderns although altered is a good example of many of the key features.

Reference to earlier works of Bond shows what may be an adaptation of his earlier worktowards this more fashionable style. The Harrison, Jones and Devlin wool store that hadbeen built by him in 1878 in Macquarie Place displays the same rectangularity,emphasised piers and the repetition of rectangular openings between the recessedspandrels. In fact, the design of the bUilding has more in common with wool-storeconstruction than retail warehouses of the period. Another factor that may have influencedthe strictly utilitarian nature of the building is the time that it was built. The principalstructure on Sussex Street was constructed in1892 a time when Australia's economy wason the brink of a major economic recession. A degree of economy may have beenexercised in the design of the building that reflects the uncertain future. The later buildingcomponents copied this design but were made in more affluent times. Generally,company records state that a strictly utilitarian approach was policy for all of the factorybuildings developed for Horderns.


The exterior of the Sussex Hay Centre on the public facades demonstrates that althoughthe strong rectangularity of the fagade, its expressed piers and emphasised base aretypical it lacks many of the other features. In many ways the facades of the dock yard arebetter expressions of the style than the public facades. It is possible that the rendering ofthe public facades was made to visually integrate the separate elements of the bUilding.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The Sussex Street faqade of the building. Here may be seen the differences in floor levels between the 1897section at the intersection of Little Hay and Sussex Street and the earlier 1893 section expressed in thehorizontal elements on the facades.

It could be said that, while the building is not a typical nor fine example of the warehousestyle it does appear to be a personal expression of this once well known, now largelyforgotten, later nineteenth century architect. It appears to owe more to earlier wool storedesign than commercial warehouses and its utilitarian character may reflect economiespracticed in the face of a worsening economic climate as well as company policy.




February 2003

Page 31

The Uttle Hay Street faqade (above) and the back of the Sussex Street buildings in the cart dock (below)




February 2003

Page 32

The cart dock looking towards the Little Hay Street entrance

The Sussex Hay Centre may be said to belong to a distinctive group of buildings largelyfound on the western fringe of the CBO that illustrate the importance of this precinct as awarehousing district which growth was influenced by a significant change in the operationof retail businesses. It was built in the peak period of warehouse development of this type.

Page 33

February 2003

121 Emery Balint: QQ...Qt: 11


These nineteen warehouses, which do not include the Sussex and Hay Centre, range indate from 1861 to 1920. The largest proportion falls within the 1880s range. There are twofrom the 1860s, one from the 1870s, six from the 1880s, one from the 1890s, five from the1900s and four from the 1910s to 1920. This reflects a substantial change in the mannerin which retailing was undertaken, specifically the rise of the great emporia in the later partof the nineteenth century.

4.3.2 The Type

Sydney retains a small but substantial resource of warehouses of this period and thosethat are earlier and later. Balint's study of Victorian commercial buildings identified twentysix warehouses in the CBO although a substantial number had been demolished includingmany of the earlier nineteenth century examples121. There are nineteen buildings of thistype within the central CBO listed on the Sydney Heritage Inventory. This provides arelative statistical sample of the chronological and geographical spread of the buildings.The majority are on the western side of Sydney on York, Clarence, Kent and SussexStreets. This reflects the manner in which precincts developed in the city devoted toparticular types of activity.



In the earlier plan lifts were placed at the western end of each floor. There are now largeglazed panels in the facades at this point. The principal pedestrian access throughout thebuilding was by means of the wooden stairs that have now been removed. Lesssubstantial changes encompass the numerous fit-outs, partitions, and toilets etc that havebeen made in the last forty years described in the earlier chapter.

There have been substantial changes made to the interior of the building through theremoval of timber stairs, the introduction of fire stairs and the introduction of some lifts andthe replacement of others. The lifts that now provide access to both 409 and 411 SussexStreet are not shown on the 1944 draWing. These are passenger lifts that have beenintroduced since that time. They replaced fire doors between the buildings.

The external fabric and envelope of the building appears to remain largely unchangedfrom when it was built. The principal changes have been the additions of awnings,particularly along Sussex Street and changes to the ground floor windows to provide shopfronts. The removal of lifts at the back of 405-409 Sussex Street have led to large glazedareas being introduced to the fac;ade at the back of the building. Minor changes havebeen made by the placement of services and ventilation ducts along the dockyard fac;ade.These do not appear to have substantially altered the underlying fabric.

Generally, it may be said that the building is largely intact from when it was first builtparticularly the facades although the ground floor has been obscured by the introductionof awnings and changes made to proVide for shop windows. Internally, there has beensubstantially more change, much cosmetic, although more intrusive additions andchanges have been made in the last forty years. It still demonstrates, both inside and out,its strictly utilitarian character. The fabric is the most substantial document of thedevelopment of the building and the relationships between the components.

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4.3.3 The Fabric


Inside the building the principal elements of the walls and floors remain although theintroduction of elements such as false ceilings have obscured the fabric. Where the earlierelements are exposed the ceiling trusses remain intact. The most original fabric isexposed in the basement ceilings. Like the exterior of the building it is clear that this wasa strictly utilitarian structure. Each floor is or was virtually identical. There is no attempt toprovide variation or interest through elaborate joinery. A pulley hoist fitting on at least onebay of the dock fac;ade of 405-409 Sussex Street illustrates its earlier function.

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In part of the basement of the Sussex Street buildings (above) and part of the floor and ceiling structurerevealed there (below).

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View of the interiors including the lift lobby above, the lifts being post-war introductions. The original goods liftwas at the end wall. One of the internal corridors.




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View from the cart dock of the link building between the Sussex Street buildings and that on Dixon Street. Ithouses several toilets with a view of one below.


Statement of Cultural Sigrnificarlce: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney


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• Nature of Significance

• Comparative Significance

"...aesthetic, historic, scientific or social value for past, present or future generations".

In the revised heritage assessment procedure seven criteria have been identified that maysingly or in combinations contribute to the cultural significance of a place. These criteriaare:

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(a) An item is important in the course or pattern of NSW's cultural or natural history orof the local area

(b) An item has strong or special association with the life or works of a person, orgroup of persons, of importance to the natural or cultural history of the state orlocal area

(c) An item is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a highdegree of creative or technical achievement in NSW or the local area

(d) An item has strong or special association with a particular community or culturalgroup in NSW or the local area for social, cultural or spiritual reasons

5.1 Evaluation Criteria

An assessment of significance is made by applying standard evaluation criteria to thefacts of the item's development and associations. These criteria are divided into twocategories:

Determining cultural value is the basis of planning for all places of historic value A cleardetermination of significance permits informed decisions for future planning that willensure that the expressions of significance are retained, enhanced or at least areminimally impacted upon. A clear understanding of the nature and degree of significancewill determine parameters for and flexibility of any development. In this case it isnecessary to have a clear understanding of the significance of the elements involved todetermine the impact that removal of them would have on the items, their environs and asa class of structure. .

This value may be contained in the fabric of the item, its setting and relationship to otheritems, the response that the item stimulates in those who value it now or the meaning ofthat item to its contemporary society and in the historical records that allow us tounderstand it in its own context. An assessment of what is significant is not static.Significance may increase as more is learnt about the past, about the particular item andas items become rare, endangered or are found to document and illustrate aspects thathave acquired a new recognition of importance.

"Heritage significance", "cultural significance" and "cultural value" are all terms used todescribe an item's value or importance to our own society. The Australian ICOMOS SurraCharter defines cultural significance as,

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

SECTION 5.0



The motor room in the roof space of the Sussex Street buildings

These are the inclusion criteria for demonstrating cultural heritage. There are parallelexclusion criteria that relate to factors that weaken the claim of an item to those criteria.

The comparative criteria or grading applied to cultural significance is categorisedaccording to an ascending scale of Intrusive, Little, Moderate, High and Exceptional122

•

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(e) An item has the potential to yield information that will contribute to anunderstanding of NSW's cultural or natural history or of the local area

(f) An item possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of NSW's or the localareas natural or cultural history.

(g) An item is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class ofNSW's or the local areas cultural or natural places or environments.


122 Heritage Office NSW, Assessing Heritage Significance: 9-11

Statement of Cultural SignifICance: Sussex Hay Centre, Sydney


5.2.1 Criterion A: Importance for the Course or Pattern of History

5.2.3 Criterion C: Important in Demonstrating Aesthetic Characteristics and/orCreative or Technical Achievement

5.2.2 Criterion B: Strong or Special Association with the Life or Works of APerson or Group of Persons

This assessment identifies the criteria described in the previous section that are relevantto the significance of the Sussex Hay Centre.

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5.2 Assessment of Significance

The Sussex Hay Centre may also be considered significant as what is likely to be one ofthe few remaining identifiable works of the later nineteenth century Sydney architectAlbert Bond. Bond was the first permanently appointed City Architect and established aprolific private practice. He was responsible for the design of almost all of the Hordernsprivate and commercial projects, including, the old and new Brickfield Hill emporiums. Hewas also responsible for several other notable Sydney commercial buildings, some of theTown Hall design and a large number of private residences. Much of Bond's commercialwork has been destroyed and while this would not be one of his finest examples it doesappear to display what may be a particularly personal response to new styles and astrictly utilitarian building constructed in a period of economic uncertainty.

Anthony Horderns was one of the pre-eminent retail companies in NSW during thenineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were an iconic family firm whose productsand marketing were instantly recognisable. The main emporium on Brickfield Hill hasbeen demolished; the stores remain the last link to the importance of this store and thefamily operation in the history of retail in Sydney and NSW. This relationship is now onlyexplicit through archival sources although it could be expressed on site.


The Sussex Hay Centre is not a fine but is a distinctive warehouse building of the laternineteenth century. It has a very significant role to play in a largely intact commercialstreetscape of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is the most imposingelement in this part of Sussex Street and makes a major contribution towards defining theearlier role and character of this part of Sydney. Along with the adjoining former Hordern'sbuilding on the opposite side of Little Hay Street it creates an imposing entrance to thisstreet at this point. Its form, materials and scale compliment the other buildings of itsperiod on both sides of Sussex Street.

The Sussex Hay Centre is associated with an important period of retail development inSydney one that marked a change from the small individual commercial premises of theearly-mid nineteenth century to the massive emporia of the later nineteenth to twentiethcenturies. This change in the way that people shopped and goods were sold had asubstantial impact on the development of the city. The fringe districts of the CBOdeveloped as warehouse precincts to either service the large emporia or providewarehouse retail. The Sussex Hay Centre belongs to the former being one of severalstores that were used by Anthony Horderns to supply its vast Brickfield Hill shop. It wasconstructed at the peak of this period of Sydney's development and is one of a group ofsimilarly purposed buildings that remain within the CBO. The building remains largelyintact and expressive of its original purpose.

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5.3 Comparative Significance

5.2.4 Criterion G: Important in Demonstrating the Principal Characteristics of aClass

The building should be considered for inclusion in the Sydney City Inventory andSchedule 1 of CSLEP 2000.

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Roof trusses in the Sussex Street building


The Sussex Hay Centre is considered to have a high degree of local significance. Itretains a substantial amount of its original fabric and demonstrates several aspects thathave relevance for the development of Sydney as well as more general associations witha significant Australian company. As well it makes a major contribution to an importantand largely intact commercial streetscape.

The Sussex Hay Centre is one of a small but substantial group of buildings within the Cityof Sydney that are important for their illustration of the rise of warehousing as part of thechanging pattern of retail at the end of the nineteenth century. A style has been developedto describe the related characteristics of the most architecturally significant of thesebuildings, the Federation Warehouse style. The Sussex Hay Centre is not a goodexample of this style. It displays characteristics of the style but, in some ways, has morein common with earlier wool-store development. It appears to be a completely personalexpression of the architect to his brief within the economic climate and changing tastes ofthe period. Nevertheless this building retains with a considerable degree of integrity thecharacteristics of its utilitarian function. Its scale, in particular, is descriptive of its past use.



The bUilding should be considered for inclusion in the Sydney City Inventory andSchedule 1 of CSLEP 2000.

The Sussex Hay Centre is considered to have a high degree of local significance. Itretains a substantial amount of its original fabric and demonstrates several aspects thathave relevance for the development of Sydney as well as more general associations witha significant Australian company. As well it makes a major contribution to an importantand largely intact commercial streetscape.

Anthony Horderns was one of the pre-eminent retail companies in NSW during thenineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were an iconic family firm whose productsand marketing were instantly recognisable. The main emporium on Brickfield Hill hasbeen demolished; the stores remain the last link to the importance of this store and thefamily operation in the history of retail in Sydney and NSW. This relationship is now onlyexplicit through archival sources although it could be expressed on site

The Sussex Hay Centre has a very significant role to play in a largely intact commercialstreetscape of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is the most imposingelement in this part of Sussex Street and makes a major contribution towards defining theearlier role and character of this part of Sydney. Along with the adjoining former Hordern'sbuilding on the opposite side of Little Hay Street it creates an imposing entrance to thisstreet at this point. Its form, materials and scale compliment the other buildings of itsperiod on both sides of Sussex Street.

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5.4 Statement of Cultural Significance



This building was constructed at the peak of Sydney's warehouse development and is oneof a group of similarly purposed bUildings that remain within the CBO. The buildingremains largely intact and expressive of its original utilitarian purpose. The building doesnot conform to a standard architectural style although it has characteristics of theFederation Warehouse style. In some ways it has more in common with earlier wool-storedevelopment. It appears to be a completely personal expression of the architect to hisbrief within the economic climate of the period drawing references from his earlier workwithin a period of changing architectural taste. It may be considered significant as whatmay be one of the few remaining identifiable works of the later nineteenth century Sydneyarchitect Albert Bond, the first permanently appointed City Architect and responsible for aprolific private practice that included several other notable Sydney commercial buildings.

The Sussex Hay Centre is associated with an important period of retail development inSydney one that marked a change from the small individual commercial premises of theearly-mid nineteenth century to the massive emporia of the later nineteenth to twentiethcenturies. This changed the way that people shopped and goods were sold and had asubstantial impact on the development of the city. The fringe districts of the CBOdeveloped as warehouse precincts to either service the large emporia or providewarehouse retail. The Sussex Hay Centre belongs to the former being one of severalstores and factories that were used by Anthony Horderns to supply its vast Brickfield Hillshop.

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Frances PollenShopkeepers and Shoppers A Social History of Retailing in New South Wales from 1788Retail Traders Association of NSW. 1977.

6.1 Books and Reports

Anthony Hordern and SonsWhile I Live I'll Grow Being An Account of the Foiundation and Growth of Australia'sMammoth Business Anthony Hordern and Sons Only Universal Providers (NO)

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SECTION 6.0

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Richard Apperley, Robert Irving and Peter ReynoldsIdentifying Australian Architecture Styles and Terms from 1788 to the PresentAngus and Robertson. 1989.

Ken ArnoldAustralian Preserving and Storage Jars pre 1920O.G. Walker Pty Ltd. 1983.

Emery BalintRecord of Commercial Buildings Constructed in the Victorian Era IN NSWDepartment of Environment and Planning. 1984.

Emery Balint, Trevor Howells, Victoria Smyth.Warehouses and Woolstores of Victorian SydneyOxford University Press. 1982.

Shirley FitzgeraldSydney 1842 - 1952Southwood Press Pty Ltd. 1992

Gibbs, Shallard and Co.An Illustrated Guide to Sydney 1882.Facsimile Edition. Angus and Robertson. 1981.

Morton HermanThe Architecture of Victorian SydneyAngus and Robertson. 1956.

NSW Heritage OfficeAssessing Heritage Significance: 2001

NSW Heritage OfficeHistory and Heritage: 1996

State ProjectsSydney Town Hall Conservation Management Plan. 1996.Sydney City Council


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Morrow and DeputronPlan of Tank Supports Sussex Street City for Messrs Anthony Hordern and Sons Ltd,1920SCA CRS 164 109/20

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Wendy Thorp (CRM)Thematic Framework Sydney CBD Heritage InventorySydney City Council. 1995.

6.2 Property Records

City of Sydney Street Cards: 1909 - 1929Sydney City Archives

City of SydneyRate Assessments 1848 - 1932

City of SydneyRecords of Development and Building Applications 1929 Sydney City Archives

City Architect and Building Surveyor's DepartmentReports 1944 for 405 -409 Sussex Street. 411 Sussex StreetCity of Sydney Archives

Land Titles Office NSWCertificates of Title Volume 1242 Folio 65.

Land Titles OfficePrimary Applications 6704, 10205, 6245

6.3 Maps and Plans

NSW Department of LandsMetropolitan Detail Series Sheet 2: 1894ML M Ser4 811.17/1

Sydney Water BoardSurvey Section 1, City of Sydney 1901Sydney Water Archives, Plan FB 3034 Folio 18-19

Sydney Water BoardSurvey 1927 revised 1938Sydney Water Archives, Detail Sheet 713

Sydney Water BoardSurvey 1951Sydney Water Archives, Sewer Reference Sheet 3739

Sydney Water BoardReal Estate Sheet 1946Sydney Water Archives, RE Base 117


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Sydney City Council405 Sussex Street, Plan of Awning: 1975SCA Series 126 Item 0876/75

Sydney City CouncilPlans of Air conditioning for 405-407 Sussex Street: 1977SCA Series 126 Item 1214/77

Sydney City CouncilAlterations 405 Sussex Street: 1977SCA Series 126 Item 1264/77


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Documents

SUSSEX HAYCENTRE 405-411SUSSEX STREET , SYDNEYnswaol.library.usyd.edu.au/data/pdfs/13845_ID_Thorp2003SussexHa… · Hordern's continued to use these bUildings as stores, factory and