Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Lawson House
Lawson House is a heritage-listed warehouse, auction house and offices located at 212–218 Cumberland Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Burcham Clamp and built during 1924 by Burcham Clamp and Finch. It is also known as Cadbury-Fry Building and Lawson Menzies Building. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.
The site is known to have been occupied from the early years of the nineteenth century, although it was probably occupied in the first weeks after the arrival of the First Fleet. Lesueur's 1802 "Plan of the Town" shows the first St Philip's Church at the end of Gloucester Street and some buildings indicated in the vicinity of the subject site. The alignment of Gloucester and Cumberland Street was already established. The 1803–1807 field book of surveyor Charles Grime noted four owner/occupiers on two or three allotments on the site. James Meehan's 1807 "Plan of the Town of Sydney in NSW" indicates the site and nearby parcels of land were leasehold, at this time the site was still Crown Land.
By 1822, the settlement of The Rocks was reasonably well established and plans show single allotments occupying the site, probably dwellings. Nine years later the Hodd, Lanner and Mitchell "Map of the Town of Sydney" provided street names and both Cumberland and Gloucester Streets terminating at Charlotte Place (now Grosvenor Street). Land at the subject site remained Crown Land until the 1830s and the Department of Lands titles information shows the site to be an amalgamation of various lots granted at this time as part of Section 64 including all of Lot 13 granted to William Davis in 1836, part of lot 15 to Thomas Bray and Edward McRoberts in 1839, part of lot 12 to Elizabeth Gaunson in 1840, part of lot 11 to James Glover in 1840 and part of lot 16 to Christopher Crane. The whole of lot 14 was granted to William Henry Dowling in 1841.
The Sydney Council Rates books and the Sands Directory from the 1850s highlights the residential character of the site, there is little or no indication of industry on the site. There was some commercial use in the form of boarding houses and businesses operating from residences such as boot makers, dressmakers, jewellers and tailors. The dwellings were in private ownership until approximately 1907 when the land was acquired by the NSW Government in The Rocks Resumptions following the outbreak of the plague.
The site was dominated by large brick and stone terraces characteristic of residential investment in The Rocks, there were some wooden buildings and smaller scale single storey dwellings on the site, but according to the rates books these were constructed earlier. By the 1870s the predominant construction medium was brick and majority of residences were at least two storeys. Some of these buildings remained on the site until the 1920s.
The first Cadbury factory was built in Australia in 1922 in Tasmania following the company's successful English merger with Fry and Sons. Australia had been an important market for the company since the 1880s. Two years after the factory opened in Tasmania in 1921 application was made to construct a depot in Sydney. The Cumberland Street site was perfect because of its close proximity to the wharves, ensuring ease of delivery of products from Tasmania. The building opened as a warehouse and distribution centre in 1924, it was designed by the Sydney firm of Burcham Clamp and Finch. Cadbury Fry continued in the building until c. 1957, during World War II they were the official suppliers of chocolate to the armed forces.
In 1958 Craig Mostyn and Co moved into the building and also used it as a warehouse, packing and distribution centre. This company began in 1923 exporting leather, harvested wattle bark for the tanning industry and sold tanning machinery in Australia. Through the 1920s & 30s they expanded into other Australian products including eucalyptus oil, wool, rabbit skins and tallow. The company gradually expanded acquiring mills, exporting fruit and by 1960 were a large exporter of bark.
The building was occupied by the auctioneer company, Lawson's in 1982. Lawson's had been a well known auctioneer since 1870 when James R. Lawson established himself as a leading Sydney auctioneer, at that time everything from groceries to sailing ships were auctioned. In September 2001 the Menzies Group of Companies acquired Lawson's and the company expanded into two brands with the Cumberland Street office known as Lawson-Menzies. This company targeted the upper end of the Australian auction market for art, wine, jewels, decorative art and prestigious house contents.
Hub AI
Lawson House AI simulator
(@Lawson House_simulator)
Lawson House
Lawson House is a heritage-listed warehouse, auction house and offices located at 212–218 Cumberland Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Burcham Clamp and built during 1924 by Burcham Clamp and Finch. It is also known as Cadbury-Fry Building and Lawson Menzies Building. The property is owned by Property NSW, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002.
The site is known to have been occupied from the early years of the nineteenth century, although it was probably occupied in the first weeks after the arrival of the First Fleet. Lesueur's 1802 "Plan of the Town" shows the first St Philip's Church at the end of Gloucester Street and some buildings indicated in the vicinity of the subject site. The alignment of Gloucester and Cumberland Street was already established. The 1803–1807 field book of surveyor Charles Grime noted four owner/occupiers on two or three allotments on the site. James Meehan's 1807 "Plan of the Town of Sydney in NSW" indicates the site and nearby parcels of land were leasehold, at this time the site was still Crown Land.
By 1822, the settlement of The Rocks was reasonably well established and plans show single allotments occupying the site, probably dwellings. Nine years later the Hodd, Lanner and Mitchell "Map of the Town of Sydney" provided street names and both Cumberland and Gloucester Streets terminating at Charlotte Place (now Grosvenor Street). Land at the subject site remained Crown Land until the 1830s and the Department of Lands titles information shows the site to be an amalgamation of various lots granted at this time as part of Section 64 including all of Lot 13 granted to William Davis in 1836, part of lot 15 to Thomas Bray and Edward McRoberts in 1839, part of lot 12 to Elizabeth Gaunson in 1840, part of lot 11 to James Glover in 1840 and part of lot 16 to Christopher Crane. The whole of lot 14 was granted to William Henry Dowling in 1841.
The Sydney Council Rates books and the Sands Directory from the 1850s highlights the residential character of the site, there is little or no indication of industry on the site. There was some commercial use in the form of boarding houses and businesses operating from residences such as boot makers, dressmakers, jewellers and tailors. The dwellings were in private ownership until approximately 1907 when the land was acquired by the NSW Government in The Rocks Resumptions following the outbreak of the plague.
The site was dominated by large brick and stone terraces characteristic of residential investment in The Rocks, there were some wooden buildings and smaller scale single storey dwellings on the site, but according to the rates books these were constructed earlier. By the 1870s the predominant construction medium was brick and majority of residences were at least two storeys. Some of these buildings remained on the site until the 1920s.
The first Cadbury factory was built in Australia in 1922 in Tasmania following the company's successful English merger with Fry and Sons. Australia had been an important market for the company since the 1880s. Two years after the factory opened in Tasmania in 1921 application was made to construct a depot in Sydney. The Cumberland Street site was perfect because of its close proximity to the wharves, ensuring ease of delivery of products from Tasmania. The building opened as a warehouse and distribution centre in 1924, it was designed by the Sydney firm of Burcham Clamp and Finch. Cadbury Fry continued in the building until c. 1957, during World War II they were the official suppliers of chocolate to the armed forces.
In 1958 Craig Mostyn and Co moved into the building and also used it as a warehouse, packing and distribution centre. This company began in 1923 exporting leather, harvested wattle bark for the tanning industry and sold tanning machinery in Australia. Through the 1920s & 30s they expanded into other Australian products including eucalyptus oil, wool, rabbit skins and tallow. The company gradually expanded acquiring mills, exporting fruit and by 1960 were a large exporter of bark.
The building was occupied by the auctioneer company, Lawson's in 1982. Lawson's had been a well known auctioneer since 1870 when James R. Lawson established himself as a leading Sydney auctioneer, at that time everything from groceries to sailing ships were auctioned. In September 2001 the Menzies Group of Companies acquired Lawson's and the company expanded into two brands with the Cumberland Street office known as Lawson-Menzies. This company targeted the upper end of the Australian auction market for art, wine, jewels, decorative art and prestigious house contents.