Bond Store, Southbank

In an area that contains numerous cafes, the Bond Store in Southbank, located at 1 Riverside Quay near to Eureka Tower and Freshwater Place, is one of the oldest coffee shops.

Featuring exposed brick walls and high wooden ceilings, it provides a portal into the local history of the area and has been serving breakfast, brunch and lunch to the Southbank crowds for nearly 20 years.

The distinctive building is close to the river, a hive of shipping activity in the 19th century. It sits on a site first occupied by William B. Johns from round 1866. He was a lighterman and storekeeper and ran a kerosene store on the premises. The name of Bond Store derives from its function where imported goods were historically held in bond until the customs duty had been paid.

New buildings (simple and substantial) were constructed in 1888, consisting of three buildings – B and C and building 11. B and C are five storeys high and consist of brickwork with cast-iron columns and timber floors and roof trusses. Flat arched window heads alternate with each floor. A distinctive feature is an oculus (a circular or oval window) at the top level, surrounded by cream brick.

Building 11 was constructed of brick and bluestone and has a shallow gable roof. The buildings provide an insight into multi-storey warehousing in Melbourne, facilitated by the introduction of hydraulic lift technology in the mid-1880s, and demonstrate effective conversion to apartments in recent years.

A major event took place in January 1886 when fire broke out in the building (occupied by Brooks Robinson and Co.), which held large amounts of kerosene, pitch and tar (used for asphalting pavements) and other flammable goods. Luckily the proximity of the river provided the firefighters with a good supply of water. As happened regularly in the 19th century, the goods (valued at about £4000) were underinsured at around £1000.

Together the buildings form one of the largest extant 19th century store complexes in Victoria and provide one of the few remaining links with Southbank’s early industrial and maritime past. •