Shops

The land on which this building is situated was part of Portions 212 and 213 granted to Bennet Clay in 1859. This land, which fronted Given Terrace, was subdivided from 1865 onwards. Subdivision 6 (a little over 22 perches) on the corner of Martha Street and Given Terrace changed hands several times before being purchased by George Thomas Sweetman in June 1898. Shortly after buying the land, Sweetman mortgaged it for the sum of £325.  This was likely to have been in order to finance the construction of business premises as Sweetman was listed as a grocer in post office directories at this site from 1900. Sweetman later established other grocery and provision businesses in George Street, the City, and in Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. He operated his grocery business on Given Terrace until 1919 when the land was sold to Thomas Costin. 

In 1921, the building was leased to W.H. Green, who established a pharmacy in the corner shop. In 1924, the building was leased to Francis Phillips, also a chemist, who purchased the site in 1946. This corner shop remained as a chemist shop throughout the interwar years. The other two shops housed a variety of businesses, including a saddler's and a confectioner's in the early 1930s. Some demolition was carried out on the site by Phillips in 1965. The extent of this, however, is unclear from Council’s building card records. Possibly only the awnings on the buildings were demolished as the existing building appears to match the footprint on the 1932 sewerage detail plan.

In the late 1990s, no. 223 was occupied by a medical practitioner, and no. 221 was an educational toy store, Tik Tok. The building was identified in Bechervaise & Associates Built form evaluation and recommendations: Given and Latrobe Terraces Local Area Plan as “essential to the character of the Terraces”. Their report described the building as follows:

A row of three single storey timber shops which retain a large degree of original detailing, including fine detailed timber parapet and cornice treatment (which has been cut above no 219). Original timber entry doors survive and a variety of shopfront detailing exists. The corner surgery entrance has an interesting chamfered treatment with recessed entry. Note original surgery light. All verandah posts and aluminium lace treatment appear to be later.

Since this assessment was made, the shops have been refurbished (1997). The changes were mainly internal with some minor alterations to the shopfront doorways, including new floor tiling. 

This corner shop building provides physical evidence of the development of Given Terrace as the most important thoroughfare and business centre of Paddington from the late nineteenth century. Its history also illustrates the changing nature of the commercial needs of the Paddington community over a century. In addition, it makes an important contribution to the historical character of the Given Terrace streetscape.

A sloping corrugates iron awning runs along the Given Terrace front and wraps sightly around into Martha Street. 

The building, which had originally four shops, (one with a prominent corner entrance) is now divided into two tenancies due to recent renovation work. 

The original shop fronts treatments and location of entrances have been retained, while the awning roof and decorative trimming are the result of later renovations.

1. Brisbane City Council Water Supply and Sewerage Detail Plans

2. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

3. Brisbane City Council Heritage Trail Series No. 10. Latrobe and Given Terraces, Paddington

4. Bechervaise  & Associates. Built form evaluation and recommendations: Given and Latrobe Terraces Local Area Plan. 199?

5. Department of Natural Resources. Queensland Certificates of Title

6. John Oxley Library Photograph Collection

7. Lawson, Ronald Brisbane in the 1890s: A Study of an Australian Urban Society. St Lucia U of Q Press, 1973

8. Queensland Post Office Directories