Former Warehouse Including Interiors

Item details


Name of item:	Former Warehouse Including Interiors
Other name/s:	Seppelt & Sons Wine Merchants, Mungo Scott Ltd Miller, The Vintage Building
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Warehouse/storage area
Location:	Lat: -33.8754806767241 Long: 151.202780405037
Primary address:	281-287 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Local govt. area:	Sydney

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
281-287 Sussex Street	Sydney	Sydney			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	The Vintage is of historical significance as a good example of a simple inner city warehouse dating from the late nineteenth century. It provides physical evidence of the redevelopment of this part of Sydney with large-scale warehouses during that period. All significant fabric remains in good to excellent condition. Work in 1980 identified and rtook care to retain the character of the building.
	Date significance updated: 12 Jan 06
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	Unknown
Builder/Maker:	Unknown
Construction years:	1893-1893
Physical description:	The Vintage is a three storey polychrome face brick building with timber windows and a corrugated steel roof, which has facades to Bathurst and Sussex Streets. Internally much of the original structure remains and has been used as permanent formwork for new concrete slab floors. The building has also been extensively partitioned internally. Category:Individual Building. Style:Victorian utilitarian. Storeys:3 + basement. Facade:Face brick, timber frame windows. Side/Rear Walls:Face brick. Internal Walls:Face brick, plasterbd & stud. Roof Cladding:Corrugated steel sheeting. Internal Structure:Timber post & beam. Floor:Reinf. conc. slab and carpet over original timber joists & boards. Roof:Unknown; presumably timber frame. Ceilings:Exposed floor structure, plasterbd.. Stairs:Reinf. conc., brass handrails. Fire Stairs:Reinf. conc., steel balustrade. Sprinkler System:Yes. Lifts:None.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The building retains much of the partitioning associated with its residential use, although it is now mostly occupied as offices. Timber windows retain old sashes but have been converted from double hung to awning action..Intrusive Elements:Window mounted air conditioning units, surface mounted wiring on interior.
	Date condition updated:12 Jan 06
Modifications and dates:	c. 1893
Further information:	High Significance:External form viewed from Sussex and Bathurst Streets. The form of the roof. Face brick walls, sills, lintels, arch bricks, cornices and window reveals, and reused elements such as window sashes. Barred openings, Cast iron Guards to base of arched window recesses either side of entry. Brick chimney on Sands Lane. Internally, original timber structure, timber entry door. Medium Significance:Altered window frames in original openings. Gutters and downpipes. WC under Sussex Street. Brick walls to basement. Internally, timber panelling to columns, painted face brick wall (original), timber boarding to ceiling, windows to courtyard. Low Significance:Roller shutters. Brass letterboxes. Skylights mounted flush with roof. Roof mounted plant and catwalks. Concrete floors, internal partitions and stairs, rooflights. Brick walls under courtyard. Brick paving. Comments:HFS approved D2000/00839. Conservation Plan to be revised see condition No 2. Heritage Inventory sheets are often not comprehensive, and should be regarded as a general guide only. Inventory sheets are based on information available, and often do not include the social history of sites and buildings. Inventory sheets are constantly updated by the City as further information becomes available. An inventory sheet with little information may simply indicate that there has been no building work done to the item recently: it does not mean that items are not significant. Further research is always recommended as part of preparation of development proposals for heritage items, and is necessary in preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments and Conservation Management Plans, so that the significance of heritage items can be fully assessed prior to submitting development applications.


Current use:	Offices ; Residential
Former use:	Warehouse : Industrial

History

Historical notes:

The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters.

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney.

(Information sourced from Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani )

The first building on the site, which was granted to James Wilshire in 1838, appears to have been erected some time between 1882 (when it was rated as a timber yard) and 1893 (when Council building records note "built prior to 1894"). In 1897 the building was rated as a four storey brick and slate flour mill owned by Aitken & Scott, flour millers. From 1915 to 1922 the occupants were Mungo Scott Ltd, Millers. In 1923 the building was taken over by Bernard Seppelt & Sons, Wine & Spirit Merchants, as their Sydney office and warehouse, and used as such until 1974. In 1979 the building was converted for use as residential apartments. It began to be used as commercial premises in the late 1980s.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Vintage is part of the extensive group of warehouses in western Sydney which grew up around Darling Harbour. It is a prominent corner building which has been adapted to a new use, but which still retains its traditional warehouse character to the principal facades and roof-line. Has historic significance locally.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The building presents tangible evidence of milling and wine making in NSW.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The Vintage exemplifies one of a range of trades and businesses carried out in the western CBD during the early part of this century, the role of employer and the manufactrure of basic foodstuff.The building presents tangible evidence of milling and wine making in NSW.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The Vintage is one of only a small number of pre 1900 buildings in the city south of Druitt Street and the only one with an industrial heritage.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The Vintage is a highly visible example of the warehouses which once occupied most of this part of Sydney. It is representative of low scale face brick industrial buildings of the 1890s.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

General: The Vintage should be conserved largely in its existing form and scale, with no vertical additions to the main wings which front Bathurst and Sussex Streets. It would be preferable for the building to retain its present size, however, some additions in the 1979 courtyard could be contemplated if these were of similar scale and form to the existing building. Other uses for the building could be considered provided that these will not require the removal of significant fabric. Features of high significance should be conserved, and other fabric dealt with so that the form and appearance of the building are conserved. Surfaces never intended for painting such as face brick should remain unpainted, while surfaces such as timber which were originally painted should continue to be painted in appropriate colours. Exterior: The facade should be conserved largely in its existing appearance. Interior: The interiors could be subject to further alteration in the future (including resubdivision or removal of partitions) to assist the continuing use of the place, provided that surviving significant fabric (notably the timber structure) is preserved. The building should be retained and conserved. A Heritage Assessment and Heritage Impact Statement, or a Conservation Management Plan, should be prepared for the building prior to any major works being undertaken. There shall be no vertical additions to the building and no alterations to the façade of the building other than to reinstate original features. The principal room layout and planning configuration as well as significant internal original features including ceilings, cornices, joinery, flooring and fireplaces should be retained and conserved. Any additions and alterations should be confined to the rear in areas of less significance, should not be visibly prominent and shall be in accordance with the relevant planning controls.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Local Environmental Plan	Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012	I1964	14 Dec 12
Heritage study

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written			Sands' Directories
Written			Council rate books and BA records
Written	Anita Heiss		Aboriginal People and Place, Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City
Written	Macphail & Sproul Architects	2001	The Vintage, residential apartment building, 281-287 Sussex Street, Sydney : conservation plan

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	2424140

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

All information and pictures on this page are the copyright of Heritage NSW or respective copyright owners.