Bolton Street Car Park Facade & Side Wall

Item details


Name of item:	Bolton Street Car Park Facade & Side Wall
Other name/s:	David Cohen Warehouse
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Warehouse/storage area
Location:	Lat: -32.9288065666 Long: 151.7823972840
Primary address:	48-50 Bolton Street, Newcastle, NSW 2300
Parish:	Newcastle
County:	Northumberland
Local govt. area:	Newcastle
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Awabakal

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1		DP	601267

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
48-50 Bolton Street	Newcastle	Newcastle	Newcastle	Northumberland	Primary Address
48-62 Bolton Street	Newcastle	Newcastle	Newcastle	Northumberland	Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
City of Newcastle Council	Local Government	25 Mar 99

Description


Designer/Maker:	Frederick B. Menckens
Construction years:	1901-
Physical description:	Warehouse 10. Of interwar art deco/functionalist ocean liner style. Facade only, redeveloped as car park for city council by sutors and busteed (architects) 1980 5 storey dark red brick facade. transitional building revealing the development in architecture towards plain surfaces (RAIA). Architecture Newcastle describes the building as "a monochromatic, dark red faade and brickwork masterpiece." The building is 5 storeys high of brick load bearing construction finely executed in the Federation Warehouse style. The main facade is finished entirely in face brickwork and detailed to form arched openings and massive corbelled piers. Detail is related to the brick units themselves, as opposed to any classical detailing. The composition is based on a tripartite group of openings vertically and horizontally, and a vertically emphasised propertion. The arches are elegant and complete the vertical composition of the openings. The building's parapet features splendidly detailed brick caps and cornice (LEP, 2012). Five storey inner city warehouse constructed from load bearing brick walls with ironbark timber post and beam framings internally. Main facade finished entirely in face brickwork, detailed to form arched openings and massive corbelled piers. Facade of great strength which is almost fortress like in its monumentality. Basically vertical fenestration of piers, windows and recesses, facade releived by two narrow cornices at first and fourth floor levels (RNE, 1980). The building has important historical associations with David Cohen and the pre-eminent 19th century architect Frederick B Menkens. The building has been described as the best example of Menkens' work in Australia. The building makes an important contribution to the streetscape and is a visually element of the Newcastle skyline, particularly when viewed from the foreshore, Fort Scratchley and other parts of the city centre. The National Trust described it as one of the best examples of a Federation era warehouse building to be found anywhere in Australia. The building became the benchmark for many local builders constructing in brickwork at the turn of the century (LEP, 2012). One of the best examples of a Federation era warehouse. Regarded as Newcastle architect, Frederick Menkens' finest commercial essay in brick design in the Functionalist tradition. The building affords a spectacular street element of cityscape scale and is a fitting reminder of the once bustling warehouse and shipping office quarter of Newcastle (RNE, 1980; NTA).


Current use:	Car Parking station
Former use:	warehouse

History

Historical notes:

This building was designed by Menkens after his release from debtors' prison. It was built for David Cohen as a shipping warehouse and converted to a parking station by Newcastle Council in 1983 (Suters Busteed Corner Clode were the architectural team responsible for the conversion). It was slated for demolition until the NSW Government protected it with the imposition of a Permanent Conservation Order in 1981, transposed to a listing on the State Heritage Register in 1999.

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	Warehousing and storage for commercial enterprises-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Significant Places How are significant places marked in the landscape by, or for, different groups-Monuments and Sites
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	River Transport-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	Wharf and shipping history-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Subdivision of urban estates-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Roadside Villages-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	20th Century infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in urban settings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Role of transport in settlement-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Developing suburbia-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Shaping coastal settlement-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Wharfside and Port Work Culture-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in shops and stores-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with David Cohen, prominent merchant-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00066	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00066	27 Mar 81	46	1817
Local Environmental Plan	Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012	I369	15 Jun 12	64
Heritage study	Newcastle Heritage Study	146	08 Dec 90
National Trust of Australia register	NTA (NSW) Country Register	4481
Royal Australian Institute of Architects register	RAIA 20th Century Significant Buildings List
Register of the National Estate	Register of the National Estate	1275	20 Oct 80

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Newcastle Heritage Study	1990	146	Unknown		Yes
National Trust Country Register	0	4481	National Trust of Australia (NSW)		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written			Menkens Centenary Exhibition
Written	Maitland, Barry & Stafford, C.	1997	Architecture Newcastle: A Guide

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5044991
File number:	S90/06210 & HC 32056

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