Fairfax House

A five storey cement rendered brick former warehouse. What was one of a pair of warehouses (the other was at 384-390) built for George Robertson & Company Pty Ltd. This company was Melbourne's foremost book selling, publishing and stationery manufacturer. Mr Robertson, from Glasgow, commenced business in 1852 with a shop at 84 Russell Street. Authors associated with the company included Adam Lindsay Gordon, Henry Kendall, Marcus Clarke and Rolf Boldrewood. Built on a base of Malmsbury bluestone it was designed by Twentyman & Askew in the Italian Renaissance style and completed in 1883. The first tenant was the ironmonger Briscoe & Co. It was purchased by the glazing firm EL Yencken Pty Ltd in 1904 and they held the building until 1957 when it was sold for £95,000 to the furnishing company Kornblums Pty Ltd. In 1964 it was purchased for £177,500 by the publishing company John Fairfax Pty Ltd who refurbished and converted it to an office building at a cost of £63,000. Refurbished, converted and subdivided into 31 residential and one ground level retail unit in 1995.