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Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Leith Crescent

People, Places, Port Melbourne History0Comments
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by David Thompson

Leith Crescent looking towards Howe Parade (2024). Photograph by David Thompson

Leith Crescent is a short curving street running between Howe Parade and Williamstown Road. It is closed at Williamstown Road creating a cul-de-sac for the small number of ‘bank houses’ that face onto the street. And ‘bank houses’ are the key behind the naming of Leith Crescent.

While nearby Emery Street is named for George Emery, General Manager of the State Savings Bank of Victoria from 1897 to 1929, Leith Crescent is named for the bank’s Chief Architect, G Burridge Leigh.

George Burridge Leigh was born on 14 July 1888 at Mount Pleasant House, Wellington Street, Flemington.[1] His father, George Brown Leith, came from Dundee, Scotland and married Harriet Jane Burridge on 15 January 1883 in Melbourne.[2] Harriet’s brother, Rev William Burridge presided over the ceremony. In his son’s birth notice George Brown Leith is listed as a builder and contractor. 

Sadly, Harriet Jane Leith died on 10 Oct 1890 at St Kilda.[3] George Brown Leith married Nellie Bruce Wise on 14 March 1893. Harriet’s brother, Rev William Burridge, assisted during the ceremony indicating there was still a good relationship between the families.

Although he was still described as a builder into the 1890s, George Brown Leith established an architectural firm at 408 Collins Street, Melbourne in 1890.[4]  G Burridge Leith joined his father in 1912[5] but the firm lapsed when he enlisted for WWI in 1916[6] and was then revived after the war as G B and G Burridge Leith.[7]

G Burridge Leith became Chief Architect of the State Savings Bank of Victoria (SSB) in 1920 and the practice with his father again lapsed. It was revived in 1925 by his step-brother, Arthur Cedric Leith, as A C Leith & Associates, Architects and Engineers.[8]

Arthur Cedric Leith was born at Woodbine Villa, Mount Alexander Road, Essendon on 21 November 1896.[9] By the 1930s A C Leith & Associates had taken over the established architectural firm of Haddon & Henderson and in 1936 A C Leith joined in partnership with Harold E Bartlett to form A C Leith and Bartlett, Architects.[10]

Meanwhile, as Chief Architect of the SSB, G Burridge Leith oversaw the design on many bank buildings and projects including the designs for the ‘bank houses’ in Garden City. 

Proposed Dwellings Fishermans Bend – Type 1. PROV.

The plan above for the first of eight types of proposed ‘bank houses’ in Garden City bears the stamp of the SSB Chief Architect’s Department at the bottom right-hand corner dated 12 Aug 1937 with “G Burridge Leigh ARVIA – Chief Architect” written below.

It is interesting to note that one of his other projects for the SSB was the ‘Concrete Housing Estate’ completed in 1926 in Sunshine, centred around Leith Avenue[11]. Concrete houses with six variations built around a common design. Sound familiar?

Both G Burridge Leith, then in his fifties, and his step-brother A C Leith, then in his forties, served as officers during WWII.[12] [13]

G Burridge Leith retired as Chief Architect at the SSB in 1953 after 33 years’ service. In an article in The Herald on the Saturday prior to his retirement, criticising the trend for flat roofs on modern houses, he said “I know a lot of people will say I am one of these conservation old fogies, but I started this department at the end of the First World War with a waste paper basket and a desk. And since then I’ve built a lot of houses”. He also said he was looking forward to a “not very lazy” retirement with the article noting that he was deputy chairman of the War Veterans’ Homes Trust, chairman of the Cheltenham Hostel and chairman of the Welfare Committee of the Carry On Club. [14]

A Notification of Death form displayed In the final pages of George Burridge Leith’s war service record indicates he died on 14 March 1969 at Toorak.[15]

It is fitting that Leith Crescent is named in honour of G Burridge Leith, the man who is most responsible for the look of the ‘bank houses’ in Garden City.

G Burridge Leith from photograph of SSB Senior Departmental Officers 1934. PROV VPRS 8935/P0001,15.

[1] 1888 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 21 July, p. 1. , viewed 29 Jan 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6895259

[2] 1883 ‘Family Notices’, The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954), 27 January, p. 1. , viewed 29 Jan 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article190597546

[3] 1890 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 11 October, p. 1. , viewed 29 Jan 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8441690

[4]  Leith and Bartlett Collection, University of Melbourne Archives, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=5854

[5] ‘A C Leith & Bartlett’, Survey of Post-War Built Heritage in Victoria: Stage Two, Heritage Victoria, p. 134., viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/512273/Survey-of-post-war-heritage-in-Victoria-Stage-2-Built-Heritage-Pty-Ltd-2010.pdf

[6] George Burridge Leith Service Record, NAA: B883, VX102720, p. 8., viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6057762

[7] Leith and Bartlett Collection, University of Melbourne Archives, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=5854

[8] Leith and Bartlett Collection, University of Melbourne Archives, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=5854

[9] 1896 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 28 November, p. 1. , viewed 29 January 2024, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9186218

[10] Leith and Bartlett Collection, University of Melbourne Archives, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=5854

[11] 2020 ‘Sunshine’s Own Garden City Housing Estate’, Waking Up in Geelong blog by Marcus Wong, 20 October, viewed 29 January 2024, https://wongm.com/2020/10/concrete-housing-estate-leith-avenue-sunshine/

[12] George Burridge Leith Service Record, NAA: B883, VX102720, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6057762

[13] Arthur Cedric Leith Service Record, NAA: B883, VX38983, viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6138474

[14] 1953 ‘The modern house “won’t last”‘, The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 – 1954), 11 July, p. 5. , viewed 29 Jan 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249250591

[15] George Burridge Leith Service Record, NAA: B883, VX102720, p. 41.,viewed 29 Jan 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6057762

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