O’Brien’s Terrace

by David Thompson

O’Brien’s Terrace, an impressive row of five double-storey shops and dwellings, stands on the west side of Bay Street. The date inscribed on the façade of the building under the pediment indicates it was built in 1886. But who was O’Brien?

The Port Melbourne Conservation Study from July 1979 ^[1] lists Harry O’Brien as the first owner stating that he also had an interest in the adjoining Victoria Hotel, now known as The Rex.

Harry O’Brien, or more formally known as Henry O’Brien, was born at Blackrock, near Dunkeld, Co Louth, Ireland. He came to Victoria in the early 1850s and joined the police force in May 1856. He was quickly promoted to Senior-Constable and came to Sandridge in that capacity in April 1867. He retired from the police on the 3 August 1870.^[2]

Six days later, Charles Cooling Sharp undertook to apply to the Court of Petty Sessions sitting on 22 August 1870 at Sandridge, to transfer the licence of the Ship Hotel, Bay Street to Henry O’Brien.^[3]

By October, C C Sharp, as he was usually known, had taken over the Royal Hotel, also in Bay Street, and placed advertisements in the Standard newspaper like the one below to ensure that his former customers from the Ship knew where he had gone.^[4]

These advertisements appeared until the end of March 1871^[5] and then, albeit in more conventional advertisements, Sharp continued to associate himself with the Ship Hotel^[6] and was still doing so well into 1874.^[7]

Meanwhile in 1873, the owner of the Ship Hotel, Mrs Grogan, was improving the premises, advertising for tenders for the erection of a Billiard Room and other works.^[8]

Then in June 1875, she advertised that the hotel was for let^[9] and from subsequent events, it is clear that Henry O’Brien retained the lease. Perhaps as part of the new lease, there were more improvements to the premises as well-known architect, Frederick Williams, advertised in August for tenders for small brick additions to the Ship Hotel.^[10]

In Henry O’Brien’s obituary in The Standard, it says that before he took possession of the Ship Hotel, it was one of the ‘roughest’ hotels in the district, but he soon turned that around. It goes on to commend his business and investment acumen saying he was one of the most prosperous men in Port.^[11]

According to Chartered Scoundrels, O’Brien inherited the Victoria Hotel and adjoining properties in Bay and Graham Streets in the early 1880s ^[12] and as we learned earlier, he built O’Brien’s Terrace in Bay Street next to the hotel in 1886.

Through the 1880s and into the 1890s, Henry O’Brien remained at the Ship Hotel while John J Doherty was the proprietor of the Victoria Hotel.^[13] After Doherty’s death in 1894^[14], the Victoria’s licence was transferred to Henry’s niece, Mary O’Brien with the newspaper noting that they understood that Henry owned the hotel and was going to move there at the beginning of the following year, pull down the existing hotel and erect a new building.^[15]

Local builders, Messrs Dubbledan and Austin, were contracted to demolish the hotel and erect the new building^[16] to plans drawn up by architect Frederick Williams.^[17]

The foundation stone was laid by Henry O’Brien himself on the afternoon of Tuesday, 14 May 1895.^[18] At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr Malcolmson gave a short address saying he was glad there were men such as Mr O’Brien in their midst. ‘He had been well-known within the Port for a good many years as a generous hearted resident … The building would remain as a monument of Mr O’Brien’s pluck and determination long after all who were present that day were in their graves’.^[19] All present were then invited to adjourn to the Ship Hotel where toasts were made to those involved in the venture.

Six months later, on Tuesday 12 Nov 1895, the new hotel was officially opened. Henry invited the Britannia Lodge to give a social evening to demonstrate the facilities of the hotel. Permission had been given for the hotel to remain open all night, and a very enjoyable evening was had.^[20]

‘There can be no question that this building is the finest of its kind in Port Melbourne, and is fitted up with a luxuriance that proves Mr O’Brien to have the utmost confidence in the commercial soundness of the district.’^[21]

On the ground floor, the hotel included a dining room (21 ft x 18 ft), a commercial room (16 ft x 18 ft), a large billiard room ‘fitted with one of Alcock’s best tables, and modern improvements in the shape of rack, etc’. There were also ‘palor, card and other rooms, all magnificently furnished in modern style throughout, and fitted with the new incandescent burners and electric bells’.^[22]

‘A fine broad staircase leads to the first floor’ to a large lodge room (46 ft x 23 ft with 16 ft high ceiling). ‘This is undoubtedly one of the grandest rooms in the building and contains a fine piano by Görs and Källman. There is also a stage, and the room is profuse with mirrors, chairs and every convenience, and capable of accommodating 350 persons.’ The new hotel also contained a drawing room, 8 bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.^[23]

By the end of 1895, Henry O’Brien had moved from the Ship Hotel and was seen as the proprietor of the Victoria Hotel. The Normanby Lodge of the United Ancient Order of Druids (UAOD) held a very successful night on New Year’s Eve expressing gratitude to Mr H O’Brien and Miss O’Brien.^[25] The same lodge held a smoke night in July 1897 congratulating Miss O’Brien (licensee) and Mr H O’Brien on the success of the evening.^[26] Clearly the Mary and her uncle were excellent hosts.

The Standard newspaper on Saturday, 13 Aug 1898 reported ‘The friends of Mr H O’Brien … will be sorry to learn that he has been very seriously ill during the past week, and on Wednesday last fears were entertained that he would not recover. Mr O’Brien was yesterday somewhat better.’^[27]

Sadly, the original prognosis was correct and that same evening, Henry O’Brien passed away aged 71 years. His obituary described him as ‘witty, quick at repartee, a genial companion, a firm friend, and a real philanthropist’. ^[28]

The funeral was held on the afternoon of Tuesday, 16 August. The hearse was drawn by four horses followed by a floral car, four mourning coaches and many private vehicles. A large crowd lined the streets as the procession made its way towards Melbourne General Cemetery.^[29]

Details of his will published in The Standard state he left £7,260 in property and £10,030 in other assets. He directed a sum not exceeding £500 to be set aside for a suitable monument on his grave and £200 for suitable monuments over his parents’ graves in Ireland. The will also included many charitable bequests. ^[31]

To my eyes, the monument over Henry O’Brien’s grave at Melbourne General Cemetery is more than just suitable.

A short path leads to some steps where a metal gate decorated with shamrocks opens to the monument itself which is topped with a celtic cross.

A year after his passing, Henry’s niece, Mary, inserted the following In Memoriam message in The Argus. ^[32]

Mary married William A MacGregor, solicitor, on Wednesday, 2 May 1900. Although both the bride and groom lived in St Vincent’s Place, Albert Park, the wedding took place at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rouse Street. It was reported extensively in The Standard, ^[33] The Record ^[34] and the weekly magazine Table Talk. ^[35] Confusingly, the reception was held at the Hotel Victoria in Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park but it is understandable given that William MacGregor’s mother was in the hotel business and built the Hotel Victoria in 1888 and ran it for ten years before retiring. However the business was carried on in her name until just before her death in 1914.^[36]

Mary continued to put In Memoriam notices for Henry O’Brien in The Argus each year including one on the tenth anniversary of his death in 1908 where at that time she was associated with the Middle Park Hotel ^[37] and, another one, in 1916 giving her address as St Kilda.^[38]

Mary’s husband, William, died in 1929 ^[39] and Mary died on 28 November 1932 ^[40]. She left a personal estate valued at £11,108 including a long list of charitable bequests in her will.^[41]

Both Mary and William MacGregor are buried with Henry O’Brien at Melbourne General Cemetery.

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Barber shop in O’Brien’s Terrace

You may have noticed the sign for a barber shop in the photograph of O’Brien’s Terrace at the top of this article. In 2010, John Kirby, created a poster celebrating the unbroken chain of barbers and hairdressers in O’Brien’s Terrace dating back to 1887.

In July 2024, Reza Sabahi contacted the Society to let us know that Domenic Codespoti was Tony’s father and he took over the premises them in September 2017 and through Barbers of Port Melbourne he continues the chain of hairdressers at O’Brien’s Terrace. Reza has provided us with an updated version of the poster.

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^[1] 1979, Port Melbourne Conservation Study. P. 127. South Yarra: Jacobs Lewis Vines Architects and Conservation Planners. 

^[2] 1898 ‘OBITUARY.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 20 August, p. 2. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165318657

^[3] 1870 ‘Advertising’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1868 – 1872), 11 August, p. 4. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108479946

^[4] 1870 ‘Advertising’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1868 – 1872), 13 October, p. 4. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108480060

^[5] 1871 ‘Advertising’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1868 – 1872), 30 March, p. 1. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108480427

^[6] 1871 ‘Advertising’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1868 – 1872), 16 November, p. 2. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108480865

^[7] 1874 ‘Advertising’, The Record and Emerald Hill and Sandridge Advertiser (Vic. : 1872 – 1881), 8 October, p. 1. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108498032

^[8] 1873 ‘Advertising’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 15 November, p. 10. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5875512

^[9] 1875 ‘Advertising’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 3 June, p. 8. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11518047

^[10] 1875 ‘Advertising’, The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954), 11 August, p. 1. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202165376

^[11] 1898 ‘OBITUARY.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 20 August, p. 2. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165318657

^[12] 2007, Grainger, P. Chartered scoundrels: A brief history of Port Melbourne Hotel – first edition. P. 86. Port Melbourne, VIC: Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society. [Note: Mary O’Brien is incorrectly identified as Henry’s daughter]

^[13] 1891 ‘Advertising’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 25 April, p. 1. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164425467

^[14] JOHN J. DOHERTY, OF PORT MELBOURNE. (1894, April 17). Sportsman (Melbourne, Vic. : 1882 – 1904), p. 2. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article227711112

^[15] 1894 ‘Items of News.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 1 December, p. 2. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165165142

^[16] Items of News. (1895, March 16). Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), p. 2. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165170377

^[17] 1895 ‘Items of News.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 6 April, p. 2. , viewed 18 Mar 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165166366

^[18] 1895 ‘NEW VICTORIA HOTEL.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 18 May, p. 3. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165166182

^[19] Ibid

^[20] 1895 ‘THE NEW VICTORIA.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 23 November, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165167733

^[21] Ibid

^[22] Ibid

^[23] Ibid

^[24] 1895 ‘Advertising’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 23 November, p. 4. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165167753

^[25] 1896 ‘OUR SOCIETIES.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 11 January, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165314597

^[26] 1897 ‘SMOKE NIGHT.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 24 July, p. 3. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165316277

^[27] 1898 ‘Items of News.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 13 August, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165315757

^[28] 1898 ‘OBITUARY.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 20 August, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165318657

^[29] Ibid

^[30] 1898 ‘Family Notices’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 27 August, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165314485

^[31] 1898 ‘Items of News.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 17 September, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165314174

^[32] 1899 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 14 August, p. 1. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9528439

^[33] 1900 ‘THE MacGregor—O’Brien Wedding.’, Standard (Port Melbourne, Vic. : 1884 – 1914), 12 May, p. 3. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164948190

^[34] 1900 ‘MAGGREGOR—O’ORIEN.’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 – 1954), 12 May, p. 3. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108492191

^[35] 1900 ‘MR. W. A. M’GREGOR TO MISS MARY JOSEPHINE O’BRIEN.’, Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 – 1939), 10 May, p. 13. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145935789

^[36] 1914 ‘OLD RESIDENT’S DEATH.’, Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 – 1954), 11 April, p. 2. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74230860

^[37] 1908 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 13 August, p. 1. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10194039

^[38] 1916 ‘Family Notices’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 19 August, p. 13. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1606482

^[39] 1929 ‘DEATH OF A. W. MACGREGOR.’, The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954), 16 March, p. 22. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204213922

^[40] 1932 ‘Family Notices’, The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954), 29 November, p. 1. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204300047

^[41] 1933 ‘MANY CHARITIES BENEFIT’, The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 – 1954; 1956), 2 March, p. 5. , viewed 27 May 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277168228