Authors: Dr Sue Rosen & Liz Gorman

Client: Private Client

This interesting project enabled the client to demolish unslightly modern additions to their residence, a heritage listed Victorian corner-store building.

The land on which their lovely home stands was originally occupied by the Gadigal people of Sydney. Later, in 1827, Governor Darling granted botanist Thomas Shepherd 28 acres in Chippendale. This was under the proviso that Shepherd should establish a nursury and fruit garden on the land within two years, which he indeed did, naming it 'Shepherd's Darling Nursery'. The nursury provided free or cheap fruit trees to landowners, effectivley diversifying the species of crops in the early colony.

In 1855 the Darling Nursery was subdivided, and land on which '42 Myrtle Street' as it is known today was purchased by John Clisdon, who constructed the Corner-store in c.1875. Since 1875 the property has been successivley occupied by many grocers, and also has a significant and special association with butchers and their families - butchers were trading out of the property from at least 1889 to 1987.