'Berrington' in Sackville Street was built in 1888 for Job Smith, builder, who was the first owner of this substantial two-storey house. The property was given an initial N.A. V. of £125 3 and it is possible that Smith was the contractor for his house.By the turn of the century 'Berrington' was identified as having thirteen rooms and an N.A.V. of £13 while the house remained in the hands of the Smith family until the late 1930s. The new owner at that stage was a Mrs Pederson who convened the house into three flats 6 while in 1951 it was further subdivided to become seven units. (Kew Conservation Study, 1988)Colour photographic positive of one of 'Berrington'. The building is a large two storeyed house typical of the late Victorian period. It remains substantially intact with a cast iron verandah dominating the front and side facades, that has the added distinction of a fine cast iron frieze that at ground floor level has two tiers. Behind the verandah, the facade is asymmetrical. There is a central six panelled door with a fine semicircular fanlight, and segmentally arched windows to the ground floor and on one side of the door there is a polygonal bay window that extends up the two floors. The eaves and chimneys are decorated with Italianate brackets. (Kew Conservation Study, 1988)berrington -- sackville street -- kew (vic.), job smith

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). This plan covers parts of Sackville Street, John Street, Thomas Street and Cotham Road, and includes several very large houses in Sackville Street. Job Smith built ‘Berrington’ in about 1888-90 for himself, and ‘Pomeroy’ (now ‘Merridale’) in 1885 for James Mickleburgh. ‘Heathfield’ was built in 1888 for Henry Eeles, and was one of many fine homes in Kew, Hawthorn and surrounding suburbs designed by prolific architect John Beswicke; it later became “La Verna” and was a Franciscan monastery. Similarly, in Cotham Road, we can see ‘Bella Vista’ (now demolished), and ‘Charleville’, with its double-storeyed arcade frontage, built in 1889 for Charles Donaldson whose family occupied it until 1939. This was renamed ‘Ross House’ by the second owner, Dr. Thomas King, and then substantially restored in the 1960s by the Stillwell family, well known as car drivers and dealers. Bella Vista (later ‘Malinda’) was originally designed by the architect Robert Haddon and built for Abel Hoadley, inventor of the Violet Crumble Bar and many other delicious delicacies. He began by manufacturing jams and pickles in South Melbourne using fruit from his own orchard in East Burwood.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1569, cartography