187 Napier St, Fitzroy (Stone’s Timber Yard)

John Stone’s Timber Yard, filled the block bounded by Young, Napier, Condell and Charles streets until their demolition in 1968. The Timber yard covered the area where the right of way is and the Acacia Fitzroy Creche, and prior to the Atherton Gardens development, Young St continued south.

View south from the Fitzroy Town Hall tower, c1880 (Fitzroy Local History Photograph Collection, FL 1561)

The site is quite clearly visible in this photo above taken in the 1880s. John Stone, lived a block away at 40 Webb Street. In 1912 there was a large fire at the Condell Street premises which threatened the Fitzroy Town Hall, but I have not yet researched the details.

MMBW Map 1899 – State Library
Image held by Fitzroy Library. Photographer and date unknown.
Image held by Fitzroy Library. Napier Street, Timber Mill forming part of the Stone Estate, at the South Wall of the Town Hall, Fitzroy. 1948
A similar image was taken by K J Halla in 1963.

On a Fitzroy History Society Walk in 2017, the following was reported “FHS member Peter Williams reported that Wallace Stone, timber merchant and son of John, had a house constructed in Ivanhoe by builder John W Brown in 1913 with the woodwork coming from the joinery works. Named Clarivue, it was described as one of the grandest houses in Heidelberg. It later became the Ivanhoe RSL but unbelievably, the RSL burnt down on Friday 21 April (2017), the day before our walk. There is also a link between John Stone’s works and Provan’s Timber and Hardware. David Provan commenced work at Stone’s premises, becoming their joinery foreman before setting up the business of Mulready, Provan and Clark in 1903 with two other work mates. The business still operates today nearby in Clifton Hill” (FHS-Newsletter-June-2017.pdf)

Facebook image of the Clarivue Ivanhoe before the fire (The Age, 21 April 2017)
Assessing the damage – Photo by Justin McManus (The Age, 21 April 2017)

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