In 1885, George D Langridge purchased the following sites and built two shops. The following year Langridge sold both the properties to Thomas Edward Jones, a bootmaker.
George David Langridge (Carpenter, Auctioneer, Builder, Commissioner and Mayor)
The following has been extracted from the Nomination to Heritage Victoria for the Queens Parade Shopping Precinct in 2019, p.23 and was largely compiled by historian Virginia Noonan: “George Langridge was born in England in 1829. He was a carpenter by trade and after emigrating to Victoria in 1853 became a building contractor. In 1869 he established a business as an auctioneer in Smith Street, Collingwood. In the 1880s he extended his business of selling land and houses to assisting purchasers to buy them, by founding
three building societies, one of which remained in business until the 1970s. In the 1860s Langridge began buying land in North Collingwood (later renamed Clifton Hill) including a large block in Queens Parade where he built a seven room stone house for himself and lived there until 1874. In 1885 the Langridge Permanent Building Society purchased the sites
of 278 and 280 Queens Parade, constructed buildings on them, and sold them the following year to Thomas Edward Jones, a bootmaker.
Langridge also had a distinguished public career. In 1866 he was elected to the Collingwood Council and was mayor for two terms. From 1874 to 1891 Langridge represented Collingwood in the Legislative Assembly, and was for a time the Acting Premier. He was also at different periods a Commissioner for Public Works, Vice-President of the Board of Works and Chief Secretary. Langridge used his influence to encourage the growth of friendly societies, which provided sick pay and funeral benefits to workers.“
