“The Freemasons Hotel was built in 1853. Although it occupied a substantial part of
Gertrude Street and had a corner entrance, it had a Smith Street address. In the
1870s it was rebuilt as a two-storey brick building. The hotel was closed in 1925 and subsequently demolished.” (Gertrude Street, Jill Robertson, p.80)
The description of the above photo is taken from the Collingwood Library image and says “A view of the Smith Street shopping centre looking north from Gertrude Street. Identifiable buildings include (starting from the right) Foresters Hall housing the Langridge Mutual Permanent Building Society, Langridge’s estate agency and Robert B. Cottle’s grocery; Walter Barry’s boot and shoe warehouse; Robert and James McFarlane’s chemist shop; Thomas Peters’ boot warehouse; George T. Edwards, oilman; William Fielding’s butchery; Samson Tartakover’s pawnshop; the three storey draper’s shop of Robert Davis and the Grace Darling Hotel.” Which covers all the buildings on the right, but doesn’t mention the ones on the left.
Most recently this was the site of Crumpler, but the business which made satchels and backpacks went out of business during the Covid-19 Pandemic, but has just recently been bailed out by its original owner.
