August 2026

Milton House 1883, cnr #FitzroyStreetStKilda and Grey Street. It was done over in 2022, and Ive been waiting for the sign for the co-working spaces to go, but still there, so here it is. They took off the roof and added mansards, which is annoying, l mean just leave it alone ! Though in this case a mansard doesn’t look too out of place, except that there’s gaps filled with trees. But I should be happy it wasn’t facaded for 6 storeys. Also not a fan of the pale cream and white colour scheme, not enough contrast, too pale, and anyway not at all Victorian.

What I said before : It’s like an oversized shophouse, unusually big, so maybe it was always offices upstairs ? Fitzroy Street back then down to the bay was a row of #victorianmansions and large villas, not the row of (empty) shops it is now, so unusual in that context. Lots of great #architecturaldetails, I like the first floor nested arches particularly. And like so many corner Victorian shops and houses, it has a plain rear wing instead of continuing the corner detailing. I suppose they thought a prominent corner was enough.

Update : Research by the St Kilda Historical Society shows it was built as an investment for Mrs Schukrafft, whose recently deceased husband had a big paper bag business. The first floor was a residence, the top floor always a rooming house, single rooms for low – medium wage workers, presumably mostly young single men.

Found some old pics, cropped from larger photos.

27 March 2020:

My first #virusphoto; #nocars at this normally very busy intersection, #FitzroyStreet and #GreyStreetStKilda. Milton House, 1883, which I now see has some lovely #castironlace, it must have been a really big house upstairs, or a small hotel.

Early 2022:

Rather extensive demolition but not quite facadism, though top floor only exterior walls left.

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