Original post 11 April 2019

Oggs Chemist, in the #ParisEnd of #CollinsStreet – a long story, but interesting ! The terrace of #townhouses was built 1855, and Oggs was established in 1872, and at some point added a very nice #castironverandah / porch thing. Then in 1954 the @cityofmelbourne edict from 1951 that all posted cast iron verandahs in the CBD should come down was reaching its June deadline, this was the last one – and it was almost saved by a lot of public fuss, which in the end meant it wasn’t completely lost, but taken by the newly established #UniversityClub at #MelbourneUniversity to attach to their rooms in the one surviving Professors House on campus, built 1885 (but they lost the best curly bits on the way). Oggs then built a modern shopfront, and then 20 years later the building itself was demolished in 1976 to provide a forecourt for #NauruHouse (just now filled in again), and another fuss ensued – firstly to not demolish it, and secondly to save the 1870s ? 1900s ? huge cedar cabinets and draws etc still inside – which were indeed saved, and taken by Museums Victoria, though they had no online record till I emailed them a few years ago to ask well did they actually have it, to which they said yes, phew ! But they’ve never been displayed, and I couldn’t find any photos.

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