January 2026

Great detailing if you look up – in Flinders Lane just west of Elizabeth.

Leicester House was built in 1886, and kind of impressive – it’s not just things applied to a wall, but detailing wrapped around the deepset windows, plus prominent piers and cornices, and the cute scrolls up top inside Gothic pointed arches. It was designed by TJ Crouch with Nahum Barnet for Lawrence Benjamin, I think just as an investment, since it was described as ‘three warehouses’. In 1909 another bay was added exactly matching but one floor higher.

In about 2000 it was turned into apartments, and they lowered the ground floor to create shops, since it originally had a semi basement and raised first floor like many Flinders Lane warehouses. I like the soft colours, though originally it would likely just been grey.

My pics are 2015, then Graeme Butler 1985, and State Library 1978.

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