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121 Rose Street, Fitzroy, Victoria

At 121 Rose Street Fitzroy is where my great-grandfather, William Arthur Empey, was born in 1866. Nearly six years beforehand, Fitzroy was proclaimed the first suburb of Melbourne. Previously, the land of Fitzroy had belonged to the Woiworung tribe. 

 Progressively over time, crown land and privately owned hectares of land were sold. They were broken up into smaller lots. The swamps and paddocks were developed. Buildings and roads were built. Fitzroy became surrounded by suburbs. It developed into an inner city of Melbourne.

 In 1866, the juxtaposition of brick cottages, stone houses, terrace houses, wood and tin roof cottages, interweaved the diverse character of Fitzroy’s residents. Chimneys dotted the skyline. Wooden picket fences lined the unpaved footpaths. Roads were made of dirt with bluestone kerbs. Cast-iron gas street lamps lit the starry nights. Wooden stables stood at the back along unpaved lanes. 

Its people walked. They rode on horses. They sat in open-aired and roofed carriages pulled by horses. Men wore top hats. Women wore dress hats. The unpleasant odour of horse manure laid where it dropped.

In 1905, Ironfounders, Anderson & Ritchie Pty Ltd, set up shop. The property, situated at the corner of Rose and Young Streets, encompassed 121 Rose Street. Since then, the property was redeveloped into housing, in 1994. 

 Nowadays, the red brick building has a pitched tin roof, and nine-squared window frames. The name of the ironfounders is still embossed in black over white painted bricks. On the second floor, glass doorways open up to verandahs with black metal railings. Underneath, metal roller doors give cars access to garaged parking. 

 The road and pavement are made of black bitumen. On the walkway, concrete lids access underground cables. White painted lines mark the spot to park a car on the road. Overhead, electric lights and wires connect to the poles lining the streets. Metal signs display street names and road rules.

The last time, I had driven down Rose Street Fitzroy was in the 1990s. I knew then, it would not have resembled the property of 1866.

Jennifer Empey

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