Melbourne & Australian Architecture Topics

The area where Hammerdale Avenue St Kilda East meets Alma Road was once the site of a large mansion known appropriately as Hammerdale. It was owned in the mid to late nineteenth century by Mr Hugh Gemmell, a noted book auctioneer and partner of the successful firm Gemmell, Tuckett & Co. Has anybody seen photographs or good artistic illustrations of the mansion? it seems strange that such a huge building of such prominence should have existed for such a short period of time. the East St Kilda Heritage Study shows a poor photo (understandably in 1860's) of the rear of the property and a map of the Hammersdale "Estate" in 1903.

My interest is in the story of the loch Ard tragedy. it is almost certain that Eva Carmichael stayed at the property before heading back to ireland. any input would be appreciated.

Len

It's odd, but I haven't been able to find any pictures of Hammerdale anywhere - I have found several old advertisements relating to the sale of residential lots created upon the subdivision of the mansion's grounds, they appeared in the Argus in November and December 1925; one of the ad's also mentions that the mansion itself is also for sale so I can only assume that it survived the subdivision (for some time at least) -

Thank you for your indulgence and assistance j.v.d.a. there is as i mentioned a scanty photo of the residence in the St Kilda East Heritage Study which can be viewed in pdf on line. Other than that I have seen nothing. I love that advert you have posted. The study referred to the firm as Gemmell, Tucker & Co. Thank you for validating my source. I did some more digging. You are right in presuming that the building survived for some time while the estate around it was subdivided it was actually demolished in the mid 70's. The original owner Hugh Gemmell died in 1879 and strangely, despite his prominence I found no record of his passing.

Len

Hugh Mitchell Campbell Gemmell died in 1 January 1880 and was interred in St Kilda Cemetery. His passing is written up in the Age on 2 January 1880.

the link for the east st kilda report is:

http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/attac ... o11711.pdf

and the picture is on page 25..

Regarding Eva Carmichael staying at Hammerdale: In his book Wrecks & Reputations (1988 Burgewood Books Publishers ISBN 0 646 28006 6), Don Charlwood quotes Hugh Gibson writing 'Symonette [Gemmell] has given us an invitation to Hammerdale which I have reason to believe will be only too glady accepted.' (p.137)