Millar Buzzard

Appendix 2.0
Alfred Ernest Buzzard, Auctioneer & Property Developer

First Newspaper Advertisement 21st December 1883

Beside auctioning many individual houses and land, Alfred was auctioning many estates throughout Melbourne in the prosperous 1880’s. On 9th May 1885, he auctioned the remaining lots on the “Some of the Choicest Mansion and Villa Sites in this Beautiful Suburb” of Moonee Ponds.

Pocket Guide & Plan to Moonee Ponds [111]

Street Plan [112]

Alfred owned substantial Puckle Street properties including a bank, shop sites and the building at the corner of Margaret and Puckle Streets. In 1887, after residents protested, the application for a liquor licence was withdrawn for this building.

Indignation at Public Meeting

In 1876 Henry Everest, a builder and Thomas Halstead, a timber merchant, purchased just over seven acres of land north of Holmes Road immediately west of the railway line, which they subdivided, creating Sydenham Street and Norwood Crescent.

The land was sold off piecemeal to various owners and lots changed hands several times. By 1884 Archibald Taylor, a fellmonger and currier, had acquired the land now comprised of nos. 1-9 Sydenham Street and it appears that he commissioned the building of the houses from 1884 to 1888. The first three houses were in place by 1885 (Taylor was the occupant of one) and all were completed by 1890. In 1888 Taylor transferred the land and houses to Alfred Buzzard and he sold off the houses individually from July 1888 to August 1889.

The house at no.7 was sold to Charles Buzzard (who may have been Alfred’s brother) and he was listed as the occupant in 1890.

The Moonee Ponds precinct has its origins in the Ascot Vale Estate of 1888, which was subdivided from William Fletcher’s 1849 Crown portion (later known as Glass’s Paddock) as the combined investment of John Filson, James Glass and William Wash.

The subdivision, which included all the land generally bounded by Gladstone Street, Ascot Vale Road, Maribyrnong Road and the railway, was surveyed and designed by William Madden and first sold by auctioneers; Buzzard and Co. in October 1888. It comprised 57 “business sites” and 157 “villa sites”, which were offered as ‘...the most important auction sale held in Melbourne and suburbs’ being proximitous to the railway, Maribyrnong and Ascot Vale roads.

The subdivision, which included all the land generally bounded by Gladstone Street, Ascot Vale Road, Maribyrnong Road and the railway, was surveyed and designed by William Madden and first sold by auctioneers; Buzzard and Co. in October 1888. It comprised 57 “business sites” and 157 “villa sites”, which were offered as ‘...the most important auction sale held in Melbourne and suburbs’ being proximitous to the railway, Maribyrnong and Ascot Vale roads.

Rose Hill Estate [113]

Rose Hill Estate [114]

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