121 George Street, The Rocks

The removal of the hospital building from its George Street location opened this land up for development. The site of No. 123-125 George Street was claimed by William Davis, who had arrived in the colony in February 1800 as an Irish exile. Davis was a blacksmith by trade and had been charged with supplying weapons (pikes) to the Irish uprising in 1798. Arriving in Sydney, he was assigned to work in the lumber yard after having received 200 lashes for his suspected involvement in a planned convict escape.[1]

By 1809, Davis had left the lumber yard moving first to Parramatta, then returning to Sydney to live at Church Hill. Davis and his wife, Catherine, prospered in the new colony. By 1816, when the hospital closed, Davis was a successful publican and landholder, having a house at Church Hill and two properties in Parramatta. When the former hospital site became available in 1816, Davis acquired some of the land. This included the former northern wing of the hospital, which Davis converted into four separate houses. These dwellings stood on the site, adjacent to No. 121 George Street until the construction of the Police Station in the early 1880s. With four houses on his land, Davis was not compelled to develop his entire holding at once. A map from 1822 suggests that a quarry may have operated on part of the site. While Davis continued possession of the site, it was not until 1834 that his claim to the land was made official via a grant of 12 perches, made on 29 October by Governor Richard Bourke. Davis died in 1834.[1]

The grandson of his brother John, John Davis, was appointed co-executor of Davis' estate with Father John McEncroe, the Catholic Priest at Church Hill, and John Dalley, who owned the property next to Davis' George Street tavern. John Davis took possession of the George Street property and built a house to the rear of it.[1]

The George Street frontage remained clear during the ownership of both Davis and Henry Byrnes, who purchased the property around 1877. Byrnes was a waterman in Sydney, operating small boats to service the ships and ferry passengers and cargo between the ships and shore. In the tradition of the previous owners, Byrnes leased the property to be used by traders and store holders. In 1870, W. Hooper, a greengrocer, occupied No. 123 and T. Barry, bootmaker, occupied No. 125. The shops continued as a greengrocer, (J. Paddon) and a bootmaker (J. McAuley) until September 1881, when they and the rear buildings were pulled down.[1]

Thomas Playfair had arrived in Sydney in 1859 as a sailor in the British Navy aboard the MHS Pelorus. He settled in Sydney after his discharge and went into a partnership with a local wholesale butcher, William Bailey. By 1862, Playfair was operating his own butchery in Lower George Street, providing meat to the ships that were moored in Sydney Cove. In this capacity, he quickly prospered in a lucrative market. In 1875, having lived in The Rocks for over ten years, Playfair was elected to the Sydney City Council as the member for the Gipps Ward, which he represented until a few months before his death in 1893. He served as Mayor of the city in 1885, and in 1889 he was elected to the Legislative Council as the Member for West Sydney, serving until 1891. As a successful merchant, Playfair began to expand his interests in property around The Rocks area, buying land and property.[1]

In 1880, with the George Street frontage of No. 121 undeveloped, Henry Byrnes sold the land to Thomas Playfair. Playfair, who had also purchased the two blocks to the south, proceeded to develop the site. He erected a two-storey shop and dwelling fronting George Street with a single storey extension and outbuilding to the rear. In 1882, he built two other shops on the blocks of 123 and 125. The façade of these shops, executed in Victorian Free Classical Style was extended to include the front of No. 121 to create the shop front as it exists today. Paddon continued as a fruiterer in the new shop at No. 123, and C. W. Danielson, bookmaker in the other. Shop No. 125 became an outfitter and importer outlet in 1885. Playfair continued as landlord until the NSW Government resumed the property in 1900.[1]

In 1900, Sydney was subjected to a panic attack that accompanied the diagnosis of the bubonic plague in the city. One of the first cases was found to be in The Rocks, and public attention was focused on the area. The government response to the situation was to resume the entire Rocks and Darling Harbour area, an estimated 900 properties, including houses, shops, hotels, warehouses and wharves and including No. 121 George Street. To administer this area, the Government formed the Sydney Harbour Trust in 1902.[1]

While this constituted a substantial change for the owners of the stores, many of the occupants stayed on after the changeover. From 1936, the premises were administered by the Maritime Services Board. In 1970 the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority was established to administer and redevelop The Rocks. Nos. 121-125 George Street were to be demolished but after community protest and Green Bans placed on the area many historic buildings were saved. In 1985 the Sydney Cove Authority was formed, and then in 1999 the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority was created to administer and protect the area, signalling a new appreciation of heritage in the area.[1]

The exterior and interior of the building are in good condition. There is a continuing need for effective roof level maintenance to ensure the building is kept weather tight.[3][1]

Archaeology Assessment Condition: Partly disturbed. Assessment Basis: Floors level with George Street, terraced up to former level of Nurses Walk. Recent building techniques (Bakehouse Place).[1]

• 1882 – Facade modified to match those of 123 & 125, built in 1882.
• 1922 – An additional rear single-storey hipped rood structure was constructed as bakery incorporating a bakers oven and baking room.
• c. 1977 – The building was extensively renovated. The bakery addition was modified to accommodate a living room and bathroom for residential use. Further modifications have since been made to accommodate use of the building as a cafe and sandwich bar.
• 1982 – The street awning was reconstructed and the parapet reinstated.
• 1980s – The front façade was restored.[1]

Nos. 121–125 George Street are included as a single listing on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate[4] and the non-statutory National Trust of Australia register.[1]

• "Bakers Oven". 2007.
• Attraction Homepage (2007). "Bakers Oven". Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
• Godden Mackay Heritage Consultants (1998). Conservation Plan, 121 George Street, The Rocks.
• Graham Brooks and Associates Pty Ltd. (2006). 121 George Street, The Rocks, Conservation Management Plan.
• Maitland, Neil Colin (1983). George Street, The Rocks: A Streetscape Conservation Study.
• Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority (SCRA) (1978). Building Data Sheet, HP/08.
• Sydney Cove Authority (SCA) (1998). SCA Register 1979-1998.

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Shop and Residence - Bakers Oven, entry number 1588 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 14 October 2018.