Back to search results

FORMER JAYS LAUNDRY
23 PERCY STREET PORTLAND, GLENELG SHIRE

All information on this page is maintained by Heritage Victoria. Click below for their website and contact details.
Victorian Heritage Register
JAYS LAUNDRY SOHE 2008
JAYS LAUNDRY SOHE 2008
JAYS LAUNDRY SOHE 2008
JAYS LAUNDRY SOHE 2008
1 jay's laundry portland rear view
On this page:

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Benjamin's Store, Portland, occupies a town allotment purchased by D. [David?] and Samuel Benjamin at the second land sale in Portland in 1843. The Benjamins were early settlers in Portland; Samuel purchased land in the first land sale of 1840. Whilst the store is known locally as 'Benjamin's', it is believed that the store was built by Thomas Smith in 1854. It remained in the Smith family until c. 1920. It was later used as the premises of Val Carman's Laundry and was later adapted for office use. The name 'Benjamin's' appears to have been applied in the 1970s.

Benjamin's Store is a double-storey ashlar and coursed bluestone store building. Notable are the large 12-pane Georgian sash windows and wide ground-floor windows characteristic of commercial buildings of the period, each with 16 panes and a decorative keystone; the ground floor windows flank a central double door, which has been replaced. It has a hipped roof clad in iron and an external stairway. The protruding quoining down the west wall of the building?s facade suggests that either the building was intended to be larger but not completed, or was built intentionally in this way to leave the option open for extending it. At the rear of the building are stables and outbuildings which were erected at the same time. The external stairway and double entrance doorway suggests its former use as a warehouse.

How is it significant?

Benjamin's Store, Portland, is architecturally and historically significant to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

Benjamin's Store, Portland, is of historical significance as an early commercial building in Portland. It is an important surviving example of the early commercial development of the important port town of Portland in the mid nineteenth century, and specifically the activities of shipping agents and merchants, which led to growth in the building of warehouses and stores.

Benjamin's Store is of architectural significance as a fine example of Colonial Georgian building traditions. Georgian styles remained strong in Portland into the 1850s owing to the dominance of architectural influences from Tasmania, where the majority of early settlers had originated. Benjamin's Store makes an important contribution to the collection of early buildings in the township of Portland, which date from the late 1840s and 1850s.

[Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]

Show more
Show less

    • History

      FORMER JAYS LAUNDRY - History

      Benjamin's Store, a two storey ashlar and rubble bluestone store building at 23 Percy Street, Portland, was erected in 1854 on land purchased at the second sale in Portland in 1843 by D and S. Benjamin. Stables and outbuildings erected at the same time still stand at the rear of this hip roofed Colonial Georgian structure, which was only half completed. Register of the National Estate citation. (Online data Upgrade Project October 2003)

      The draft statement of significance and the above history were produced as part of an Online Date Upgrade Project 2004. Sources were as follows:
      Slide collection, HV.
      Township Plan, Portland.
      Register of the National Estate citation.
      Noel Learmonth, The Portland Bay Settlement (1934).
      Not listed in Miles Lewis, ‘Australian Architecture Index’. 1991.
      Wilson Sawyer, ‘Portland Urban Conservation Study’ (1981).
      Gwen Bennett, Portland, Then and Now (1993).
      Not mentioned in Noel Henry’s ‘Index of Portland’ (SLV).
      Not listed in the SLV ‘Local History Index’.

      Permit Exemptions

      FORMER JAYS LAUNDRY - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component.

      General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and planall works shall be in accordance with it. Note:A Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan.

      General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable. Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A person proposing to undertake minor works must submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be contacted.

Public contributions

Note: Developments may span multiple time periods
Timeline browser

< to 1849
< - 1849
1850 to 1879
1850 - 1879
1880 to 1909
1880 - 1909
1910 to 1939
1910 - 1939
1940 to 1969
1940 - 1969
1970 to 1999
1970 - 1999
2000 to >
2000 - >