A Vision for the Corso

The National Library's Trove database now includes issues of the Illustrated Sydney News, which are an excellent source of contemporary pictures. The drawing above comes from its issue of 15 March 1886, p20, and shows shops in course of erection for the Anglo-Australian M L & F Company at Manly. The development was on the west side of the Corso. The architects were a young Melbourne pair, Richard Loweish and Frederick Moorhouse. This would have been a significant commission for them, and an important development in the streetscape of the Corso. It is good to know when the scheme was completed and who the architects were.

With the exception of the two shops to the right of the group, the facades of the others and four of the original stone chimneys have survived, 125 years on. The shops have had a multitude of uses over the years. At time of writing, the surviving shops are occupied by clothing and surf stores: All, Diva, Cotton On, Platypus, Sportsgirl and Big Swim. The two shops to the left of the group were for many years occupied by the well-known estate agents, Robey, Hanson and Strong.