House – The Old Butchers Shop

At the fist Puebla Township sales in of Section 1 on 10 July 1888, Charles H Swift an agent from Geelong purchased a number of allotments, including Lot 1. He later sold the property in 1893 to Robert Willey, of “Avondale”, East Bellarine, the son of a successful onion farmer near Portarlington. Over time Willey acquired a substantial property portfolio in the Puebla township and in the adjoining Spring Creek Estate. In 1918 he subdivided some of the allotments creating the “Whilley’s Paddocks” Estate which he sold at auction that year. The original Lot 1 was now subdivided into sections 4, 5, 6. These subdivisions changed hands a few times in a short time. During 1919, Thomas Floyd Pescud purchased Lot 5 from Elizabeth Price for £45 and Lot 6 from John Harcombe of Melba House for £50.

In the following year 1919-20, the father and son builders, Sam and Bert Howes, constructed the butcher’s shop and associated outbuildings using hand-made concrete blocks manufactured by David Berryman and Thomas Pescud. During the construction, Sam and Bert Howes stayed at the “Two Bays” guesthouse.

The old Butchers shop is situated 17 Anderson Street, Torquay.

It appears that the works had been completed by 1920 as the South Barwon Shire Rate Books for that year list a “shop” owned by Thomas Floyd Pescud, butcher of Market Square, Geelong.

In 1924, the Rate Books listed John Wilson Pescud as the occupier of the shop while in the following year, 1925, Thomas Pescud was again owner and occupier of a “house and butcher’s shop”. In 1928-29, the butcher’s shop was occupied by Henry James Jennings. The South Barwon Rate Books listed a Mrs Elvie Finnegan at this address in 1950-51, the property then being identified as the Estate of Thomas Pescud. In 1952-53, the property was leased to Mack and Paine, drapers of Geelong, the owner being Thomas Pescud of 163 Royal Parade, Parkville. He appears to have been the son of the late Thomas Pescud Senior. Mr Mack sold goods from house to house before opening this shop at Torquay. Miss Paine travelled to Torquay each day from Geelong by bus to run the shop.

In the 1960s the shop was taken over by Paddy Morgan who manufactured and sold surf boards from there.