Country Road Wins `historic' Fight
SUNDAY AGE
Sunday December 20, 1992
FAKE bricks stuck onto a South Yarra building could have been the undoing of clothing retailer Country Road Australia's plan for a flagship store on Toorak Road. The stick-on bricks _ now about 20 years old _ on the mock-Tudor former South Yarra Arms Hotel were reportedly the first on any building in the State.
Originally Victorian-built, the hotel, on the corner of Chapel Street, has since been extensively revamped at least twice.
The building's historic value triggered a local resident, Mr Russell Morse, into action.
``It's a unique building _ a landmark which fits in well in that corner," he argued.
Earlier this month, Mr Morse lost in his appeal against Prahran Council for granting a demolition permit in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. However, he will not have to pay legal costs for the council and Country Road's architects.
He had also sought an injuction to stop last month's auction of the hotel's stock, equipment and fittings. Removing fittings from a historically protected building was against the Historic Building Council's rules, he argued. However, the sale went ahead and the HBC have yet to recognise the building's historical value.
Country Road was to start work on the $6million project in October.
The company paid $1.425million for the hotel, believed to be less than land value. A new two-storey building with 1200-square metres of retail space was to open by November next year. Country Road chief executive, Mr Stephen Bennett, described the site as ``probably the best suburban site in Victoria located within one of Country Road's prime target markets".
He did not appear concerned with the Mr Morse's objection. ``Our advice is that the building holds no historic value because of the fact that it has been developed so many times _ three total renovations." The fake bricks saga appears not to detract from the company's solid foundations. Country Road, with its classic range of mens and womens' clothing and homewares, is an Australian success story. With 90 stores and 1300 employees throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States, it seems to ignore problems facing other local clothing manufacturers in an industry described by many as lacking growth potential.
In September, Country Road reported a 20.5 per cent jump in profits for its August year. It recorded a $5.3million net profit, almost $1million more than the previous year. This result came in spite of ``Victoria's depressing influence on retail sales", according to managing director, Mr Peter Vial.
© 1992 SUNDAY AGE
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