Printable house story5 Queens Pl, Balmain NSW 2041
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AI reconstruction of original photograph. A possible recreation of the terrace row using historic and photos through time.
5 Queen's Place today
The Old Manse and Pawnbroker’s Terrace, Queens Place — historical group view. Photograph date unknown. Balmain Association, reproduced in Peter Reynolds, Leichhardt Historical Journal No. 24 (2014), printed p. 27 (PDF p. 29).
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5 Queens Pl, Balmain NSW 2041

5 Queens Pl, Balmain NSW 2041

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Cover photo: The Old Manse and Pawnbroker’s Terrace, Queens Place — historical group view. Photograph date unknown. Balmain Association, reproduced in Peter Reynolds, Leichhardt Historical Journal No. 24 (2014), printed p. 27 (PDF p. 29). — Date unknown

Year built1858
Timeline entries9
Memories0
Photos3

At a glance

  • House typeTerrace House
  • StyleChoose Option
  • HeritageYes
  • Current statusUnknown

The story of this house

The Old Manse and the pawnbroker’s businessA stone house in Queens PlaceIn February 1856 Alexander Chape sold a 60-foot frontage in Queens Place to Presbyterian minister Rev James Collins.

Around 1858 Collins built the two-storey stone attached house now identified as the Old Manse at No.

5.

Projecting stonework at its south-eastern end suggested an intended stone extension.

The journal does not identify its earliest occupants. [1] From a minister’s property to Pawnbroker’s TerraceEngineer George Malloch rented the house in 1863–1865.

When Collins could not meet his mortgage repayments, the mortgagee sold the property to Sydney carpenter Thomas Daly in June 1865.

Daly added two weatherboard houses at Nos 7 and 9 around 1866.

Verandahs extended towards the kerb across the three houses, which became known locally as Pawnbroker’s Terrace. [1] Thomas Daly and Ann MealeyDaly operated as the Balmain pawnbroker at No.

5 until his death on 7 June 1901.

His widow continued the business until the end of that year.

Under Daly’s will, No.

5 passed to his widow’s niece Ann Mealey, who continued as pawnbroker beyond 1932.

Mealey died on 20 December 1958. [1] Later ownershipThe later account names Elizabeth Ann Mealey and painter Graeme Beutel in connection with ownership of Nos 5–9.

The journal’s later ownership account gives a September 1959 sale to Graeme Beutel alongside a May 1961 transmission to Elizabeth Ann Mealey after Ann Mealey’s death in December 1958.

That sequence needs checking against the deeds; the dates are not treated here as a settled sequence.

The journal records Beutel mortgaging No.

5 on a separate lot in December 1973. [1] Sources: [1] Peter Reynolds, Leichhardt Historical Journal No.

24 (2014), “From Cooper Street to Waterview Street: Waterview Estate 1835–1970: Part 3”, printed pp.

26–27 (PDF pp.

28–29)…

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Timeline highlights

A compact summary of key moments. Scan the QR code to read the full timeline online.

  1. 1856 — James Collins buys the land

    In February, Alexander Chape sold the Queens Place frontage to Presbyterian minister Rev James Collins.

  2. c.1858 — The Old Manse is built

    Rev James Collins built a two-storey stone attached house at No. 5.

  3. 1863–1865 — George Malloch rents No. 5

    Engineer George Malloch was the recorded tenant of Rev James Collins.

  4. 1865 — Thomas Daly purchases the property

    Collins’s mortgagee sold the property to carpenter Thomas Daly in June.

  5. c.1866 — Pawnbroker’s Terrace takes shape

    Daly added the two weatherboard houses at Nos 7 and 9 beside No. 5. The three became known as Pawnbroker’s Terrace.

  6. 1901 — Thomas Daly dies; his widow continues the business

    Daly died on 7 June. His widow continued the pawnbroking business at No. 5 until the end of the year.

  7. 1932 — Ann Mealey’s pawnbroking business continues

    The journal records Ann Mealey as the pawnbroker at No. 5 beyond 1932; this is evidence of continuing use, not the date she began…

  8. 1958 — Ann Mealey dies

    Ann Mealey died on 20 December. The journal’s subsequent transmission and sale dates require checking.

  9. 1973 — No. 5 is mortgaged on a separate lot

    The journal records Graeme Beutel mortgaging No. 5 on a separate lot in December.

  1. 1856 — James Collins buys the land

    In February, Alexander Chape sold the Queens Place frontage to Presbyterian minister Rev James Collins.

  2. c.1858 — The Old Manse is built

    Rev James Collins built a two-storey stone attached house at No. 5.

  3. 1863–1865 — George Malloch rents No. 5

    Engineer George Malloch was the recorded tenant of Rev James Collins.

  4. 1865 — Thomas Daly purchases the property

    Collins’s mortgagee sold the property to carpenter Thomas Daly in June.

  5. c.1866 — Pawnbroker’s Terrace takes shape

    Daly added the two weatherboard houses at Nos 7 and 9 beside No. 5. The three became known as Pawnbroker’s Terrace.

Memories, sources & further reading

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Selected photos

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