Several weeks ago I was in the Hunter Valley which has many towns dating back to the 19th century. (A very short time period compared to the thousands of years of Aboriginal ownership of the land). In the larger centres the original facades of the 19th century buildings are visible rising above the ground floor of contemporary shops.

Here are two such facades. The first is in Singleton, located on John St, built in 1898.

The facade of the Singleton Arcade, watercolour, 9 October 2015

When I moved around to the front of the building I could see this interesting chimney, to the rear of the facade.

Chimney detail, the Singleton Arcade, pen and ink, 9 October 2015

Several days later I visited Maitland. The long main street here is also full of interesting buildings. 437 High St is now the home to up-market boutiques and gift shops. I was surprised to find out that it was even older than the Singleton Arcade. This building, originally built for the Australasian Bank (through subsequent transmogrifications becoming the ANZ Bank), was completed in 1869 and opened the following year. Its French styling and rounded ist floor balcony  takes advantage of it’s corner location. This is a real stand-out among the other nearby buildings.

The first floor of 437 High St, Maitland, watercolour, 12 October 2015