S Chester Building
The Sydney Chester Building was erected in 1891 as a grocery store. It was a good location on Hutt Street, as William Street was called in that period, being next door to the Governor Broome Hotel and a variety of other businesses.
Sydney arrived in Western Australia with his parents around 1849, and the family lived at first in Perth before his father, Joseph, took over the Rose and Crown Hotel in Guildford in December 1856. Around 1864, after leaving school, Sydney joined the Guildford firm of Barker & Gull, who were merchants as well as importers. He stayed with them for 26 years, rising to become manager of the company.
When Sydney Chester decided to branch out on his own, his first move was to commission a new building on Hutt Street to expand into the city centre. The architect is not known for certain, but may have been Henry Stirling Trigg who called for tenders for business premises on Hutt Street the same day Sydney announced he was starting his own firm:
The Chester Building later became a restaurant and subsequently a supermarket. Today the place is occupied by the State Theatre Trust, who operate the State Theatre of Western Australia next door.
The Sydney Chester Building was erected in 1891 as a grocery store. It was a good location on Hutt Street, as William Street was called in that period, being next door to the Governor Broome Hotel and a variety of other businesses.
Sydney arrived in Western Australia with his parents around 1849, and the family lived at first in Perth before his father, Joseph, took over the Rose and Crown Hotel in Guildford in December 1856. Around 1864, after leaving school, Sydney joined the Guildford firm of Barker & Gull, who were merchants as well as importers. He stayed with them for 26 years, rising to become manager of the company.
When H. E. Gull took over the firm in 1890, Sydney Chester went into business with him as joint partners but, for unknown reasons, the business relationship did not last long and Sydney decided to branch out on his own. His first move was to commission a new building on Hutt Street to expand into the city centre. The architect is not known for certain, but may have been Henry Stirling Trigg who called for tenders for business premises on Hutt Street the same day Sydney announced he was starting his own firm:
S. CHESTER (late of Barker & Gull’s, Guildford),
While thanking his customers for their liberal patronage while a member of the above firm, begs to inform them and the public generally that he has opened a similar business in Hutt Street. Perth, where he hopes by strict attention to business to merit a continuance of their support.
A good assortment of drapery and groceries ex recent arrivals, on sale. Farm and dairy produce, a speciality. Sydney seems to have run his new firm for around six years before retiring back to Guildford, and living in his farmhouse ‘Goodwood’, which he had built in 1890. He was also member of the Swan Road Board, and chairman (equivalent to mayor) of the council for several years. When he died in 1911.
The Chester Building later became a restaurant and subsequently a supermarket. Today the place is occupied by the State Theatre Trust, who operate the State Theatre of Western Australia next door.
Inquirer 24 December 1856
Inquirer 16 September 1863
Daily News 11 December 1890
Inquirer 31 December 1890
West Australian 28 July 1891
Swan Express 24 March 1911