5 Cambridge Street is currently on the market, scheduled for auction by McGrath's on the 23rd of November. Described as being 'transformed with contemporary design, this Paddington terrace showcases a luxurious aesthetic across three impressive levels. It is quietly set in a wide tree lined street, near popular Five Ways village and metres to Glenmore Road Public School'. My personal aesthetic prefers a few more historical details but I am sure this will appeal to someone.
Number 5 forms part of a group of seven terraces from 1 to 13, built in the late 1880's by W. B. Proud*. This style of small scale development (with the builder also living for a time at number 3) was typical of much of the development of Paddington.
As with previous open houses this usually provides an excuse to dig out the Sands Directory and see who has been sleeping at 5 Cambridge. The register for 1894 has a pretty full house at #5, Mrs John Hall, George Hall (musician) and Charles Hall (teacher of dancing). It is a pretty common surname so we were not sure that Trove would add much to the story, however, Charles made the papers on 13 September 1892 after being charged with 'deserting his wife'. The below article provides an illuminating look at his finances ...
Sadly, Charles' next entry was his funeral notice from 12 March 1895. Both Mrs John and George had inserted notices paying their respects. As can be deduced from the above article, where George ended up paying most of the maintenance for his brother, it was George who seems to have been the more successful. There are frequent mentions in the paper of George being the Musical Director for a number of plays and opera's. After cutting his teeth on the Sydney circuit it looks like George established himself on the London stage as this following article from 23 January 1910 attests.
I couldn't really find much more on the Hall's. James Bannister-Howard was a prominent British producer right up to his bankruptcy in 1933 (the depression perhaps). His wages bill alone in 1931/32 was GBP 80,000. I wonder if George was still on the payroll then? His bankruptcy didn't stop the big man and here is a link to a photo of him in 1935 (aged 68) celebrating his engagement to a Miss Cecil, who is in her early 30's!
* this is per the Paddington Council rate books and some gueswork. W. B. Proud is listed as resident at #3 and owner of 3 through 9 in 1889. Per Trove, he was also a builder who won a number of Government contracts including extensions to the Insane Hospital at Parramatta and the lockup at Leichhardt. Based on the look of the terraces nos. 1 through 13 appear part of the same group (the 'double wall' is between 13 and 15) so I guess that Proud built them all, and kept the ones in the middle?
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