The first mention of a structure at 155-157 Victoria Street was in 1883 when it went up for sale by the land agent William Bedford Mitchell (reference). It was advertised as a “snug, substantial, and convenient brick cottage, of seven rooms and passage. Capital brick stable, with loose boxes and close floored loft above” with a “good garden” (reference). Originally the block had a frontage to Victoria Street and Stephens Street but over time has been reduced to the 155-157 Victoria Street of today (reference). The house was again advertised in 1890 by Mitchell (reference). 

The next time this building entered the newspaper was in 1909 when the Beech’s moved their boarding house business, Ardwick, into the building (reference). The owners, Rachel and Randolph Beech, had already begun ‘Ardwick’ in Bunbury, having rented out furnished rooms in Spencer Street and James Street in 1907 and Wittenoom Street in 1909 (reference; reference; reference). Ardwick, located on the corner of Victoria and Stirling Streets, provided furnished rooms close to the hospital for gentlemen borders from 1910 to 1915 (reference; reference; reference). Rachel Beech, née Hale, held the licence for the boarding house and was the principal manager (reference) while her husband Randolph was a music teacher and piano tuner (reference; reference).

One of Ardwick’s gentlemen borders was a chemist called Ernest Flemming who arrived on 21 September 1912 (reference). His stay abruptly ended when he suddenly died on 16 October 1912 after a drunken fall (reference). 

In 1914 Rachel put an advert in The Daily News to attract holiday-makers to Ardwick:

“RUN DOWN. During the next few months it is almost imperative that a change of air and scenery should be obtained. It usually costs money for a family to take a holiday, but when rooms are obtainable where meals can be cooked the forbidding expenses decrease. Mrs. Beech, of "Ardwick," Victoria-st, Bunbury, has several comfortable furnished rooms for the summer months. Arrangements can be made by letter, etc.” - Rachel Beech

By 1915 the lodging house had expanded from the snug brick cottage it once was in the 1890s to a ten bedroom, two kitchen, two sitting room and electricity run household (reference). In 1915 Ardwick was again for sale, as Rachel chose to leave the business on account of her ill-health (reference). After selling the house, the couple moved to West Perth (reference).

In 1938 William Henry Hartzer, the licensee of the Pier/Gordon Hotel, proposed to purchase 155-157 Victoria Street of Town Lots 225 and 224 to erect a new hotel and promote Bunbury as a tourist destination (reference; reference). There were many arguments for and against, but evidently the notion was denied (reference). 

Over time the street address has changed and Victoria Street ends at number 155. However, what was once 155-157 Victoria Street can be pinpointed to have stood where QBE and the Telstra Telephone Exchange buildings are.

Residents of 155-157 Victoria Street

1909 Rachel and Randolph Beech