As at 1 April 2011, the Unwin's Stores and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right. The row of buildings known as Unwin's Stores makes an important contribution to the outstandingly well-preserved group of nineteenth century shops which comprise the George Street North streetscape. They provide evidence of the city's maritime and business development on Sydney's main thoroughfare in the second and third quarters of the nineteenth century, and had a central location and role in this development. Their uses include a mixture of storage and the operation of a range of maritime businesses, residences, public houses and other small businesses characteristics of the area. The buildings illustrate the layout and nature of the early commercial area in terms of form, scale, materials and detailing. Despite modification, the buildings demonstrate the early subdivision in 1841 by Frederic Unwin, and the use of space demanded by urbanization. They demonstrate the scale and use of the city in the 19th century. A great deal of the original 1840s fabric survives and the surviving structures above and to a lesser extent, below ground offer physical evidence of more than a century and a half of use. Unwin's Stores constitute a continuing resource for investigation and public interpretation, demonstrating the "realities of inner-city working class life in the 19th century". The buildings and associated garden walls demonstrate construction methods used in the 1840s. The site offers evidence which potentially contributes to a range of research themes, particularly the economic, political, social and physical development of the first urban settlement in Australia. The Unwin's Stores should be considered of high local significance in regards to Chinese Australian heritage as it has had long-term Chinese occupation since 1861. The location of the stores, being situated within the vicinity of
Circular Quay and The Rock's
Chinatown, has made it to be considered by Chinese merchants as a prime position for conducting business. One of the businesses to occupy a building of the Unwin's Stores was Tin War & Co. from 1877 to 1897. Tin War's manager, Jasper Ung Quoy, was one of the witnesses called upon in the Royal Commission against Chinese Gambling and Immorality. Another well-known business was King Nam Jang, which was owned and run by the Cumines family, who at present day have up to five generations that has lived in Australia. The buildings' associations with the first hospital and the Surgeon-General's Residence, with F W Unwin, with the Chinese community, with the early development of
Sydney Cove and the development of Sydney's first commercial area are all significant. The continuity of small-scale commercial use up to the present day is significant. Unwin's Stores was listed on the
New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 May 2002 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. This building is probably the longest continuously occupied row of shops in Australia. The yards portray the early subdivision in 1841 by F W Unwin. There is an important association with this very historic precinct of Sydney, in particular George Street, The Rocks. The Unwin's Stores should be considered to be of high historical significance in regards to Australian Chinese heritage. This is due to the long-term Chinese occupation recorded for different buildings of the Unwin's Stores. The first Chinese tenants to lease one of the stores were in 1861. Its location near Circular Quay and The Rock's Chinatown made the Unwin's Stores a favourable position to conduct business to a Chinese clientele and ships docking in Sydney. While little is known about majority of the tenants, others such as Jasper Ung Quoy and the Cumines family are better known and documented. '''The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history.''' The Unwin's Stores should be considered of high local significance in regards to Chinese Australian heritage as it has had long-term Chinese occupation since 1861. The location of the stores, being situated within the vicinity of Circular Quay and The Rock's Chinatown, has made it to be considered by Chinese merchants as a prime position for conducting business. One of the businesses to occupy a building of the Unwin's Stores was Tin War & Co. from 1877 to 1897. Tin War's manager, Jasper Ung Quoy, was one of the witnesses called upon in the Royal Commission against Chinese Gambling and Immorality. Another well-known business was King Nam Jang, which was owned and run by the Cumines family, who at present day have up to five generations that has lived in Australia. The Unwin's Stores can be considered to have high historical association significance with Jasper Ung Quoy. Ung Quoy was the manager of Tin War & Chin Fook (79 George Street) and his testimony at the Royal Commission into Chinese Gambling and Immorality provides some insight into the Chinese - European relationship in Australia at the turn of the century. He was an advocate for the prohibition of gambling although when trying to fight it, he himself came across obstacles in his investigation. When questioned by the Royal Commission whether Tin War offered any gambling in its basements, his outburst about being "as good as a European" demonstrates that it was not enough for Chinese to be honest and hard-working but also necessary for them to be assimilated into European culture to be consider of high moral standing. 85 George Street also has high historical association significance with the Cumines family. Lo King Nam began leasing the building in 1913 and King Nam Jang became the home and birthplace for family members. Older residents of The Rocks recalled their business and their services as either an interpreter or guesthouse was employed by the government. The enclosed nature of their basement and the decision to cater only to a Chinese clientele further demonstrate the hostility felt by the Chinese migrants from the European community.
The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The courtyards illustrate clearly the usage of the rear yards in connection with the early commercial buildings, i.e. the construction of cellars, fireplaces, stores, and covered ways. The treatment of the original and later fabric used in the construction, i.e. rough coursed stonework and stretcher bond brickwork. It conveys the typical spatial areas to the rear yards of the buildings in commercial precincts in terms of form, scale, materials and detailing.
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The association with Frederic W Unwin and precinct of Surgeon General's residence . The association with the early development of Sydney Cove. The Unwin's Stores are of high social significance to the Australian Chinese community. Its buildings represent a long-term occupation by Chinese migrants since 1861. The alternations of 85 George Street's rear yard remembered by Dolly Bonnette demonstrate the difficult process of social acceptance of the Chinese neighbour by the European community. 85 George Street hold high social significance for the Cumines Family and perhaps also to the Chinese migrants and World War II refugees who were housed at King Nam Jang temporarily.
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The courtyards portray the early method of construction in stonework of cellars and boundary walls, and brickwork of stores, W.C. Later methods of alterations and additions are shown by building off the original walls, rather than rebuilding. Jane Lydon conducted an archaeological investigation of the rear of the Unwin's Stores in 1991, however, the rear yards of 83 and 85 George Street were not a part of the excavation. From the 1991 excavation, only a small amount of Chinese objects were recovered from the phases of Chinese occupation. Any possible future construction in the rear yards of the Unwin's Stores, specifically 85 George Street has the potential to yield Chinese artefacts and to contribute to the current research on Chinese in the Rocks and NSW. The Cumines Family, along with other member of the Australian Chinese community such as Allen Yip often do presentations on their predecessor's experience of early Sydney and Australia. With the assistance from these members of Australian Chinese community there is potential for further and more intimate research to be conducted on the Chinese migratory experience to the existing body of work. Recent publication on Chinese within Sydney include Shirley Fitzgerald's' Red Tape, Gold Scissors' and Jane Lydon's 'Many Inventions: The Chinese in The Rocks 1890-1930.'
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The continual Chinese occupation of a building can be considered quite rare within Sydney, as witnessed in 85 George Street by King Nam Jang. Another site of continual Chinese occupation is 50 - 54 Dixon Street,
Haymarket, which has been owned by Goon Yee Tong, Loon Yee Tong and Luen Fook Tong societies since 1917 and rooms of this building have been used as their clubrooms up to the present day.
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Unwin's Stores can be considered to be representative of long-term occupation of a building or set of buildings for Chinese business. == See also ==