No 1157 Hoddle Street was built for Thomas Davis, or Davies, in 1872 by Trinnick & Timmins of 48 Peel Street, Hotham (North Melbourne).  Sharing the home with Thomas was his mother, Hannah, and his sister, Emma. Hannah Davies died only a few months after moving in and her probate papers describe the house as a ‘2 storey shop and dwelling valued at £500’.  

Thomas was a cabinet-maker and Emma was a dress and mantle maker. Both operated their businesses from the Hoddle Street address.

On 19 July 1884, shortly before the Davies sold the property, The Age ran the following advertisement:
STOCK Drapery, small, well assorted, for Sale; good opening for dress maker. Apply 72 Hoddle-street. East Melbourne.
72 was an old number for the property, a few years earlier it was 68.

The next owner was John Bedford Tate who moved in with his wife, Mary Emma, and their young children.  John was a tailor and Mary made fancy goods. John died in 1891 and his probate papers describe the building simply as a five roomed brick house valued at £800. Mary continued living in the house for many years, however by the time of her death in 1913 she was living in Hawthorn. 

The Melbourne City rate books are inconsistent in their description of the house at this time, sometimes it is a house, sometimes it is a shop.  Possibly if the occupants were engaged in cottage industry their trading outlet did not qualify as a shop.
  
Briefly from about 1911 the property was owned by A Wilson who rented it to Mrs Helena Trampisch, confectioner.  As well as her confectionery business she advertised board and lodgings for 3 respectable men.

But by 1915 Charles H Weston was the owner and he continued the confectionery business. From his time onwards the building is consistently referred to as a shop in the rate books. About 1919 he sold to Benjamin Trenear who rented it to different tenants over his ownership.  

The last of these was Annie Scott, also a confectioner, who moved in in 1925 and bought the property the following year. Annie died in 1932 and her son, Albert Ernest (Bert) inherited the property. He continued to live there with his wife, Sarah Jane Scott (Janie).  Electoral rolls describe Albert as a bootmaker so it seems that he leased the shop as a separate entity. Probably this was the beginning of the shop’s transition from confectionery to a mixed business or milk bar. Albert died in 1953 and Janie continued to live there for about two years before selling to Itaio and Irene Valcovig who continued to lease the shop out.  The shop continued until at least 1976 but the property has now been converted to a residence only