One of three similar double fronted houses, single storey to the street but with a two storey section at the rear.
The builder of the house and its first owner was Thomas Murray. The house was initially built with six rooms but by 1888 had increased to eight rooms. Murray owned the house until his death in 1892. According to the Inventory of Assets in the probate papers, as well as the eight rooms the house had a bathroom, pantry and outhouses and was let at £6.10.0 per month. He left the house to his wife, Janet, who owned it until her death in 1911. An important tenant in the house was Louis Pabst, music teacher. (see below)
*Ohain is a town in northern France, very close to its border with Belgium. It seems to be the Pabsts who named the house Ohain, possibly reflecting Mme. Pabst's birthplace.
Owners
1883-1892: Thomas Murray. He, with Peter Hill, formed the firm Murray & Hill, contractors and joiners. They specialized in high grade work and amongst their achievements are the Customs House and the Mint in Melbourne. Murray was a prominent member of the Cairns Memorial Church and when the church needed enlarging in 1888 he supervised the work in a voluntary capacity. He died in 1892 leaving £3,000 to the church to complete the spire, which, however never happened.
1892-1911: Janet Murray
Occupiers
1885: H. O'Neil
1886-1894: Herr Louis Pabst and Baroness (Helene) von Englehardt-Pabst, music teachers. Louis Pabst was born in Konigsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad), and arrived in Melbourne in 1885, with his wife, also a pianist of renown. At the time he was the most respected piano teacher in Melbourne and was described as a "pianist of tender gracefulness." He trained advanced students in pianoforte playing and musical composition. Amongst his pupils was Percy Grainger. They returned to Europe in 1894.
1896: Mrs. Cheshire, dressmaker, who advertised her Compass Dress Chart, best invention for cutting to measure.
1900: Albert Edward Grant
City of Melbourne Rate Books, Albert Ward, 1885, No. 257 (earliest entry)
Burchett Index, City of Melbourne Notices of Intent to Build, 15 Nov 1883, Reg. No. 581
Probate Papers in the Will of Thomas Murray, File No. 50/526; VPRS28, P0002, 350.
Argus, 19 Sept 1894, p.8; 18 Apr 1896, p.9
The Age, 4 Dec 1937, Eminent Living Australians - Percy Grainger
Index to Unassisted Inward Passengers Lists 1852-1923, PROV online: http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/
