Bridge Street Chambers c.1925

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As a favourable corner site, No. 17-19 Bridge Street (Bridge Street Chambers) was purchased in 1917 by Mellwraith, McEacharn Line Proprietary Ltd. This London based shipping and mercantile firm was established by Andrew Mellwraith and Malcolm McEacharn in 1875. The partners contracted to carry cargo and migrants to Queensland and began to build up a fleet of ten ships sailing under the name of Scottish Line. Success encouraged them to develop a mercantile export and import department; visiting Australia themselves, they were quick to appreciate opportunities for further investment and for inter colonial shipping.

Later the company extended itself south by shipping coal and in 1887 McEacharn moved to Melbourne to set up the head office. In 1893 they made advantage of another boom in the form of passenger and cargo trade to the Western Australian goldfields.By World War One the company was one of the seven major Australian coastal shipping concerns.

The new building, ‘Scottish House’ was erected on the site Bridge St site in 1925 and extended two years later. ‘Scottish House’, was designed by Bruce Dellit of Spain & Cosh in 1924-1925. The building was extended almost immediately in 1927