Originally a greengrocers

7 Victoria Road, in the Clifton Hill area, first appears in a street directory of 1856, when R. Barrow, “fruiter, milkman and greengrocer”, was in occupation. His customers would have been the largely wealthy inhabitants of this early Victorian suburb which grew up on land owned by Thomas Read Kemp until sold by his wife during the 1840s.

Selling foodstuffs for over 100 years
The property stayed in similar usage for well over 100 years – at various times Barrow was described either as a pork butcher, or simply a butcher, as well as greengrocer. His daughter succeeded him and by the 1890s the business was described as just “greengrocer”.

Formerly Greens vegetarian restaurant
By the 1970s, 7 Victoria Road had become an electrical shop until at least 1974. Some time after that it became Greens vegetarian restaurant – maybe named after the property’s previous usage!

Comments about this page

  • Whilst undertaking family research, I discovered 7 Victoria Road was (still) a greengrocer’s shop in 1939, when it appears it was run by John ‘Monty’ Stedman (his parents ran the Bush Inn on Arundel Road in Kemp Town circa 1911), who was a cousin of my grandfather. He died in 1957, therefore it could have been a greengrocer’s shop up to/beyond then.

    By Steve Jones (29/10/2016)
  • Kelly’s Directory for 1914 shows Mrs M.Douglas ‘greengrocer’ at #7

    By Geoffrey Mead (30/10/2016)
  • I lived at no 6 Victoria Road, the cafe  opposite and would add that no 7, after being an electrical shop, became a Hippy Cafe called  ‘Open’ in the late ’60s- early ’70s and was also the headquarters of the Squatters Union run by a really nice guy called Bruno. Much to the disapproval of my mum and dad, I used to go in there a lot and remember good times there as a 9 year old in 1969.

    By Derek Mann (08/10/2017)

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