DOCUMENTARY: Younghusband Limited

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  • Ink and Spindle

    Ink and Spindle

    Ink and Spindle is a boutique textile studio, owned by Lara Cameron and Tegan Rose (pictured ).

  • The pair places a heavy focus on sustainability and ethical processes, designing and screen printing all of their textiles by hand on a 10 metre table that takes pride of place in the middle of the studio.

  • A self-confessed history nerd, Tegan would love to see the building kept as an industrial area for artists and small businesses.

  • “The majority of people who work in this building live in 3031.

  • "We are locals. "

  • But, when we get kicked out of here, we’re gone. That’s a large chunk of the community removed all at once.”

  • Ask Alice

    Ask Alice

    Sass Cocker (pictured with her beloved pooch Diesel) is one of the more recent tenants at the Young Husband complex.

  • The owner of the stationery label Ask Alice moved in to the space fully aware of the owner’s plans for the building.

  • “I am not very good at seeing where I will be in a few years, so it didn’t bother me,” she says.

  • The genesis of the Ask Alice brand started in Japan, where Sass worked from a tiny Tokyo apartment. Returning to Melbourne, the designer spent some time working from home and then in a studio above the Carlton Club before settling into her current Young Husband studio.

  • Sass appreciates the open plan nature of the Young Husband building, adding that the affordable rent she pays for her space is also attractive. She says the proposed changes to the complex are a shame.

  • “The City of Melbourne has proposed some height restrictions for buildings in the area and I think it would be great if they didn’t go ahead with these plans until those rules are in place.”

  • Revolt Artspace

    Revolt Artspace

    Revolt Artspace is, as its name suggests, predominantly an art space for independent artists.

  • Ryan Hodge, Tim Fulton and Steven Hodge (pictured) formed Revolt Productions in 2009, building on the existing reputation of previous tenants William May and Malcolm Cooke of “Number 12” fame.

  • . Revolt’s facilities include a main stage, a cabaret room, a cinema/theatre space, rehearsal rooms, a photographic studio, an art gallery space and a daytime café.

  • Tim loves the Young Husband building’s sense of mystery. “We love the fact that from the outside you have no idea what you are walking in to.”

  • Tim says that when the Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, granted planning consent for the construction of Revolt, he described the space as a cultural asset to the city of Melbourne.

  • “For him to say that and then allow someone to take that away, to make it so we can’t exist, is a bit of a contradiction.”

  • Sam the Armourer

    Sam the Armourer

    Anyone doubting the diversity of tenants at the Young Husband complex should meet Sam Bloomfield.

  • The talented armourer forged his talent (pun intended) under the tutelage of people responsible for the Lord of the Rings garb.

  • These days he creates everything from armour to wrought iron fixtures, gates and signage.

  • Sam concedes he is probably one of Young Husband‘s “noisier” tenants and appreciates the building’s size and robustness.

  • “This building is concrete and brick, which helps keep the things I use connected.”

  • The armourer has struggled to find artists spaces in the past and says if plans for the Young Husband site go ahead, he will be forced to work from home - which is less than ideal. Sam enjoys the collaboration that exists between the Young Husband tenants, especially his association with Revolt Artspace.

  • He says these relationships have helped increase his profile and presence. “For someone like me who is quite reclusive, the Young Husband building provides a platform and also helps make me more accessible.”

Younghusband Limited

Rail commuters bustling past the iconic Young Husband Woolstore Complex on Elizabeth Street could be forgiven for overlooking the hive of activity concealed within its orange-brick walls.
Given the vastness of the site, its labyrinth-like layout and apparent austerity, it would also be easy to discount the warmth and depth of connection that exists between the building's eclectic mix of tenants.
"We are a community here. Everyone knows everyone, it’s really tight knit," says Tegan Rose from boutique textile studio, Ink and Spindle (pictured below).
“We collaborate all the time and we have such love for this building. We spend more time here than we do at our homes. This is our home.”
Words: Penny Smits.

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