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Southland Times, Issue 1282, 22 July 1870, Page 3

Twenty-five years ago (says the Advertiser) there was not a street in town where property was so valuable as Corio street. Moorabool street, psha! Nobody would at that time have thought of comparing a site there with the least valuable in Corio street. How strangely things have altered! The wisest in those days fancied that Geelong was to extend to the eastward, and not, as it has since done, to the westward ; and property in the direction of St. Albany realised a few years after 1845 much higher prices than it has ever done since. A good site in Moorabool street is now the desire of all the most knowing of our tradesmen. A site in Corio street, even the most valuable one there is, would not fetch within hundreds, nay, thousands of pounds of what a frontage of equal extent in Moorabool street would do. There are few old chums who will not remember the time when the Commercial Hotel, in Corio street, was looked upon as one of the best in town. In fact, Mack's, the Victoria, and the Commercial were the houses at which all our colonial aristocracy used to stop in days of yore, when business brought them to town. About thirteen years ago the house and good-will, then realising £500 per annum rent, were sold for £2000. Now, all its glories hare departed. For some time it was closed, and afterwards let to Mr Bent, of cheap meals renown, at an almost nominal rental, and on Friday, thefreehold was sold by Messrs Ogilvie and Robinson, for the paltry sum of £210. The Britannia, in Yarra-street, was sold at the same time for £420. How would you paint an absent-minded firiead ? In a brown study. i"