Well, well - look what I've found............
From:
Victoria, Australia, Rate Books.
City of Prahran 1865-1866
1866: Occupier; Thomas Curtis, ship owner
Residence Place: Mcquarie Pl, Prahran, Victoria. Wood cottage
Owner Name: Frederick Duke
Gross annual value 26 pounds, first payment July 6
Frederick Duke, storeman, seems to own all of the houses in the street, of whichThomas' residence has the highest rateable value. Other people's occupations are: printer, contractor, broker, baker, labourer.
1867 - similar entry. Co-incidence? The property next door but one is occupied by a Frederick HULL, bricklayer.
1869 Thomas CURTIS, shipping agent is now in Chapel St, Prahran; house owned by John DOBIE
1870 Thomas CURTIS, shipping agent, no actual address shown
1871 Thomas CURTIS, shipping agent, Grosvenor St, Prahran
1872 & 1873 Thomas CURTIS, shipping agent, Hornby St, Prahran. This is a brick house and shed.
1873 - another entry for samaddress I think. Occupation now given as 'shipping clerk'
1876,1877, 1878, 1879 Occ: shipping agent, now at Trinian St, Prahran. Occ in 1878/9 - clerk
I can't see him definitely after that. There is a Thomas E CURTIS in Prahran in 1890 but no occupation given so unsure if it's him.
I have only listed the Thomas CURTIS entries for Prahran. There are plenty of others.
I think these are lists of the actual ratepayers with no guarantee that the rate-payer was actually living at the address.
At least now we have a connection to a Thomas CURTIS, ship owner or shipping agent or shipping clerk or clerk.
Judith