Ball & Welch

An emporium at 180 Flinders Street was designed by architects Reed Smart & Tappin and was completed in 1899 in an American Romanesque style.

The Flinders Street store was one of the first in Melbourne to erect neon outdoor advertising, reportedly visible from the Dandenong Ranges.

[16] In 1962 the company expanded and established a store[17] in Frankston followed by Camberwell, and at Eastland (1966) and Southland (1968) shopping centres.

In January 1970, Georges launched a successful takeover bid of Ball & Welch in a deal valued at $A1.48 million dollars,.

In 1990, only the façade, and that of the Commercial Travellers' Club, were retained but raised two floors in a development that saw offices facing Flinders Street, with a large car park behind called Flindersgate.