Both No. 47 and Nos. 43-45 had been built with the intention of being leased or let to other users. Sydney Cove became busier during the 1840s as the success of the wool industry brought wealth, trade goods and encouraged immigration. Investing in the infrastructure of trade may have been a gamble in 1841 but would have been proven a safe bet seven years later. The first known occupants of 43-45 were Lawrence and Steven Spyers, operating as merchants and commission agents, occupying both the house and the store in 1850. Two years later the residence was occupied by Archibald Walker, a merchant, and Martyn and Combes occupied the store.
