“Mr J. E. McGinty, so well known and highly esteemed as an auctioneer, house, land and estate agent, of 107 Gertrude-street, has just completed his fiftieth year of residence in Victoria. The whole period, almost without a break, has been spent in Fitzroy, and for 34 years Mr McGinty has been in business in Gertrude-street.”
(As reported in the Fitzroy City Press, 17 Nov 1905, page 3)

Constable McGinty lived first in Argyle St until 1865 and Greeves St until 1871, before commencing as an auctioneer in Gertrude St. Joseph E McGinty was born in Meath, Ireland in 1833 and his son Joseph W W F McGinty was born at Fitzroy in 1865.

Their business and residence was at 107 Gertrude St from 1899, and the 1903 Electoral Roll records the father as an auctioneer and the son as accountant. Their office at 107 Gertrude St was on the north side, midway between Brunswick St and Young St.

The father aged 75 and the son aged 43 both died a few months apart during 1908. The extensive detail in their on-line probate documents shows that the owner of 107 Gertrude St was Thomas Welton Stanford who owned other major buildings along Smith St. He was a member of the American family who founded Stanford University in California.