Sunday, 7 May 2017

As some of you will know I’ve been a bit sidelined for the past couple of weeks. The bikes are away and I’ve been on foot getting some exercise. In my walks I’ve been taking a good look at where I live – Newtown.

The name Newtown is a pretty common one in Australia. There’s one in Hobart (Tasmania), Sydney (NSW), Ipswich and Toowoomba (Queensland), Kadina (SA), and there are two in Victoria, one near Scarsdale and the other, where I live, is an inner suburb of Geelong.

The name Newtown has a number of possible references but it is most likely a literal reference to New Town, which at some time was concatenated to Newtown.

The Geelong suburbs of Newtown and Chilwell exist today in the Parish of Moorpanyal, County of Grant, Victoria. Up until 1994 the City of Newtown was a local government area immediately west of Geelong. First incorporated as the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell on 9 March 1858, it became a town in 1924, and was proclaimed a city in 1949. It was renamed Newtown in 1967, and then on 18 May 1993, as part of the restructuring of local government in Victoria, the City was abolished and under the City of Greater Geelong Act 1993 merged into the City of Greater Geelong.

By any measure Newtown is one of the oldest suburbs in Victoria. Beyond the indigenous people of the Geelong area, its inhabitation by white man goes back to settlement in Port Phillip (Victoria.) As far as settlement is concerned, who got to Port Phillip first and then what they did or did not do what depends on who you want to listen to. What is clear is that around the same time in late 1834 or early 1835 there were a number of settlers from Van Diemen’s Land (VDL) eyeing off the lands of Port Phillip. John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, whilst largely in competition with each other, are jointly credited with settling Melbourne.

While September 1836 is usually celebrated as the settling of Melbourne, it was not until 1842 that it was formally incorporated as a Town. Geelong rivals it in age as Geelong officially came into existence in October 1838; however, there were however settlers here as early as 1835 and Governor Bourke himself visited in 1837.

As far as Victoria goes it doesn’t really get a lot older, and in some ways more historic, than it does around here. The first land sales in Newtown took place in 1839 and the names of many that bought then can still be seen here today. Major WD Mercer, James Cowie, James Austin, Dr Clerke, James Pascoe Fawkner and Edward Curr have all left markers.

But what’s caught my eye of late is the magnificent buildings that are dotted around Newtown. Here’s some that I saw today when I headed south down Pakington Street.

The Hermitage / Armytage House

The Hermitage was a timber mansion house originally built around 1849 by the former Police Magistrate of Geelong, Nicholas Alexander Fenwick. It stood on the site of the current Armytage House on Pakington Street. The original timber Hermitage Mansion House contained a handsome drawing room with folding doors, dining room, breakfast room, library, bedroom, bathroom and closet. The house also had a lower suite of apartments of five bedrooms, dairy, state-room, cellar, out-offices, large kitchen with patent oven, and three servants’ bedrooms.

The original timber house was later demolished by George Armytage who then built the current day Hermitage in 1859-60 to the design of Edward Prowse. The rebuilt Hermitage was later renamed Armytage House in 1973.

Armytage House is a two storey Barrabool freestone ashlar and basalt rubble mansion and at the time was considered one of the finest colonial regency style mansion houses in Victoria. The Ionic portico and exquisitely proportioned, encircling wrought iron veranda is the most distinctive feature of this mansion, which is undoubtedly Edward Prowse's most impressive work.

The mansion has considerable and important historical associations, firstly with the Armytage family, and finally with the Geelong Church of England Girls Grammar School (1905-1973.)

Armytage House, as pictured is all locked up at the moment. The grounds are starting to be over-grown and neglected. A year back it looked like someone was about to renovate but that’s not taken place yet. It's a magnificent looking house on a huge piece of land – it deserves to be something special again. Let’s hope that happens soon.

(I have to add, that it’s really disappointing that some time ago someone subdivided a corner of the lands and built a commercial building there, along with the requisite ugly fence. A real pity to what it could have been.)

References:

1. Major Mercer. Ganly, CA.

2. Victorian Heritage Database – Armytage House.

3. SLV - Armytage House [technical drawing] / Darren Hall, Scott Abbott and Stefan Tamassy.

Kirrewur Court

This house was originally built in 1891 as a detatched double storey red brick Edwardian mansion. The building’s crowning glory is a circular tower rising over the entrance with a “candle-snuffer” roof clad with terracotta shingles – said to be one of the finest of its type in Australia. The house was originally owned by Charles Shannon, a wool merchant and was designed by the architect C.D. Figgis.

After use as a home by the Shannon family the house became a reception and function centre. In fact, my mother and father had their wedding reception here.

The house was bought about a year ago and is now undergoing a major renovation. By the looks of things it will soon, again, be a spectacular home on top of Newtown (Mercer’s) hill.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – Kirrewur Court.

The Duke of Wellington Hotel

This one is a bit of a surprise to a lot of people in the area. On the south west corners of Prospect Road and Pakington Street stands a white house. It is in fact the former Duke of Wellington Hotel. The give away can be found on the Prospect Road entrance where the name of the hotel can still be found above the gate.

The hotel was erected in two stages, firstly as a single storey Barrabool stone house in the 1840s, with an upper storey added c1850. This Colonial Georgian Style hotel was originally enhanced with a Tuscan Doric Portico. Records show that this was the first meeting place of the Council of the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell.

As the Victorian Heritage Database records, the present “structure has been defaced by internal and external alterations.” But a comparison to a 1936 photo shows it to still be looking the same. The red brick building behind is Kirrewur Court.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – "Duke of Wellington" Hotel (former).

2. SLV -

Ariston House

This double storey brick residence was built in 1891 for mining company entrepreneur and investor, James Randell, to eclectic style design by young Melbourne Architect, Phillip A. Kennedy. The ten room Villa is dominated by an elaborate cast iron balcony, verandah and iron fence in a style derived from the English Late Victorian Aesthetic Movement.

Randell was a noted Central Victorian goldfields speculator and wealthy company director. He moved to Geelong from Creswick in c1890, and built this notable Geelong house on part of the site of James Ariston’s historic early Geelong Villa "The Priory."

Today it serves the local community as a child care facility.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – 'Ariston' child care centre.

Newtown and Chilwell Fire Station

The Newtown and Chilwell Fire Station was established in 1859 and operated from weatherboard premises in Pakington Street until 1884 when the structure was removed and a new brick fire station and tower was erected. Local municipal surveyor and architect, RS Tuffs, designed the original poly-chromatic brick building in a Lombardic Romanesque style and Charles Mills was the builder.

The VHD report goes on to say that the “tower is a noted local landmark and unfortunately the strong brickwork patterns have been painted out.” The tower certainly remains and is a landmark in the area, the tower however appears to have been returned to its former state. A comparison of the two photos shows how it looks now and how it did look when it had been painted out. Certainly an improvement today.

The fire station is, and has been for some time now, a private residence.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – Newtown Fire Station (former.)

2. SLV - Newtown & Chilwell Volunteer Fire Brigade Station.

The Chambers

Next door to the former fire station stands the former council chambers of the former Newtown and Chilwell council. The Chamber was designed by the notable Geelong architect, TJ Buchanan and was opened on 13 December 1916, replacing an earlier 1860’s small Hall and Council Chambers on the site.

Later this building was used as the Barwon Region Child Health Centre, where an aunt of mine worked for many years.

It is said to have “regional architectural significance as a fine and interesting Renaissance Revival design by Buchan. It's interest derives from Buchan's reworking of Michelangelo's last design: the Porta Pia in Rome (1561-64).”

Today, like the fire station next door, it is a private residence.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – Residence (former Newtown & Chilwell Council Chambers.)

Rannoch House

Rannoch House was constructed in stages with the first part being a two storey Barrabool sandstone building with a single storey western wing commenced in 1851 and 1852 for Captain Francis Ormond. It was designed by early Geelong architects Walter Sheridan and George Wright. This building operated as Henry Deering's Royal Museum Hotel in 1854 before becoming Lisdou House in 1855, a school for "young ladies" run by Misses Greer. The eastern wing and conservatory were designed by Jacob Pitman and constructed in 1863 for A S Robertson.

The Renaissance Revival appearance of the building may also date from this time. Alexander Miller, benefactor, owned Rannoch House from 1882 until at least 1906 and lived there for some of that time. John Rout Hopkins, grazier of Wormbete, also lived at Rannoch House from 1889 for a period of time. During this century the house was occupied for a number of years by the Church of England Girls Grammar School, and was later divided into a number of flats.

Rannoch House is also important as an extraordinary example of architects' work from two periods. The central two storey section of Rannoch House and the single storey western wing comprise the only identified extant work of early Geelong architects Walter Sheridan and George Wright. The 1863 additions including the conservatory form an extraordinary example of the work of Jacob Pitman.

Rannoch House is historically important for its associations with the well known English and Australian actor/theatre manager Henry Deering who planned entertainment from Shakespearian plays to acrobatics for the people of Geelong in the mid nineteenth century. Rannoch House is also important for its associations with notable pioneers and pastoralists Captain Francis Ormond, the Hon Francis Ormond, A S Robertson and J R Hopkins. It is also important for its association with the benefactor Alexander Miller.

Today Rannoch house has been returned to its former glory, appearing through the gate to be in excellent condition and once again a magnificent home.

References:

1. Victorian Heritage Database – Rannoch House.

Next week, I’m taking another walk. This time mostly down Noble and Aphrasia Streets. I know there’s more for the history lover there!

Have fun out there.

Chris