Monday 8 & Tuesday 9 May
In my last post I wrote about my discoveries on foot in my local suburb of Newtown, Geelong. In this edition I’ll continue on that same theme as the more I looked the more I found.
This time I’m going to veer off Pakington Street (well mostly…) and look at some other areas – Noble Street, Aphrasia Street, Skene Street and even to a little known building on Marshall Street.
"House"
That’s how it’s listed on the Victorian Heritage Database. House. Not exactly exciting is it? But for some reason it’s on there. It stands on Prospect Road not far from Kirrewur Court that I wrote about last time.
The VHD lists it as being of local significance and as being “a double storey slate roofed brick house of 1858/59 with double storey timbered verandah across the front.” And from their picture and mine that’s exactly what it still is. It’s had some work done on it of late, I recall them replacing parts of the roof not long ago and applying some paint. This one needs some more research – I’ll have to see what’s in the Geelong Heritage Centre on this one.
References:
1. VHD – House, 79 Prospect Road.
Chilwell Barracks
For some time I’ve wondered what this building once was. It’s on Marshall Street, which is not terribly well known in Newtown but it's a street I know well as it’s my bike cut-through from Pakington Street to La Trobe Terrace and onto Barwon Heads Road. The building was obviously something else originally but has been converted into a private residence. They’ve done an excellent job as the extension at the back appears to have mimicked the style.
It turns out that it was once the Salvation Army Barracks. The early photo that I located shows that name across the front of the building but in renovations it was obviously removed.
The former Salvation Army Hall at 18 Marshall Street, Newtown, has significance as the earliest surviving purpose-built Salvation Army building and as one of few examples of a Victorian Tudor style in the Greater Geelong municipality. Built in 1889 to a design by the Melbourne architect, William Rain, progenitor of a number of Salvation Army barracks in the late 1880s, the building served the Salvation Army in Chilwell until the early 1980s. The former Salvation Army Hall appears to be in good condition and of moderate-high integrity when viewed from the street.
The [qualities of the building] include the main front facade with slightly recessive central gabled bay and flanking projecting pavilions with battlemented parapets, together with the gable roof behind. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the brick wall construction, corrugated profile sheet metal roof cladding, rendered dressings (quoinwork, stringcourses, signage panel, window and door heads - but not the overpainting), pointed window and door heads, timber framed double hung windows, oculus ventilator in the gable end (with label mould above) and the side projecting buttresses and some window openings.
I note here that the building also has associations with the Melbourne architect, William Rain, who was responsible for the designs of at least 6 other Salvation Army barracks in the late 1880s. When looking for information on this barracks I came across another in Newtown, Sydney from almost the same time. It’s design looks very similar – no doubt one of the other 6.
References:
1. VHD – Residence – 18 Marshall Street, Newtown
2. SLV - Salvation Army Barracks.
Claremont
“Claremont” can be found at 143 Noble Street. I went to school over the road from this house and drive past almost daily and can honestly say that I’ve never really noticed it. It’s a large house but it’s well hidden from the street by a big fence.
Claremont was designed in 1857 by the engineer Andrew McWilliams and constructed sometime between 1858 and 1861 for the successful Geelong grocer, William Blair. It is a symmetrically planned single storey Italian Renaissance revival villa, with central projecting Tuscan portico and concave roofed encircling verandah terminated on both sides by projecting wings with balustraded parapets. Inside is said to be a remarkable formal hall. This large, central top lit hall, which adjoins the entry hall, is fully articulated with Corinthian pilasters and statuary niches.
Claremont is the only known extant residence designed by the engineer Andrew McWilliams, and is an outstanding example of his work. Claremont is also important for its long association with key figures of the wool industry in Geelong and the Western District. In particular, Claremont was associated with the prominent wool broker, CJ Dennys as it was his residence from 1876 until his death in 1898. Following the occupation by Dennys, Claremont was purchased by Mr AW Gray, owner of the Albion Woollen Mills. It is still in the ownership of the Gray family.
References:
VHD – Claremont.
2. SLV - Claremont.
Miharo
Next door to Claremont, and again hidden away from the street and prying eyes is Miharo.
Milharo, a single storey elaborately ornamented brick and stucco villa at 145 Noble Street, Newtown, was erected at an unknown date as the residence of the foremost soap manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand, John McLeod. In 1890 New Zealand born architecture FJ Coote designed extensive additions of a new facade, ornamental iron verandah and front fence, richly ornamented domed conservatory and fernery in exotic and unusual eclectic style. Minton tiles enhance the conservatory floor and stained glass high-lights the flat dome.
According to the VHD, it is “a picturesque villa of rare and elaborate decoration and the finest of its type in the Geelong region.” As I’ve said a number of times you just never know what you might find out there.
References:
1. VHD – Miharo.
Milton
Milton was erected in 1857-58 for prominent Geelong pharmacist and politician Charles Kernot. It was designed by leading Geelong architects Backhouse and Reynolds in Renaissance Revival style. It is a two storey asymmetrical stuccoed masonry town house with hipped roof of slate, bracketed eaves and rusticated quoins.
Milton is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.
Milton is important as an extraordinary example of the work of leading Geelong architects Backhouse and Reynolds. It is also a particularly fine example of an elegant Renaissance Revival town house of the mid nineteenth century.
Milton is important for its association with the Kernot family, with the house being built for Charles Kernot, chemist, stationer, councillor and politician, whose eldest son became the first graduate in civil engineering at Melbourne University and also became that institution's first professor of engineering.
References:
1. VHD – Milton.
Eythorne
Eythorne was constructed in 1872 for the banker Robert Ferry Thwaites to a design by the prolific Geelong-based firm of Scottish architects Davidson and Henderson. It is a single storey dichromatic brickwork villa with concave roofed verandah to the north and west facades. The verandah is decorated with a cast iron valance and brackets of a pattern designed by the architects and patented on 18 July 1870.
Eythorne is important as a notable example of the work of prolific architects Davidson and Henderson, being one of only a small number of single storey villas which they designed. Eythorne demonstrates outstanding decoration, including delicately carved Waurn Ponds limestone Corinthian capitals between the paired windows, cast iron valance and brackets to the verandah of a design patented by Davidson and Henderson, and specially made bricks forming what a contemporary advertisement referred to as the "dental [sic] String Course".
References:
1. VHD – Eythorne.
Austin House
This one has intrigued me for a while. A large allotment on the corners of Virginia and Pakington Street sits empty. There was clearly once something there as there are remains of a gate and there is bitumen and concrete on the allotment. Apart from that it’s fenced off and empty.
The Austin family is very famous in Geelong and the Western District of Victoria. That fame is mainly for two brothers. Thomas of Barwon Park near Winchelsea who has the honor of importing rabbits to Australia for “sport.” He certainly wasn’t the first to import rabbits they’d been on many ships in the early years, but they came for food. Thomas brought his to hunt. Not the best idea that one…
His brother was James Austin and he was famous for his property and lands around Geelong, especially for Avalon House on the north shore of Corio Bay. But Austin House wasn’t related to these brothers; no, it was the home of their younger cousin Sydney Austin.
Austin House was built on the site of an earlier building by Andrew Bridges White c 1870. He was a member of the firm of Squatting & Mercantile Agents, Holmes, White & Co., and Mayor of Newtown & Chilwell in 1876. The house was bought in 1892 by Sydney Austin, MLC who was Mayor of Geelong from 1896 - 1899.
E H Lascelles occupied it for some years before and during the First World War and Andrew Cunningham followed him in occupation. Following Cunningham's death in 1922, the house was bought from his estate by Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School. The house was a two storeyed, stucco-faced Italianate villa with a pedimented porch and chaste verandah iron work. Sliding shutters were noted.
And here comes my soapbox. I’m not sure why we have a fascination in knocking down things because they are “old.” The time will come when we look back and regret bowling things over. I have no idea who knocked this over, apparently in 1973, or why they did, but that empty block is an eyesore and a pointer to what could have been there.
References:
SLV - Austin House, Virginia Street, Newtown, Geelong [Vic.] [picture] / Colin Caldwell.
VHD – Austin House.
Knowle House
According to the SLV, Knowle House was built in or about 1853. Between 1856 and 1923 it housed several short-lived schools and was demolished in 1964, when it was known as Wahroonga Flats. Geelong College opened at Knowle House in 1861, until 1871, when the new buildings on Newton Hill were ready for occupation.
The VHD indicates that Geelong Grammar also operated from here, presumably after the College had moved out. They indicate that it was demolished after 1968.
Interestingly, the new apartment building constructed on the location in Skene Street is also called “Knowle House.” You will see from my picture that it’s architecture does look very late 60’s, early 70’s.
References:
SLV - Knowle House, Newtown, Geelong, first house of Geelong College, now No. 8 Skene Street, Newtown.
VHD – Former Knowle House.
Keyham
Keyham is one of the few surviving examples of the large number of portable or prefabricated houses imported to Geelong in the early 1850's by local merchant Frederick Bauer and others to cope with the housing shortages caused by the gold rushes. It was constructed c1854 for Mr John Buckland.
Keyham is important as a rare example of a prefabricated timber house believed to be manufactured in Germany, and one of only a small number of prefabricated timber buildings imported in the early 1850's remaining in Victoria. Keyham also demonstrates the innovative solutions provided by the use of imported prefabricated buildings to cope with the housing shortages caused by gold rushes in the early 1850s.
Keyham, which was built for John Buckland, is important for its association with his son, Stephen Vine Buckland, a prominent citizen and Mayor of Newtown and Chilwell for 14 years. He was a member of the legal firm, Taylor, Buckland and Gates, and was patron or president of a number of charitable institutions.
References:
1. VHD – Keyham.
St Leonards
St Leonards was constructed in 1913 and 1914 for Geelong Timber merchant John Howard. The designer of the two storey brick and render Art Nouveau town house is not known. The asymmetrical facade has a projecting faceted bay to the ground floor which forms a balcony at first floor. There is also a balconette with bellcast roof. The rendered section of the facade is richly decorated with a combination of flowing floral and geometric motifs.
St Leonards is a rare and essentially intact example in Victoria of an Art Nouveau town house. It is also significant for its innovative utilisation of detail derived from both the linear geometric and free-flowing organic streams of Art Nouveau surface decoration. The decorative render detail enlivens and accentuates the plain surfaces and asymmetrical form of the house which uses parapets to create strong cubic forms consistent with the ideals of emerging European modernism. The modelled render to the exterior of St Leonards, particularly the flowing floral motifs, demonstrate an accomplished display of Art Nouveau decorative detail.
This one’s definitely not to my taste but “each to their own.”
References:
VHD – St Leonards.
Cobb & Co Stables
I didn’t know that these used to be stables until I found the old photo below and then Dad pointed me in the right direction. I first knew this building as Redpath’s Antiques, the antique store owned by former Austrlian cricketer Ian Redpath, on Shannon Avenue. I actually went to school with Ian’s eldest daughter and recall going here. Some time ago Ian sold the business and now it’s a florist.
These stables have great regional historical significance because of their associations with William Walkers omnibus service, which played such an important role in the early development of transport in the Geelong district. They were constructed in 1895 for Walker, who ran his bus service from there until November 1901. Arthur Nicholls Vines, proprietor of the Cobb and Co. coaching service, briefly ran a bus service from there and from 1911 until the middle 1920s, Frank Lloyd Hooper, founder of the Hooper grocery stores, used the building as stabling and a shop. Henry Hooper, grocer, was the owner in the late 1920s and early 1930s, using the building at first for stabling and then as a store and shop. The building has local architectural significance as a late nineteenth century commercial stone building relatively intact, except lacking the Shannon Avenue front.
References:
SLV - Old Cobb & Co. stables, Newtown Hill, C Fox.
VHD – “Redpath’s Antiques”
Rob Ganly – he knew what it was!
Butcher
This last one is again thanks to Dad who got a copy of the photograph from the current owner and butcher on the site. The old photo shows the butcher and next door store around 1928. My photo shows the butcher and IGA store that are there now.
That’s it for walking around Newtown for now. The bike is back out!
Have fun out there.
Chris