Rich Avon Homestead & outbuildings, 74 Rich Avon Road, RICH AVON EAST
74 Rich Avon Road AVON PLAINS, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Rich Avon homestead complex, woolshed and early fence, have significance as a moderately intact example of an early twentieth century and Victorian vernacular styled building. Built in the 19th century and early twentieth century, the complex reflects the station developments of that era.
The Rich Avon homestead complex, woolshed and early fence, are architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. Although altered, the homestead dwelling demonstrates some design qualities of a Federation style. These qualities include the broad hipped roof form, together with the back skillion verandah. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the lime and cement washed hollow concrete block wall construction, deep eaves, chimneys, and the timber framed double hung windows. The later addition of the side portico is also significant. The outbuildings and woolshed demonstrate original design qualities of a Victorian vernacular style. These qualities include the hipped and gabled roof forms clad in galvanised corrugated iron, and timber slab wall cladding.
The Rich Avon homestead complex, woolshed and early fence, are scientifically significant at a LOCAL level. The woolshed also contains early timber pens, woolpress and shearing plant. The blacksmith's shop contains an early forge and smithing equipment.
The Rich Avon homestead complex, woolshed and early fence, are historically significant at a LOCAL level. Rich Avon was originally settled in 1844 and has been in the ownership of the Guthrie family since 1864. The Guthrie family developed one of the oldest Merino studs in Victoria on Rich Avon and are also renowned for breeding Corriedale sheep from 1890 to the present day.
Overall, Rich Avon homestead complex, woolshed and early fence are of LOCAL significance.
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Rich Avon Homestead & outbuildings, 74 Rich Avon Road, RICH AVON EAST - Physical Description 1
House and brick building
The present house was constructed in 1912 and is the third house on the site. This replaced a large timber house which had been constructed after 1864, replacing the first house. The house sits in a garden setting with the entry portico to one side facing the driveway. The 1912 house was a modified Federation design with walls of hollow concrete block and a number of roof gables. The entry portico was added and windows enlarged as square bays in 1926/7. Other extensions have been made to the original house some in lime and cement washed cinder block. The house has a series of hipped roofs clad in steel decking which would appear to have replaced the original corrugated profile. The building retains a number of lime and cement washed chimneys with simple corbelled decoration. The walls have smooth quoinwork on the corners of the original building and the 1926/27 window bays. Later extensions are also lime and cement washed but without the quoinwork. The original garden verandah has been extended and enclosed and is of oiled timber. This work would was undertaken in 1977. The courtyard verandah is original with a stylised Doric column supporting the roof. The timber double hung windows have the upper lights divided into four panes. Many of the windows have timber shutters.
At the rear of the house in the courtyard is a face brick building with a gable roof. The building is double brick and has a cellar of the same size underneath. There is a face brick chimney with simple corbelled brick decoration. It was constructed in 1872 and its original use is unknown but it has been used as an office as well as various other uses. Also at the back of the house is a reconstructed timber toilet building relocated from the garden. The building has a pyramidal hipped roof clad in corrugated steel and there are square edged weatherboards cladding the walls. This structure is believed to date from the 1880s. It has a pressed metal Wunderlich ceiling which would appear to date from the 1912 construction of the house when this building was updated.
Farm Buildings
At some distance from the house are a number of early farm buildings. These include a building constructed as a coach house in 1872. This has a steeply pitched hipped roof clad in corrugated steel. The walls are of dropped log construction. The vertical posts have battens fixed on either side that hold panels of roughly squared horizontal slabs between. Some parts are now clad in sheets of corrugated steel. The building was later used as a blacksmith's shop. The building still contains the forge and other smithing equipment.
Nearby is the stables building which is built on a slightly sloping site facing onto the farm yard area. The building was relocated from Rich Avon West. It was originally built in the 1860s and relocated in 1895. The main posts were replaced about 50 years ago due to insect damage. The building has a very long gable roof with a cross gable at one end. The roof is clad in short length corrugated steel. The gable ends are clad in square edged weatherboards. The building is supported on posts with most panels filled with horizontal slabs and some panels clad in diagonal slats. In more recent times some panels were replaced with timber doors. This building was significantly damaged by a storm in the summer of 2003/04.
There is also a gable roofed building which was erected in 1912 as the single men's quarters. The roof is clad in corrugated steel and there is a brick chimney at one gable end. The walls are concrete block. There are timber framed glazed louvre windows down one long side.
Nearer the house is the meat house which is a timber single roomed building with a hipped roof and weatherboard clad walls. The building has a double roof to provided a shaded ventilated roof space to keep the contents cool. There is a timber louvered window in one wall and a small timber skillion roofed entry porch at one end.
Former Rich Avon West Shearing Shed
The shearing shed is situated at some distance from the homestead and sits in isolation in a elevated paddock area. The building was constructed in the 1860s. It has a central steeply pitched hipped roof clad in corrugated steel. There is a small gable section of roof rising from the ridge which marks the location of the wool press. On either side of the main hipped roof are skillion extensions also clad in corrugated steel. There are some remaining exposed sections of the original wall cladding of vertical half round slabs set into horizontal timbers top and bottom. This has now mainly been replaced by vertically hung corrugated steel. The building is in 10 foot (3 metre)modules, width and height. The shed was designed for 24 blade shearers and there was often 50 men in a team. The side aisles have been altered by changing the pitch of the skillion sections to raise the head height. The shed has also been extended at the east end which replaced an earlier skillion which was in poor condition. The steam operated shearing equipment which was installed in the 1900s. The steam engine was disbanded after an accident but much of the shearing plant remains in situ. The Ferrier's Wool Press was made in 1896 by Humble and Nicholson of Geelong. The structure is of roughly squared posts, rafters and battens with the pens separated by vertical slab partitions and timber gates. Almost all the framework timbers are of Murray pine (cypress pine).
The shearing shed is the last remaining structure from Rich Avon West station as the nearby homestead built by Scott burnt down in the 1880s/90s.
Nearby is a remaining section of early timber posts and rail fencing.
Rich Avon Homestead & outbuildings, 74 Rich Avon Road, RICH AVON EAST - Physical Description 2
Farm Buildings
At some distance from the house are a number of early farm buildings. These include a building constructed as a coach house in 1872. This has a steeply pitched hipped roof clad in corrugated steel. The walls are of dropped log construction. The vertical posts have battens fixed on either side that hold panels of roughly squared horizontal slabs between. Some parts are now clad in sheets of corrugated steel. The building was later used as a blacksmith's shop.
The building still contains the forge and other smithing equipment. Nearby is the stables building which is built on a slightly sloping site facing onto the farm yard area. The building was relocated from Rich Avon West. It was originally built in the 1860s and relocated in 1895. The main posts were replaced about 50 years ago due to insect damage. The building has a very long gable roof with a cross gable at one end. The roof is clad in short length corrugated steel. The gable ends are clad in square edged weatherboards. The building is supported on posts with most panels filled with horizontal slabs and some panels clad in diagonal slats. In more recent times some panels were replaced with timber doors. This building was significantly damaged by a storm in the summer of 2003/04. There is also a gable roofed building which was erected in 1912 as the single men's quarters. The roof is clad in corrugated steel and there is a brick chimney at one gable end. The walls are concrete block. There are timber framed glazed louvre windows down one long side. Nearer the house is the meat house which is a timber single roomed building with a hipped roof and weatherboard clad walls. The building has a double roof to provided a shaded ventilated roof space to keep the contents cool. There is a timber louvered window in one wall and a small timber skillion roofed entry porch at one end.
Rich Avon Homestead & outbuildings, 74 Rich Avon Road, RICH AVON EAST - Physical Description 3
Former Rich Avon West Shearing Shed
The shearing shed is situated at some distance from the homestead and sits in isolation in a elevated paddock area. The building was constructed in the 1860s. It has a central steeply pitched hipped roof clad in corrugated steel. There is a small gable section of roof rising from the ridge which marks the location of the wool press. On either side of the main hipped roof are skillion extensions also clad in corrugated steel. There are some remaining exposed sections of the original wall cladding of vertical half round slabs set into horizontal timbers top and bottom. This has now mainly been replaced by vertically hung corrugated steel. The building is in 10 foot (3 metre)modules, width and height. The shed was designed for 24 blade shearers and there was often 50 men in a team. The side aisles have been altered by changing the pitch of the skillion sections to raise the head height. The shed has also been extended at the east end which replaced an earlier skillion which was in poor condition. The steam operated shearing equipment which was installed in the 1900s. The steam engine was disbanded after an accident but much of the shearing plant remains in situ. The Ferrier's Wool
Press was made in 1896 by Humble and Nicholson of Geelong. The structure is of roughly squared posts, rafters and battens with the pens separated by vertical slab partitions and timber gates. Almost all the framework timbers are of Murray pine (cypress pine).
The shearing shed is the last remaining structure from Rich Avon West station as the nearby homestead built by Scott burnt down in the 1880s/90s.
Nearby is a remaining section of early timber posts and rail fencing
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading:
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Rich Avon Homestead & outbuildings, 74 Rich Avon Road, RICH AVON EASTNorthern Grampians Shire
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