Gosmont
1221 Burke Road KEW, Boroondara City
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Statement of Significance
Gosmont, at 1221 Burke Road, is of local historical and municipal architectural significance as a fine and externally highly intact example of a suburban residence from the mid to later Federation period in Australian architecture. Gosmont is an elegantly composed, lively and forceful example of Federation design, drawing animation from constant modulation of compositional mass and wall surface colour, which is ably applied. The design exhibits poise and elegance in its proportioning and composition, and stands as a demonstration of the Federation style in Victoria towards the height of its powers.
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Gosmont - Physical Description 1
Gosmont, the house at 1221 Burke Road, Kew, is a substantial attic design from the middle to later period of Federation architecture. Like many neighbours in this area, it was designed to allow broad views of the eastern hills. The walls are in plain-coursed umber 'Hawthorn' brick, relieved with cream and red brick striping, and the brick is used as a pedestal for the main verandah posts, being drawn apart and perforated like a brick grille. This device was popular in the 1920s but makes its appearance in the middle Federation period. Its street presentation is dominated by a plain slate roof with terracotta ridge capping and ball finials, in two large hips with two additional, smaller hips over the north east bay. The roof is punctuated by several chimneys, similar to those on Carbethon at 1223 next door (q.v., B-graded). These have open brick stacks topped by necks in textured stucco and then in turn by terracotta mouldings just below the chimney pots. The roof has bracketed eaves, the brackets springing from a deep frieze, and the verandah roof is separate from the contours of the main roofing. In general, this treatment recalls that of Coolattie, an earlier design of Gutheridge's, at 25 Canterbury Road, Camberwell. As at Coolattie, there is some elaboration of wing details, as in the east-facing window bays, which project from the main wing endings in a step and have sash windows in segmentally arched frames, forming a 2/3 division typical of the casement window bays of Norman Shaw and other leaders of the British Queen Anne tendency. These are in turn surmounted by a half-timbered frieze and roof bracketing, interspersed, on the southeast bay, by two sheets of flared shingles.
The verandah is a solid timber structure that sits almost independent of the main building, with a near flat roof broken at the centre by a gablet that marks the entry to the main door. The posts are thick turned timber, and the frieze is timber slatting supported on segmental arches. This arrangement is repeated on a doorway to the south and a three-arched loggia on the north side, the latter infilled.
The building is generally intact as viewed from the street. Approval was given for the subdivision of rear of the allotment in 1999, though an application to demolish the house failed. A proposal to demolish part of the rear of the house was submitted 2002. It is not known whether these works proceeded.[i]
Graeme Butler prepared a report on the building in 1998 at which time he noted that the interiors include a barrel-vaulted room, and a large proportion of original joinery and detailing. [ii]
The garden is marked by a brick-edged asphalt drive that appears to be of some age.[iii]
[i] Details sourced from the City of Boroondara Planning and Building Files (40/409/02938 and 40/408/07205, respectively)
[ii] Butler also noted that the rear had a U-shaped service yard encircled by a galvanized iron verandah, later filled in with the addition of a family room and two additional rooms. G Butler, 'Report: Gosmont,' p. 3.
[iii] G Butler, 'Report: Gosmont,' p. 1.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Review of B Graded Buildings in Kew, Camberwell and Hawthorn
Author: Lovell Chen Architects & Heritage Consultants
Year: 2006
Grading: ABoroondara - City of Kew Urban Conservation Study
Author: Pru Sanderson Design Pty Ltd
Year: 1988
Grading:
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