309 Swan Street
309 SWAN STREET RICHMOND, YARRA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The property at 309 Swan Street, Richmond, is a rectangular shaped allotment with three buildings dating from 1916 and 1937. The buildings comprise the large former drill hall abutting the Duke Street (west) boundary; the narrower storage building abutting the Lord Street (east) boundary; and a smaller brick building between these to the Swan Street boundary. Both the hall and storage shed date from 1916 and are single storey, gable-roofed and gable-ended structures, clad in corrugated galvanised iron. Both buildings retain most of their original window framing, with some exceptions. The space between the two original buildings is concreted over. The third building dates from 1937, and is a single storey, overpainted brick building, with a transverse gable roof. The 1916 drill hall is the largest building on the site, has the distinctive 'drill hall' form, and was the focus of the original training operations and subsequent Commonwealth use. The 1916 storage shed, although original, and the later 1937 building, are less distinguished elements, and more utilitarian in character and form.
How is it significant?
The property at 309 Swan Street, Richmond, is of local historical and architectural significance.
Why is it significant?
The property at 309 Swan Street, Richmond, was established as a drill hall complex in 1916 and is of local historical significance. It dates from the period when compulsory military service was introduced, and a large number of drill halls were constructed in Australia. Richmond men between the ages of eighteen and thirty, who were called upon to enlist for military service in World War One, did so at the Swan Street drill hall. They were also given some training on the site. Later Commonwealth uses included housing the 2/11th Field Regiment in the 1940s; the Department of Technical Engineering copywriting section, and the Training Depot for the Australian Army's Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in the 1950s; and cadet battalions in the 1970s.
The former drill hall building is also of local architectural significance for demonstrating some of the principal characteristics of World War One drill halls. These include the simple gabled form, albeit carried over a large building, and the large internal space. The galvanised and overpainted corrugated iron cladding is also typical of suburban and regional drill halls around the country. In addition, it is a comparatively externally intact example of a drill hall of this era.
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309 Swan Street - Integrity
The property at 309 Swan Street, Richmond, is a rectangular shaped allotment with three buildings that make up a former drill hall complex on the north side of Swan Street. The buildings date from 1916 and 1937, and comprise the large drill hall with an 'aisle' group of rooms abutting the Duke Street (west) boundary, a narrower storage building abutting the Lord Street (east) boundary, and a smaller brick building between these to the Swan Street boundary. Both the hall and storage shed are single storey, gable-ended and steel-framed, and clad in corrugated galvanised iron. They have shallow gable roof forms also clad in corrugated galvanised iron (the original roof cladding has been replaced). Both buildings retain almost all their original window framing, although the hall has new display windows facing Swan Street. It appears that windows have also been added to the east elevation facing the open space which is now used as a car parking area. To the north end of the storage shed's east elevation, two double hung windows have been covered over from the inside as have two windows at the southern end on the west elevation facing the car park. The south gable vent to the hall and conical vents to both buildings are long-standing. The segmental ridge vents on the larger building may be an alteration. To the rear of the main is a plain chimney stack in exposed red face brick. There are two similar chimneys on the east side of the storage shed. All the exterior steel cladding to the buildings has been overpainted. The timber floor in the main building is long-standing and probably original.
The space between the two original buildings is concreted over. The third building on the site, east side of the hall on the south boundary, was constructed in 1937. This is a single storey, overpainted brick building, rectangular in plan form with a transverse gable roof clad in overpainted corrugated steel. The south elevation is divided by four slightly recessed bays, three of which have been fitted with signage. The roof is concealed by a simple parapet on the south side and the east side wall has a gabled parapet.
The property is enclosed on the north and south sides by cyclone wire fencing.
309 Swan Street - Intactness
Good
Heritage Study and Grading
Yarra - Heritage Gap Study
Author: Graeme Butler & Associates
Year: 2007
Grading: LocalYarra - City of Yarra Heritage Gaps Study 2012 (Heritage Gaps Amendment two)
Author: Lovell Chen
Year: 2012
Grading: Local
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RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H0710
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FORMER LALOR HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H0211
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ST STEPHENS ANGLICAN CHURCHVictorian Heritage Register H0586
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