CAMBERWELL HIGH SCHOOL
100a Prospect Hill Road CAMBERWELL, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
Camberwell High School (CHS), 100a Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell, built in 1940-41 to a design by Percy Everett; Chief Architect, of the Public Works Department and associated post-war buildings associated with subsequent extension, c.1969.
How is it significant?
CHS is of local historical and architectural significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
CHS was established because of an initial collaboration between the former municipalities of the City of Boroondara, the cities of Hawthorn, Camberwell and Kew, and the former Shire of Blackburn and Mitcham (part of present day City of Whitehorse) in the original proposal for the establishment of CHS in 1928. Constructed on a site purchased with joint funds raised by the cities and shire, disagreement of intent between the sites owners (the municipalities) and the operator of schools (the State) over the type of school that should be constructed lead to the eventual approval of the current State-favoured co-educational school in 1939 and its subsequent construction between 1940-41. (Criterion A)
The original 1940-41 building is important as a fine and highly intact example of the stripped Collegiate Gothic architectural style that illustrates the development of the City and its response to the need to provide adequate education facilities for all its school age residents. The later c.1969 school, sympathetically references the design of the 1940s building. The original school building is an important example of the work of the Victorian Public Works Department, under the direction of Percy Everett; the Chief Architect. (Criteria D and E)
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CAMBERWELL HIGH SCHOOL - Physical Description 1
CHS is located in that part of Camberwell bordered by Prospect Hill Road to the north, Byron Street and Willow Grove to the east; Riversdale Road to the south and Spencer Road to the west. The school grounds front Prospect Hill Road to the north and part of Byron Street to the east. The remainder of the campus is bordered by detached residences to the east and west. To the south, Riversdale Park acts as an extension to the school grounds.
CHS comprises multiple educational buildings of various dates. The most notable is the original main school building (1940-41) and a late-twentieth century building (c.1969) to the rear of the main building.
The form of the original school building possesses a symmetrical arrangement along Palladian lines that step down from the central section and respond to the topography of the land. A two-storey central section, with its recessed principal facade, sits upon an elevated terrace. The central form is flanked by two subservient wings: two-storeys to the north and three to the south, and two further subservient forms extend out at each end.
Each form is arranged into a series of bays, divided by engaged buttresses. Between each buttress, a deep tapered reveal of painted render frames the fenestration of the principal elevations to the north, south and west; the east elevations of the lowest sections of the building also incorporate this feature. These openings are in turn divided into tripartite openings by tapered painted cement fins reminiscent of stone tracery. Brick spandrels are incorporated as part of the arrangement, separating the ground and first floor window openings. In the lower sections, the engaged buttresses extend to the top of the ground floor fenestration. As the form of the building ascends in height, the buttresses extend to the top of the first-floor fenestration. In both instances, a consistent band of brickwork is maintained as a separation between the fenestration and the decorative parapet detail of solider course brickwork, with extruded courses three bricks in height at regular centres, that are suggestive of a contemporary castellation, which emphasise height, as they extend the perimeter of the parapet on the lower sections of the building.
The central section, visible only from the principal elevation, has a greater extent and quality of decoration, which emphasises a hierarchy of built form through decoration and highlights the main entrance. The central section is divided into three bays by engaged piers that extend the height of the building, before tapering into small gables that terminate above parapet level. Like the remainder of the building, fenestration is contained within the distinctive bays, however here the brick buttresses are recessed to the extent that they form the reveals, which extend to create stepped heads at the base of the parapet. Tripartite openings are created utilising the same painted tapered cement fins evident elsewhere in the building. The whole of the building retains painted double-hung timber sash windows which are consistent with an early image of the building (refer Figure 2). At ground floor level, the recessed nature of the elevation allows for the incorporation of an entry terrace which is crossed before entering the main entrance, above which is mounted the school emblem. Accessed via a central staircase, the terrace and stairs are bordered by brick balustrade topped with painted cement capping, the whole arranged on the central bay of the elevation. A flag pole that surmounts the arrangement is an original feature.
Constructed from unpainted expressed cream brick, the original building represents a fine example of stripped Collegiate Gothic architecture. The gabled corrugated metal sheet roof is concealed behind a parapet. As a whole, the building represents a scholarly design of symmetry and hierarchy that is consistently expressed throughout in both built form and structural decoration.
To the east and south of the main building, a large late-twentieth century building runs parallel with the main building and through the southern connection forms an 'L' shaped form. An additional connection is made at first floor level, midway along the rear elevation of the main building, via a raised walkway (refer Figure 6). Constructed c.1969 from unpainted expressed brickwork with a corrugated metal sheet roof concealed behind a perimeter parapet, the building extends over three-storeys, and incorporates a regular fenestration pattern divided into bays by engaged buttresses, sympathetically referencing the design of the 1940-41 building.
Additional free standing school buildings of varying construction dates were noted elsewhere on the school campus. None of the buildings on the site were inspected internally.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study: Vol. 2 Camberwell
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading: Local
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