DUPLEX
27 George Street and 29 George Street CAMBERWELL, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The dwellings, front boundary wall and garage at 27-29 George Street, Camberwell, are significant to the City of Boroondara.
How is it significant?
27-29 George Street, Camberwell is of local historical and aesthetic significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
27-29 George Street is historically important as it demonstrates the ability of limited multiple-residency development to avoid local by-laws and local resistance to urban infill at a time of strong development pressures in the interwar period. (Criterion A)
27-29 George Street successfully demonstrates the unusual duplex type of dwelling that was purposely designed to respond to the local by-laws and overcome the antagonism towards multi-dwelling built forms by masquerading as a single dwelling across a corner block with prominent front entry and separate side entry. It is a well composed example that enables the duplex to present as one dwelling to the street with a level of ornateness that successfully evokes the middle-class character of the suburb in a semi-detached dwelling. (Criterion D)
27-29 George Street is an intact example of a single storey brick duplex dwelling of the Georgian Revival style incorporating Free Classical elements. This style is unusual for duplexes in Camberwell. Its generous formal porch with Roman Doric columns, balustrade entablature and decorated parapet make it a notable example of the style for residences of this type in Camberwell. (Criterion E)
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DUPLEX - Physical Description 1
The pair of dwellings that make up the duplex sit on a triangular site, beside the apex of George Street as it curves around with the railway line (Figure 3). Offset from the property centre line to the street, the pair are set back as far as possible, with corners of the building sitting adjacent to the southern and western site boundaries.
With number 29 to the north and 27 to the south, the pair appear as a singular symmetrical dwelling. The stylings of the buildings are loosely Georgian Revival with Free Classical references and striped back simple surfaces. Elements typical of Georgian Revival style are the simple hipped roof and formal entrance under a colonnaded porch. The typical style has been modified however with the use of Roman Doric rather than simple Tuscan columns. Nonetheless the loggia effect is marked. The timber sash windows are more typical of an interwar bungalow style, lacking the louvred shutters typical of Georgian Revival. The parapet and detailing is more evocative of neo-classicism. A painted render, in a mottled texture, is applied to the exterior and sits atop a plinth of exposed red brickwork. The roof is clad in Marseille tiles with two chimneys protruding, again with textured render and one of the few hints to its split occupancy.
The principal facade comprises the hipped roof, which has two slightly lower roof lines that sit above the sets of main sash windows. Above these windows are a pair of rendered parapets that each comprise of two end piers and a central panel. The render to the piers match the main walls while the central panel is smoothly rendered with decorative elements such as oval voids and a central garland. This pair of elements sit either side of a semi-circular portico that creates an entrance to number 29. Roman Doric columns support a smooth rendered parapet that is divided into three sections, each of seven balusters, divided by a series of recessed panels.
The main elevation is split in six sections (five originally). The central recessed section is located behind the portico and contains the entrance door to number 29 and an off-centre window. Each side section has a centrally placed double timber sliding sash window. The sixth section is a rendered portion of the building with no windows and a stepped parapet, which appears to either the original but altered garage or a later addition that replaced the earlier garage.
The main entry to number 27 is on the southern aspect of the building and again has its own columned covered entrance of a more subservient nature (Figure 5).
Number 27 has its own separate garage building, which sits in alignment with the building proper. This is again of textured render, however with no exposed plinth. A driveway runs along part of the northern boundary providing a car space for number 29 and retains the original strip driveway, albeit with the central grass stripped infilled. The original concrete footpath and garden edging also remain in the front setback.
The original low brick and matching render boundary wall and matching metal driveway and pedestrian gates remain. A centrally placed pedestrian gate follows the symmetry of the main building. A taller timber fence abuts this to the north and this creates a layer of privacy of the side yard to number 29 which partially runs along George Street.
The exterior appears relatively intact apart from alteration to the garage / sympathetic additions to the northern aspect of number 29 and western aspect of number 27.
Heritage Study and Grading
Boroondara - Municipal-Wide Heritage Gap Study: Vol. 2 Camberwell
Author: Context
Year: 2018
Grading: Local
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