All Hallows' Catholic Church-School, former
3 Brenbeal Street BALWYN, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
The former All Hallows' Catholic Church-School, designed and built in 1930 by architect and builder Robert L Harper, is significant.
How is it significant?
The All Hallows' Catholic Church-School is of local historic and social to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
The former All Hallows' Catholic Church-School is historically significant as a highly intact and rare surviving example of a modest Catholic Church building erected in Boroondara during the interwar period, purpose-built to function both as a church and a school during the time when the Catholic Archdiocese carried out a large-scale building program across Melbourne. Its early origins are demonstrated by its traditional hall form with gabled porch, the use of face brick walls, terracotta roof tiles, metal roof vents, and half-timbering to the front gable. Its construction removed the necessity for local Catholics to travel long distances for Mass, and served the needs of Catholic school-children in the rapidly expanding parish of Surrey Hills. (Criterion A)
The former All Hallows Catholic Church-School is of social significance for its connection to the Catholic community of Balwyn, Deepdene and Camberwell, and the associated school communities. (Criterion G)
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All Hallows' Catholic Church-School, former - Physical Description 1
The former All Hallows' Catholic Church-School is situated at the southern end of the large allotment at 3 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn, on the west side of the street. Immediately to the building's north is a large school yard, and contemporary school buildings occupying the northernmost part of the site. It is in close proximity to the 1960s All Hallows Catholic Church, located on the north-western corner of Brenbeal and Jurang streets.
The main body of the building is an elongated rectangle in plan with a front porch projecting to the east. Constructed in red brick, its simple Gothic Revival style was common among designs produced by the Education Department of Victoria during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a form also adopted for many public halls of the same period. It has a gabled roof of terracotta tiles, with terracotta ridge capping and round metal rooftop ventilators, with narrow eaves and simple bargeboards.
Visible gable end detailing to the main building consists of a circular louvered vent incorporated in roughcast and timber strapping, to emulate half-timbering. A terracotta cross finial punctuates this gable end of the building. Below the half-timbered gable is a lower entrance porch, also gable-fronted, with one ledged door at the north elevation. On the eastern elevation of the hall near the entrance porch is an inlaid foundation stone commemorating the blessing of the building by Dr Mannix on 12 January 1930. It also references 'R. Harper, Architect & Builder'.
At the visible side (north and south) elevations, evenly spaced brick piers create recessed wall spaces for fenestration, including several points of entry to the building. The piers suggest Gothic buttressing and lend an illusion of verticality to the otherwise modestly scaled form. Double-hung sash windows are segmentally arched with cement rendered sills and lintels. The windows are larger on the south elevation facing into the adjacent residential property, and smaller on the north elevation looking out to the school yard.
Recent alterations have included the construction of a verandah on the north elevation facing the playground, obscuring the eaves line and window heads, and the addition of a skillion at the west end, which has subsumed one fifth of the original north elevation under the extended verandah.
Brick foundations for a square decking area or structure have been recently constructed (in 2018) at the north-west corner of the building.
The former All Hallows' Catholic Church-School at 3 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn, retains much of its original form and primary elements, including its presentation at street level. The building retains its original built form, and the pattern of fenestration remains legible and appreciable. Alterations include the construction of a verandah on the north elevation facing the playground, obscuring the eaves line and window heads, and the addition of a skillion at the west end, which has subsumed one fifth of the original north elevation under the extended verandah. Alterations have also been made to the interior. None of these changes are considered to diminish the integrity of the heritage entity or its associated significance. This primarily relies upon the presentation of the east end of the building as it is appreciated in the street view.
The appreciation that the heritage entity retains its integrity is enhanced by the high level of intactness of the front and principal elements that include the terracotta tiled gabled roof, ridge capping and cross finial details, unpainted face brickwork and cement rendered sills and lintels, and gable end detailing and window joinery to the front portion of the building.
Heritage Study and Grading
Balwyn Heritage Study Peer Review Stage 2
Author: Context
Year: 2020
Grading: Local
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