HCV West Newport Estate Precinct
Challis Street (part) and Champion Road (part) and Croker Street (part) and Fowler Crescent and Market Street (part) and Melrose Street (part) NEWPORT, Hobsons Bay City
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Statement of Significance
The Housing Commission of Victoria (HCV) West Newport Estate Residential Heritage Precinct, designed and constructed by the HCV between 1945 and 1960 and comprises all land in HO16 and is generally bounded by Challis Street, Croker Street, Market Street and Melrose Street, Newport.
How is it Significant?
The HCV West Newport Estate Residential Heritage Precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Hobsons Bay.
Why is it Significant?Historically, it is significant for its strong associations with the Housing Commission of Victoria as one of a small number of housing estates built in Victoria during the WW2 period and is notable as the first HCV estate to use the Fowler prefabricated concrete products from the Holmesglen factory, which symbolised a change in direction of the HCV from slum reclamation to provide low-cost mass-produced housing on green fields sites. (AHC criteria A4, B2 and H1)
Aesthetically, it is significant as one of the best-preserved early HCV estates in the City. It is notable for its strong visual homogeneity, which is strongly evocative of the construction period and for the skill of its town planning, using curving streets around a central park off a main road. (AHC criteria D2 and F1)
On this basis, the following properties and other elements contribute to the significance of the precinct:
- 16-32 Challis Street (does not include 32a Challis Street).
- 102, 104, 103-117 and 124 Champion Road
- 11-29 Croker Street
- 2-28 Fowler Crescent
- 140-154 Market Street
- 21-23 Melrose Street
- Bluestone and concrete kerb and channeling and concrete road construction.
- Central park and public realm landscaping including mature Ash trees.
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HCV West Newport Estate Precinct - Physical Description 1
This precinct is part of the Housing Commission of Victoria (HCV) West Newport Estate. It comprises all land in HO16 and is generally bounded by Challis Street, Croker Street, Market Street and Melrose Street, Newport. The precinct is part of what was the first stage of housing constructed by the HCV in this area, and is surrounded by later stages of development.
This part of the estate is characterized by the wedge and crescent-shape street layout, which is focused around the central park. It has a strong visual homogeneity with concrete paved roads (part), grassed medians, and duplex concrete house construction of standard design. The houses have hipped roofs, terra-cotta Marseilles pattern tile roof cladding, timber windows, red brick chimneys and rendered walls. Most houses in the precinct are well preserved with some intact gardens and original front fences (typically low metal post and wire), and each house in Fowler Crescent and Champion Road faces the central park.
Other concrete duplexes outside of this precinct are at 22 & 24 and 28 & 30 Croker Street and 2-8 Melrose: these are not continuous with the main concrete house group and have been excluded from the precinct. Number 6 & 8 Fowler Crescent are not directly contributory to the creation date of the estate although still built for the Housing Commission of Victoria.
HCV West Newport Estate Precinct - Integrity
Integrity
High.
HCV West Newport Estate Precinct - Usage/Former Usage
Context
Close to post WW2 housing development and south of the Edwardian-era and inter-war houses that were built near the railway and facing Mason Street.
HCV West Newport Estate Precinct - Historical Australian Themes
Principal Australian Historical Theme(s)
Making suburbs
HCV West Newport Estate Precinct - Physical Description 2
Associations
Housing Commission of Victoria, TW Fowler
Heritage Study and Grading
Hobsons Bay - Hobsons Bay Heritage Study
Author: Hobsons Bay City Council
Year: 2006
Grading:
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FORMER NEWPORT RAILWAY WORKSHOPSVictorian Heritage Register H1000
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NEWPORT COAL WHARVESVictorian Heritage Inventory
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NEWPORT OIL WHARVESVictorian Heritage Inventory
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