St Ronan's Precinct Hamilton
HAMILTON, Southern Grampians Shire
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Statement of Significance
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St Ronan's Precinct Hamilton - Physical Description 1
The focus for the St Ronan's area is the house of that name at 5 Dryden Street. The large house has brooded over the town since the 1860s and once enjoyed a much larger garden. It sits on the rise above the Shire Hall and Offices. There are several other notable houses and the character of the area is predominantly domestic. The gardens of the houses, while typical of their various periods, are of a high standard. The best garden which still enjoys its original layout and probably some of the first plantings is The Bungalow, 6 Dryden Street. ([1]) It has the notable Washingtonia robusta, Mexican or Washington Palm, the highest in Hamilton.
The three other notable trees in the St Ronan's area are the Magnolia grandiflora, Bull Bay, at the Manor House, 4 Dryden Street; the Waterhousea floribunda, Weeping Myrtle, at St Ronan's, 5 Dryden Street; and the Crataegus X lavallei, French Hawthorn, at 7 Dryden Street in the rear garden.
The early garden at 32 Collins Street was once well developed and maximised the slope behind the house. Several old Quercus robur, English Oaks, close the view at the rear. There are the remnants of an orchard at one side and there may have a vegetable garden on the other side. The gardens associated with the other early buildings in the St Ronan's area have been mostly lost.
The most important road through this area is Pope Street, the main road to the west. It is now a divided highway with plantings typical of the late 1960s reflecting the fashion for natives at that time. Dryden Street is the principle residential street and is planted Lagunaria pattersonia, Cow Itch Tree on the north side and Prunus serrulata, Flowering Cherry on the south side. The former is a traditional street tree but the latter reflects the push to make Hamilton the "Floral Town" in the post Second World War period. They are out of scale and out of period. Collins Street is planted with Photinia serrulata, Chinese Hawthorn, and Crataegus laevigata, English Hawthorn, both of which are small trees but these are well formed and, if a small street tree is required, the Photinia provides a good model.
Throughout the area the footpaths and gutters are concrete dating from the post Second World War period. There are narrow nature strips. The most important view from the St Ronan's area is across the former Market Reserve which is now the Melville Oval. The view east along Collins Street is soon terminated but the view west is good and looks out across the valley of the Grange Burn and over agricultural land to windbreak trees on the horizon.
[1] The present owners hold a photograph of the house which must have been taken soon after its construction and which shows the original garden being laid out.
Heritage Study and Grading
Southern Grampians - City of Hamilton Conservation Study
Author: Timothy Hubbard with Carlotta Kellaway & Michael Looker (plus Francis Punch)
Year: 1991
Grading:
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MECHANICS INSTITUTEVictorian Heritage Register H2171
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HAMILTON BOTANIC GARDENSVictorian Heritage Register H2185
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HAMILTON GAS HOLDERVictorian Heritage Register H1086
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