House & Dairy
71 Queen Street RESERVOIR, Darebin City
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Statement of Significance
Demolished in 2009. The following statement of significance was prepared in 2008.
What is significant?
A house and dairy complex at 71 Queen Street, Reservoir (also known as Regent) was constructed c.1925-6 for Rose Bros. By the 1930 G.F. Vessey was the dairyman in residence and additions were made the brick dairy c.1934, while the weatherboard stables were replaced by brick stables c.1954. The dairy passed through several hands, remaining a family-run business until about 1960 when it was acquired by the large firm of Metropolitan Dairies who acquired many of the smaller dairies in the area and by 1964 were handling 32% of Melbourne's milk supply. It remained the distribution agency for Metropolitan Dairies until about the mid-1970s when the company disposed of the property. The dairy building has since been converted to a residence.
How is it significant?
The house and former dairy complex at 71 Queen Street, Reservoir is of local historic and social significance to Darebin City.
Why is it significant?Historically, it is one of the oldest small family-run dairies still extant in the City of Darebin and as a supplier of locally produced milk the dairy is significant for its association with the City of Darebin's strong history of dairy farming, a history that continued in the northern part of the area until the mid twentieth century. It is a good example of the many suburban distribution dairies established in Darebin and other Melbourne suburbs in the 1920s and '30s following the passing of the Milk Supply Act 1922, which made the cooling of milk by dairymen compulsory. It also demonstrates the development of an essential urban service and therefore provides evidence of the first phase of suburban development of Reservoir in interwar period. (RNE criterion A.4)
The house and dairy complex is also significant as a representative example of a small neighbourhood dairy, a building type that was once common, but is now becoming increasingly rare. The complex of buildings around a central courtyard with access from two laneways and its associated residence, is able to demonstrate the process of suburban milk delivery and retailing from the 1920s to the 1960s, including cooling of the milk, the horse and cart delivery of bulk milk to residential customers, over-the-counter sales and the transition to bottled milk distribution from a centralised processor. (RNE criteria B.2 & D.2)
The dairy also has an association with the development of one of Australia's largest milk processors, which originated in Preston as Pura Dairy. (RNE criterion H.1).
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House & Dairy - Physical Conditions
The 5 roomed timber house and the brick dairy that survive today appear to be part of the buildings that were constructed in 1925-6. However, the rear section of the subject site has been considerably altered, with the apparent replacement in the mid-1950s of the old weatherboard stable area with the iron-roof brick stables described above. The corrugated iron clad building may have formed part of the original complex or have been added or altered when the new brick stables was constructed.
House & Dairy - Physical Description 1
The site is situated on the south side of Queen Street at its western end, close to the intersection with High Street. It is a standard suburban allotment, rectangular in shape, which is bounded on the west and south sides by a laneway. It contains a residence at the front and the dairy complex of brick and corrugated iron clad buildings at the rear, as follows:
- The residence, constructed in 1925-6, is an Inter-war weatherboard dwelling with a hip and gable roof, which has been re-covered in synthetic cladding. It has been altered (replacement of windows) and is in fair condition.
- Immediately behind the houses is a single storey brick building, 'L' shaped in plan with a hip and gable tiled roof - this appears to comprise the original brick dairy constructed 1925-6 (as shown on the MMBW plan - see Figure 2.1 in previous chapter), and the c.1934 addition, which comprises the part of the building contained under the western most of the two roof gables running parallel to the laneway (see Figure 3.1). On the south side the roof extends to form a verandah over a raised landing - possibly a loading dock? - facing a central courtyard with large square cement pavers with exposed aggregate. A narrow section of the building extends along the east boundary. This building is now used as a residence and some of the interior rooms were inspected, which had thick walls with low, coved ceilings. No machinery or equipment was observed in the rooms that were inspected. It is not known how original the layout is.
- Behind the dairy and facing the courtyard is a small gabled corrugated iron clad building, which is attached to the brick building at the rear (Figure 3.2). The date of this building is not known. - it was possibly part of the original stables, or altered/added as part of the construction of the new brick stables after 1954.
- At the rear is a brick building with a gable corrugated iron roof. A feature of this building is a projecting central section, which has high-set metal doors (Figure 3.3). The interior was not inspected (The building was locked). This building is thought to be the new 'brick stables' built c.1954.
Heritage Study and Grading
Darebin - Darebin Heritage Study
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2011
Grading: Local
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BRAITHWAITES TANNERYVictorian Heritage Inventory
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PLENTY ROAD RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Inventory
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WOODS STORE & POST OFFICEVictorian Heritage Inventory
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