Broomfield Avenue Precinct
2-52 and 3-45 BROOMFIELD AVENUE and 495, 509 and 515 HEIDELBERG ROAD, ALPHINGTON, DAREBIN CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Broomfield Avenue Precinct comprises the properties at 2-52 & 3-45 Broomfield Avenue and 495 (Park), 509 and 515 Heidelberg Road, Alphington. It is an early twentieth century residential precinct, which comprises a mix of Edwardian villas and inter-war bungalows. The consistency of built form and the extent to which development in two key phases is apparent are important characteristics of the precinct. The following elements contribute to the significance of the precinct:
- The houses at 1-9, 17-27*, 31-43, 2-20, 24, 26 & 30-52 Broomfield Avenue and 509 & 515 Heidelberg Road.
- The mature street trees and in the park at 495 Heidelberg Road (Platanus sp., Quercus sp., Fraxinus sp).
- The bluestone kerb and channelling.
Non-original alterations and additions to contributory houses and the houses/flats Nos. 11, 22, 28, 29 and 45 Broomfield Avenue are not significant.
(*Note: there are no numbers 13 or 15)
How is it significant?
The Broomfield Avenue Precinct in Alphington is of local historic, architectural and aesthetic significance to Darebin City.
Why is it significant?
Historically, the Broomfield Avenue Precinct is significant as evidence of important phases of suburban development in Alphington, including the recovery in the first decade of the twentieth century and the rapid development after World War I associated with improvements to the railway service, which provided fast and efficient transport from Melbourne's middle and outer-ring suburbs to the city. The housing is characteristic of medium scale suburban housing of both the Edwardian and Inter-war periods. (AHC criteria A.4, D.2)
Architecturally, the Broomfield Avenue Precinct is significant as a representative example of an early twentieth century residential subdivision in Darebin, which is notable for the consistent quality of its built form. The aesthetic qualities of the precinct are enhanced by the mature street trees and the parkland at the entrance to Broomfield Avenue. (AHC criteria D.2, E.1)
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Broomfield Avenue Precinct - Physical Description 1
This is an early twentieth century residential precinct of predominantly Edwardian villas and Californian Bungalows. Most of the contributory houses in the street are weatherboard, but some are brick including a group of Edwardian villas at the north end of the street at Nos. 48, 50 and 52, which are probably some of the earliest houses in this subdivision (refer to History). Also of note is No.25, which is a substantial Edwardian villa built upon a larger block than the remainder of the houses in this street and the finely Edwardian era villa at 515 Heidelberg Road.
The Edwardian houses within the precinct have typical detailing such as rough cast work, decorative gable ends and shingled weatherboards. Windows are typically triple side-hung casements, usually with coloured top lights (and sometimes arranged as a projecting bay) or double hung sash. They have chimneys with roughcast render detailing and terracotta pots. The most common housing type is the double-fronted villas, asymmetrical in plan with a hip roof extending to form a verandah or porch on one side of a projecting gabled bay (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 14, 17, 8, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 32, 34, 40, 42, 46, 48, 50, 52), or with a separate verandah (e.g. 21, 31, 36, 37, 38, 39). The other type is gable-fronted (e.g., 1, 6, 12, 16, 44). No.33 is an unusual hybrid with a gable-front and a projecting hip bay and verandah.Verandahs have timber fretwork or in some cases, cast iron friezework.
The inter-war houses include modest weatherboard or rendered bungalows that are either gable-fronted (e.g., 1, 10), have a transverse gable and projecting gable porch (e.g., 9) or a hip terracotta tile roof (e.g., 9, 19, 35, 43, 505 Heidelberg Road).
The houses in Broomfield Avenue have consistent setbacks from their street frontages behind mature gardens. Fences are typically low and although none are original, many have been sympathetically replaced with timber picket or woven wire reproductions. The mature street trees (Platanus sp.) form a canopy of vegetation over the thoroughfare, which contributes to the street's 'garden suburb' character, as do the mature trees in Broomfield Park (Ash, Oak, Planes), which is on the site of the former pound, and the bluestone kerb and channelling.
The precinct has a high degree of integrity. Most contributory houses are intact and in only a few places is the consistency of styles and other elements diluted by buildings of more recent origin. Intrusive elements include the Modernist flats and units at Nos. 11, 29 and 45, and Modernist houses at Nos. 22 and 28.
(NOTE: There are no properties numbered 13 or 15 in Broomfield Avenue)
Heritage Study and Grading
Darebin - Darebin Heritage Study
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2011
Grading: Local
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CHANDLER HIGHWAY BRIDGEVictorian Heritage Register H2354
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FAIRFIELD PARK AMPHITHEATRE COMPLEXVictorian Heritage Register H2412
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FULHAM GRANGE STATION [OUTER CIRCLE LINE], FAIRFIELDVictorian Heritage Inventory
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AMF Officers" ShedMoorabool Shire
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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'NORWAY'Boroondara City
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1 Mitchell StreetYarra City
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