HO24 - Farm Complex
1229-1279 Gisborne-Melton Road TOOLERN VALE, Melton Shire
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Statement of Significance
The farm complex, comprising two weatherboard houses, a bluestone ruin, a brick garage, an underground tank, and brick foundations at 1229 - 1279 Gisborne-Melton Road, Toolern Vale are significant as an intact physical legacy of possibly the last surviving nineteenth and early twentieth century farming property beside the Toolern Creek. The buildings on the site provide a tangible understanding of the development of the site. The surviving stone ruins represent remnants of an early structure, possibly a cottage, the adjacent timber cottage, underground tank and hand-made brick garage reflect developments in the second half of the nineteenth century, and the existing main house providing an understanding of developments during the interwar (c.1920s-1940s) era. The main house, timber cottage, underground tank and brick garage appear to be in good condition.
The house and associated buildings at 1229 - 1279 Gisborne-Melton Road are architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC D.2). The main house demonstrates original design qualities of an interwar Bungalow style. These qualities include the recessed hipped roof form, together with the minor gable and skillion verandah that project towards the road. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the asymmetrical composition, single storey height, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, galvanised corrugated steel roof cladding, face red brick chimney, broad eave with exposed timber rafters, timber verandah posts, paired timber framed double hung windows, timber framed doorway with panelled and glazed timber door, window hood, and the gable infill (panelled and timber battening).
The cottage demonstrates original design qualities of a Victorian vernacular style. These qualities include the steeply pitched hipped roof form clad in galvanised corrugated steel, large hand-made brick chimney, modest overhangs, beaded edged timber weatherboard wall cladding, symmetrical configuration of the main facade with its central doorway and the flanking timber framed twelve paned double hung windows, and the timber shingling under the existing roof cladding. The vernacular construction methods of the cottage includes bush pole joists and a lack of stumps. The small brick gabled garage also contributes to the architectural significance of the place, while the surviving stone ruins and undergound brick tank contribute to the significance of the setting of the place.
The house and associated buildings at 1229 - 1279 Gisborne-Melton Road are historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC A4, B2). The stone ruin dates to c.1856 (built for J Jones), the weatherboard cottage was built for J Jones c.1870s, the main house was built for J Funston in 1931, and the garage dates to the late nineteenth century. It is the only nineteenth and early twentieth century small farm complex remaining beside the Toolern Creek, whose original subdivision was designed to facilitate such development. It is one of only three places to have survived the devastating 1965 Toolern Vale fire. It is one of only two places in the Shire with evidence of three generations of farming houses. It is associated with pioneering families in the Toolern Vale district, and with the Green Hills pastoral estate.
The random rubble ruins and brick foundations are also historically and scientifically significant (AHC C.2) because of their potential to provide an understanding and appreciation of nineteenth century farm life and settlement at Toolern Vale.
Overall, the house and associated buildings at 1229 - 1279 Gisborne-Melton Road are of LOCAL significance.-
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HO24 - Farm Complex - Physical Description 1
Physical Description -
The house and associated buildings at 1229 - 1279 Gisborne-Melton Road, Toolern Vale, have a rural setting on the bank of the Toolern Creek. The main house has a large open front setback to the rear and there are early and introduced gardens.
The asymmetrical, single storey, horizontal timber weatherboard, interwar Bungalow styled house is characterised by a recessed hipped roof form, together with a minor gable and skillion verandah that project towards the road. The overall composition is more typical of Federation era dwellings. This composition is identified in a number of interwar dwellings in the Melton Shire (see comparative analysis). The roof forms are clad in galvanised corrugated steel. An early face red brick chimney adorns the roofline. Broad overhangs with exposed timber rafters are features of the eaves. An early feature of the design is the front verandah. It is supported by introduced square timber posts.
Other early features of the design include the paired timber framed double hung windows, timber framed doorway with panelled and glazed timber door, window hood, and the gable infill (panelled and timber battening). The house has been recently renovated and a new fence introduced.
As well as the main house, there are five structures dating from the early development of the site in the nineteenth and twentieth century. These buildings are a timber cottage, brick garage, undergound tank and surviving ruins of an original cottage. There are also foundations, that may have been a stockyard or dairy.
The modestly scaled, single storey, beaded edged timber weatherboard, Victorian vernacular styled cottage is characterised by a steeply pitched hipped roof form clad in galvanised corrugated steel. Two early hand-made brick chimneys adorn the roofline. Modest overhangs are features of the eaves. Other early features include the symmetrical configuration of the main facade with its early central doorway and the flanking early timber framed twelve paned double hung windows, internal horizontal lining boards and scale of chimney-place, and the early timber shingling under the existing roof cladding. The new owners have repaired the cottage and replaced some of the original bush-pole floor joists. The owners note that the cottage had no stumps and was lying directly on bush poles laid on the ground.
The small brick garage has a simple gable roof form. The garage is constructed of hand-made bricks and has a galvanised corrugated steel roof, and a cement floor. There are early vertically boarded double vehicular doors at one end, introduced during the conversion of the building into a garage. Small timber openings are situated on the longitudinal facades.
Nearby are also the random bluestone rubble ruins of an original cottage. The ruins appear to represent a corner of an early structure. One face of the remains shows evidence of a painted or limewashed surface. In the new carport beside the garage is an undergound tank of brick, with concrete render. It is in excellent condition and holds water. It has an unusual shape, with a circular body below ground, but a V-shaped internal neck. A new concrete lip and metal cover have recently been added.
Further west of the houses is another site surrounded by peppercorn trees, where a brick foundation of a previous structure is visible. These archaeological remains may be the dairy /stockyards of the property and are located directly across from the ford over the Toolern Creek.
The group of three generations of houses is situated very close to one another, and very close to the Toolern Creek. An early grave site (now unmarked) is apparently visible across the creek.
HO24 - Farm Complex - Integrity
Integrity - Substantially intact.
HO24 - Farm Complex - Physical Conditions
Physical Condition - Good
HO24 - Farm Complex - Historical Australian Themes
Melton Historical Themes: 'Farming'
Heritage Study and Grading
Melton - Shire of Melton Heritage Study phase 2
Author: David Maloney, David Rowe, Pamela Jellie, Sera Jane Peters
Year: 2007
Grading:
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