Riverview Estate - Leslie Rd
1-41, 2-38 LESLIE RD, and 2-6, 12-16 & 1-13 RIVERVIEW RD, and 2-4 SHERBOURNE ST, and 1-7, 2-12 STANLEY ST, and 1-3 INGLEBRAE CT, ESSENDON and 52a-72 & 51-73 PARK ST, and 16 ARDMILLAN RD and 35 & 30-40 MANTEL ST MOONEE PONDS, MOONEE VALLEY CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Riverview Estate & Trinafour Estate precinct, which is a residential area comprising mansions, large villas and houses, and flats from the late nineteenth century to the Inter-war period, is significant. The precinct contains a range of suburban domestic styles, the majority being from the period c.1900-c.1940, which are grouped into stylistic sub-precincts around three landmark Victorian era mansions. The Federation and Edwardian era houses include Queen Anne style brick villas and Arts & Crafts bungalows while the Inter-war styles represented include California Bungalows (some with Arts & Crafts detailing), Old English, Spanish Mission or Mediterranean influenced houses, and houses and flats in the Moderne or Modernist style. Significant qualities of the precinct include:
- The high quality of many of the buildings, some of which are architect designed.
- The spacious 'garden suburb' character created by large single dwellings on garden allotments with mature trees, and low front fences, many of which are original.
- The landmark qualities of the three nineteenth century mansions.
- The extent to which three phases of development during the Victorian, Federation/Edwardian and Inter-war periods are represented in the housing stock.
- The intactness of the precinct to the original phases of development with limited examples of post-war redevelopment.
- The relatively high integrity of the majority of houses when viewed from the street.
- The bluestone kerb and channelling in some streets and bluestone laneways.
On this basis, the following places are of individual significance and also contribute to the significance of the precinct:
- 2, 10, 29* (Lowther Hall), 22, 28, 30, 35 & 41 Leslie Road
- 52, 56-58, 57, 60, 62 & 65 Park Street
- 2* , 5 & 8 Riverview Road
- 10 & 12 Stanley Street (St Columba's)
The following places are of Contributory significance:
- 16 Ardmillan Road
- 1-15, 37 & 39 and 12, 14, 18, 20 & 32-36 Leslie Road
- 25, 29-35 & 30-40 Mantell Street
- 51, 53, 69-63, 67-73 & 54, 66, 68, 70 & 72 Park Street
- 1 & 3, 7-13 & 4, 12 & 16 Riverview Road
- 2 & 4 Sherbourne Street
- 1-7 & 2-8 Stanley Street
Non-original alterations and additions to Significant or Contributory places, and other houses or flats are not significant.
*Note: The places of individual significance have their own Hermes record with a statement of significance.
How is it significant?
The Riversview Estate & Trinafour Estate precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Moonee Valley.
Why is it significant?
Historically, the precinct is significant as evidence of key phases of residential development in Essendon and Moonee Ponds from the late nineteenth century boom to the resurgence in residential building in the early decades of the twentieth century. It is of particular significance as an enclave of houses built for middle and upper middle class residents, which has few comparisons in the municipality. The historic desirability of this area is also reflected by the presence of two leading private schools within the precinct. (Criteria A & B)
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Riverview Estate - Leslie Rd - Physical Description 1
As noted in the history this precinct is a residential area, which developed in the early twentieth century around a group of nineteenth century mansions, three of which survive (Lowther Hall at 17-29 Leslie Road, St Columba's at 2 Leslie Road, and 'Trinafour' at 57 Park Street). Although the mansions are an integral part of the precinct they are not typical of the development that characterises most of its built form. While the architectural styles vary the precinct is notable for the consistently high quality of its built form, much of which is architect-designed, that predominantly (but not exclusively) comprises large houses on garden allotments. According to Butler (1985:273):
Beyond the two early houses which are generally set back or screened and thus visually removed from the streetscape, the subsequent development has been grouped in period and thus creates visually homogeneous stylar groups which transition well into subsequent development areas by means of street alignment changes (Leslie Road into Stanley Street) or similarity of sequential stylar changes, i.e., red brick and terracotta detached bungalows in Leslie Road blend into red brick and tiled Queen Anne styled villas.
Apart from the three Victorian era mansions, the Italianate villas at 29 Mantell Street, and 65 & 68 Park Street demonstrate the limited amount of development in the nineteenth century. 65 Park is a relatively substantial two storey, asymmetrical villa with fine detailing such as the bracketed eaves and dentillated cornice at first floor height and bracketed or dentillated window hoods and decorative quoining, and the dentillated cornices, stringcourses to the chimneys. The other two are both single storey, constructed of bi-chrome brick, and asymmetrical in plan (29 Mantell with a canted bay, a flat bay to 68 Park) with typical details such as the bracketed eaves and cast iron verandah, and rendered chimneys.
The next phase of development from c.1905 to c.1915 is represented predominantly by Queen Anne style houses, which include notable groups at 22-30 Leslie Road, 52-62 Park Street and 1-5 and 4 & 8 Riverview Road and several examples in Mantell Street. An altered design by the noted Queen Anne stylists, Ussher and Kemp, at 58 Park Street forms part of the Park Street group. These houses are characterised by asymmetrical planning, face brick with roughcast render wall detailing, slate or tile hip roofs with prominent projecting gables facing the street, half timbering or bracketed projecting or 'flying' timber screens to the gable ends, verandahs with ornamental timber frieze or valance, tall brick and render chimneys with terracotta pots, and casement sash windows (sometimes with coloured toplights). (please refer to the separate Hermes place records for the individually significant places at 22, 28 & 30 Leslie Rd, 52, 56, 60 & 62 Park St and 5 & 8 Riverview Rd for detailed description of these places). Other examples of the Queen Anne style houses include 16 Ardmillan Road, and 25, 32, 31 & 36 Mantell Street.
Another well-represented house type is the bungalow, which date from the Federation era (e.g., 72 Park Street) through to the mid-to-late 1920s. The house at 72 Park Street, constructed c.1905, is a typical example of a Federation bungalow with its wide simple roof, deep shady verandahs, face brickwork and plain verandah posts. The other bungalows include two stylish groups in Leslie Road, one at the northern end (including nos. 5-9, and 10-20 excluding the post-war house at no.16) and the other at the south (nos. 32-36, 37, 39) that demonstrate the transition of the style from the Federation type to the California or Craftsman Bungalows of the 1920s, which are characterised by visually prominent low-pitched tiled roof with exposed roof timbers, street facing gables, tapered or straight render and/or brick piers, and use of rustic detailing such shingling, half-timbering or pebbles. 39 Leslie Road is of note for the distinctive symmetrical twin gables on either side of a flat porch that extends to form hoods over the window bays. Other typical 1920s bungalows include 30, 34, 35 & 38 Mantell Street, 53 Park Street (this has distinctive details such as the 'Jerkinhead' roof to the porch, and rendered walls with brick quoining that suggests it is the work of the Shaw Brothers who built many houses in Moonee Ponds and Essendon during the interwar period), 13 & 16 Riverview Road and those in Stanley Street (see below). There are also several attic-style bungalows (e.g., nos. 5, 10, 32, 37 Leslie Road and 7 Riverview Road). Many of these houses also retain complementary original or early brick and render fences. Of note is the early woven wire fence to 'Ardoch' at 69 Park Street, which features a simple lych gate at the corner with 'Ardoch' in cursive script wrought iron to the timber beam, and also inset into the concrete step. The associated concrete path also appears to be original.
The third broad house type is the 1930s houses in the fashionable Old English, Georgian Revival, Spanish Mission, Moderne or, one notable instance, Modernist styles of the time. Of the later Inter-war houses several are in the Old English or English Domestic Revival styles (e.g., 13, 15, 35, 41 Leslie Road, 40 Mantell Street, 61, 67, 70 & 73 Park Street ), while others show the influence of Spanish Mission (59 Park Street - especially the Baroque influenced parapet over the porch which also features twisted columns 'in antis' and arched openings, and twisted columns supporting shallow hoods over the main windows, and 'Aloha' at 1 Stanley Street), Mediterranean (51, 63 & 67A Park Street, 9 Riverview Road), Moderne (71 Park Street) and Jazz Moderne in the brickwork detailing to the arched porch entry of the bungalow at 33 Mantell Street. Many of these houses also retain original low rendered front fences.
Notable amongst these are the houses at nos. 35 and 41 Leslie Road. Both of these houses are substantial and picturesque Old English style residences that recall the massing of earlier Arts and Crafts architects and demonstrate the evolution of the style in the latter days of its popularity by the absence of half timbering and the predominance of stuccoed surfaces. The Moderne influence can be seen in the flats at no.11 (now within the grounds of Lowther Hall). Many of these houses also retain original or early low brick front fences, and some (e.g., 70 Park St) have original or early garages.
Also of note at the northern end of Leslie Road are two pairs of Moderne maisonettes (one pair faces Sherbourne Road) of identical symmetrical design comprising a shared hip tile roof with a projecting central section with the hip roof concealed behind a raised stepped parapet. Garages are attached at either side, setback at the end of concrete driveways. The Moderne influence is demonstrated by the corner steel framed windows and porthole windows and the contrast between the horizontal and vertical elements of the design. Low brick planters flanking the entrance, garden wall and front and side fences complete the ensemble. The pair facing Leslie Road is constructed of cream brick, while those in Sherbourne Road are constructed of red brick.
Another notable house within the precinct is the individually significant Mewton & Grounds designed Modernist house at 2 Riverview Road (this house is included on the Victorian Heritage Register).
Stanley Street also contains an interesting collection of bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s. The group as a whole is notable for the high degree of intactness of the houses, most with original front fences (including all of those along the south side). They include gable-fronted and hip-roof types. Of note is the Spanish Mission influenced 'Aloha' at no.1 (which features a triple arched porch with twisted columns and a Baroque style pediment, and a Serlian window with twisted columns), the Arts and Crafts influenced porch with prominent rafter ends at no.6 and the unusual projecting triangular windows with large shingled 'hood', and large angled buttresses at no.8.
Many of the houses are set within mature gardens. Significant trees within the precinct include an Oak (Quercus robur) at 41 Leslie Road, a Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) at 32 Mantell Street, a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) at 31 Mantell Street, a Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus) and a Pin Oak at 54 Park Street, a Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) at 59 Park Street, and a Golden Elm (Ulmus glabra 'Lutescens') at 61 Park Street.
Other features that contribute to the historic character include the bluestone kerb and channelling and the bluestone laneways.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moonee Valley - Moonee Valley Heritage Overlay Places Review
Author: David Helms Heritage Planning
Year: 2012
Grading: LocalMoonee Valley - Essendon Conservation Study
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1985
Grading:Moonee Valley - Moonee Valley 2017 Heritage Study
Author: Context
Year: 2019
Grading:
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ESSENDON RAILWAY STATION COMPLEXVictorian Heritage Register H1562
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LOWTHER HALL ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H0146
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FORMER CURATOR'S COTTAGEVictorian Heritage Register H1078
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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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"1890"Yarra City
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'BRAESIDE'Boroondara City
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'ELAINE'Boroondara City
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