Oyama Mansion
2 Kelmscott Road ARMADALE, Stonnington City
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
'Oyama' at 2 Kelmscott Road, Armadale, built c1887 and comprising a substantial two-storey Italianate villa with two-storey cast-iron return verandah set in a mature garden setting, is significant.
The two-storey mansion originally faced Huntingtower Road and was one of a pair built by a speculative developer, probably architect and house agent C.E. Connop.
'Oyama' is significant to the extent of its intact nineteenth century form and fabric, including the original c1887 house.
Modern alterations and additions such as the masonry garage are not considered to be significant.
How is it significant?
'Oyama', at 2 Kelmscott Road, Armadale is of local architectural significance to the City of Stonnington.
Why is it significant?
'Oyama' at 2 Kelmscott Road, Armadale is a fine representative example of a substantial Victorian Italianate villa residence built for, and occupied by prominent Melbourne residents, such as journalist and politician, David Blair and police inspector, Hussey Chomley, of the sort that began to characterise the suburb of Armadale in the 1880s. 'Oyama' demonstrates an asymmetrical plan form and return verandah typical of the grandest villas of the 1880s-1890s that is notable for its fine Italianate detailing including the cast iron return verandah, bay windows, recessed entrance portico and render detail. (Criterion D)
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Oyama Mansion - Physical Description 1
'Oyama' is a substantial Italianate two-storey mansion of an asymmetrical design that occupies a large allotment on the north-west corner of Kelmscott and Huntingtower roads in Armadale. Kelmscott Road terminates at the western boundary of the property. The house is set within a large and mature garden that partially conceals the house from both street frontages.
Constructed c1887, the house appears to have been built in two stages. The 1902 MMBW plan shows the principle section of the house fronting Huntingtower Road with a return verandah and two projecting enclosing wings constructed in masonry. The bay now fronting Kelmscott Road to the south is wide and rectangular, and contains the recessed entrance portico while the eastern bay is canted with rounded-arch bay windows. The return verandah to this section appears to retain its original high quality cast-iron detailing. At an unknown date, the residence was extended to the west, which adopts a continuation of the original design, utilising identical cast-iron lacework patterns and eaves brackets, and has the appearance of a terrace house abutting the main building.
The building has a hipped slate roof and relatively unadorned painted cement rendered walls with a deep cornice and elaborate eaves brackets. The windows are double-hung sashes grouped singly or in pairs and in a tripartite grouping to the southern elevation beneath the verandah, although they are separately expressed by moulded arched hood moulds with ornamental label moulds. Windows to the canted bay contain ornate keystones with masks. The entry is through a recessed arched opening with large console brackets on the side (south) projecting bay.
The exterior as viewed and appreciated from Kelmscott and Huntingtower roads (i.e. the south and east elevations) appears intact with the alterations mostly confined to the rear and side elevation (north and west elevations) not readily visible from the public realm. They include alterations to the hipped roof and new window openings (Section 29A Application, 2 Kelmscott Road, City of Stonnington, 2012). The property also has a modern masonry garage to the south-west boundary. Subdivision in the mid-twentieth century greatly reduced the extent of the large allotment, and the early planned garden appears to have been largely lost. The early curtilage to Huntingtower Road remains evident however, along with the retention of a tennis court which is consistent with the 1902 MMBW plan.
Oyama Mansion - Local Historical Themes
This place illustrates the following themes, as identified in the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (Context Pty Ltd, rev. 2009):
3.3.3 Speculators and land boomers
8.1.2 Seats of the mighty - Mansion estates in the nineteenth century
8.2.1 'Country in the city' - Suburban development in Malvern before WWI
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Victorian Houses Study
Author: City of Stonnington
Year: 2016
Grading: A2Stonnington - City of Malvern Heritage Study
Author: Nigel Lewis and Richard Aitken P/L
Year: 1992
Grading: A2
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ARMADALE PRIMARY SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H1640
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ARMADALE HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H0637
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STONINGTONVictorian Heritage Register H1608
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