CASTLEMAINE NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL NO. 2051
274-276 BARKER STREET, CASTLEMAINE, MOUNT ALEXANDER SHIRE
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE:
Castlemaine had established a diverse industrial base which helped maintain prosperity and population in the 1870s after the easily won gold had been exhausted in the 1850s and 60s. The large State schools of this decade are a testimony to this persistence. The Castlemaine School No 119 which had opened in 1875 was soon overcrowded with over 900 pupils, prompting the establishment of the new Castlemaine North School No.2051, to accommodate 500 pupils, on Barker Street in 1878. The HR Bastow design was based on an abbreviation of the influential Glenferrie School plan from which Castlemaine North inherited the asymmetrically placed tower. In Victorian Free Gothic style, with pointed segmental arch windows and Rustic Gothic traceried barges, the building also features polychrome brickwork, with restrained cream and black horizontal banding on the red brick walls. The building is situated on a sloping site and is mounted on a rough faced grey granite base which gives the building more elevation on the Barker Street facade. The vertical emphasis is continued in the tall walls, high narrow Gothic windows, and the steeply pitched slate roofs with narrow eaves. The jerkin head treatment of the gables on the front facade is emphasised by the deep tracery of the barges, and combines well with the steep tower and bellcote topped with copper clad spire. A few small brick additions have been made to the rear of the building, and other classroom buildings added to the site, but the original building remains largely uncompromised. The front facade has suffered none of the unsympathetic window alterations commonly undertaken on Victorian Schools in the post 1908 period. Internally the classrooms and offices have been altered and subdivided a number of times.
The Castlemaine North School is of historical and architectural importance to the state of Victoria.
The Castlemaine North School is historically important for its association with the provision for the need for educational facilities in a period of increasing population and continuing prosperity in Castlemaine in the 1870s, subsequent to the early gains of the gold rushes.
The Castlemaine North School is architecturally important as a highly intact and representative example of a later urban Gothic school located in a regional city. It is a particularly representative and intact example of the group of large urban schools based on variations to the influential Glenferrie school design. Through the successful combination of steep jerkin head roof vertically emphasised Gothic elements, and restrained horizontal banding, along with prominent and elevated positioning on the site, the school established a commanding presence in the main thoroughfare of Castlemaine.
-
-
CASTLEMAINE NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL NO. 2051 - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
In the prosperity and optimism of the 1850s and 1860s Castlemaine had gained a measure of permanence and prosperity which was reflected in the substantial building stock of the town. Although the easily accessible gold was quickly exhausted, a number of other industries which had been established ensured the continuing development of the town. Castlemaine School No 119 in Urquhart St had been opened in 1875, but soon had trouble accommodating over 900 pupils. Castlemaine North School was the successor to Common School No. 152, which had operated from as early as 1853 and had subsequently been held in the Methodist School, the Bible Christian Chapel and the Congregational School Hall. Inspector Charles Tynan recommended the purchase of land for the establishment of another non-sectarian, State-run school in 1877, and after some debate, a site was selected for the school on the corner of Barker and Hunter streets. The design is variously attributed to H.R. Bastow. The builders were David Borland and Jonathon Newton. The school was opened in September 1878. The building consisted of three large classrooms and four smaller rooms. One very long and narrow classroom (60-65’) to accommodate 120-125 pupils, of a dimension which had been common in earlier schools, was among the last three of that dimension built after 1875 (along with Camp Hill and Cambridge Street Collingwood). The three Castlemaine North classrooms were subsequently divided into six smaller classrooms. Alterations to some of the windows were made c1910, and some brick extensions to the rear of the main building,
COMPARISON:
Glenferrie school is considered the most intact of the Glenferrie group of schools defined by Peterson. The similarities of Castlemaine North to Glenferrie rest largely on the basis of plan, windows, tower form and brickwork detailing (though Castlemaine North has less elaborate poychromatic brickwork, and no patterning in the body of the wall), but the combination of elements at Castlemaine gives a unique effect. Peterson also recommends Maryborough East to the Register as the second most intact of the type. Caulfield School is on the GBR, but has had its roof replaced with Marseille tile. Several others schools are considered variants on Glenferrie, but do not merit recommendation in Peterson’s study.
Castlemaine North, while fitting several of the criteria of the Glenferrie type, is also related to schools from other groups, such as Lee St Carlton.
ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA:
a. The historical importance, association with or relationship to Victoria's history of the place or object
b. The importance of a place or object in demonstrating rarity or uniqueness
c. The place or object’s potential to educate, illustrate or provide further scientific investigation in relation to Victoria's cultural heritage
d. The importance of a place or object in exhibiting the principal characteristics or the representative nature of a place or object as part of a class or type of places or objects
e. The importance of the place or object in exhibiting good design or aesthetic characteristics and/or in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration of features
The Castlemaine North School is of architectural importance as a fine composition in Victorian Free Gothic style
Effective use of steep ‘French Chateau’ roofs
Not over-elaborated
Window pattern largely unaltered on front
Success of composition
f. The importance of the place or object in demonstrating or being associated with scientific or technical innovations or achievements
g. The importance of the place or object in demonstrating social or cultural associations
h. Any other matter which the Council deems relevant to the determination of cultural heritage significance
classrooms, and brick classrooms to the south, were added subsequently.
Associated People: Owner DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION;CASTLEMAINE NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL NO. 2051 - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.Specific Exemptions:EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMITS:
(Classes of works or activities which may be undertaken without a permit under
Part 4 of the Heritage Act 1995)
General Conditions:
All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which
prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of
alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the
place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or
object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the
Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director,
all works shall be in accordance with it.
Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or
rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the
responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the
responsible authority where applicable.
Exterior
Minor repairs and maintenance which replace like with like.
Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting,
wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good.
Installation or repair of damp-proofing by either injection method or grouted
pocket method.
Regular garden maintenance.
Installation, removal or replacement of garden watering systems.
Interior
Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings provided that preparation or
painting does not remove evidence of the original paint or other decorative
scheme.
Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled joinery, doors,
architraves, skirtings and decorative strapping.
Installation, removal or replacement of carpets and/or flexible floor
coverings.
Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for the
hanging of paintings, posters and other wall mounted artworks.
Refurbishment of bathrooms and toilets including removal, installation or
replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors, wall and
floor coverings.
Installation, removal or replacement of kitchen benches and fixtures including
sinks, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers etc and associated plumbing
and wiring.
Installation, removal or replacement of ducted, hydronic or concealed radiant
type heating provided that the installation does not damage existing skirtings
and architraves and provided that the location of the heating unit is
concealed from view.
Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring provided that all
new wiring is fully concealed and any original light switches, pull cords,
push buttons or power outlets are retained in-situ. Note: if wiring original
to the place was carried in timber conduits then the conduits should remain
in-situ.
Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
Installation, removal or replacement of smoke detectors.
-
-
-
-
-
BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALESVictorian Heritage Register H0131
-
FORMER CBC BANKVictorian Heritage Register H0712
-
FORMER TELEGRAPH OFFICE AND FAULDER WATSON HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0671
-
177 Fenwick StreetYarra City
-
19 Cambridge StreetYarra City
-
2 Derby StreetYarra City
-
-