ROGERS RESERVE
109 CUMBERLAND ROAD, PASCOE VALE, MORELAND CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Rogers Memorial Reserve, located at 109 Cumberland Road, to the extent of all of the land included in the title between the Cumberland Road frontage and the new Pascoe Vale Community Centre. The following elements are considered to be significant:
. The early plantings of Cherry Plum tree (1 specimen) and Monterey Cypress (3 specimens) to the west of the Memorial Drinking Fountain
. The Cumberland Street frontage and views to the memorial and Reserve from Cumberland Street
. The original title boundaries of Rogers Reserve on the north and south sides of the Reserve to the extent of the Heritage Overlay area.
It does not include the Pascoe Vale Swimming Pool Complex, the existing curtilage of the Memorial Drinking Fountain (HO291), nor does it include the following titles associated with Rogers Memorial Reserve:7 Prospect Street Pascoe Vale or 20 Eddie Street Pascoe Vale.
How is it significant?
The Rogers Memorial Reserve at 109 Cumberland Road, Pascoe Vale is of local historic, social and associative significance to the City of Moreland.
Why is it significant?
Rogers Reserve is historically significant as an example of the Councillor Rogers and more broadly, the Coburg City Council's aspirations to create and facilitate recreational spaces throughout the rapidly expanding residential areas of the municipality in the interwar period, a period of key growth and consolidation in Coburg and Pascoe Vale in particular. Inspired by, but not strictly true to Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement, it was led in the Victorian context by Saxil Tuxen and other town planners, surveyors and councillors. While the Swimming Pool is not part of the area of significance, the placement of this public facility with in the Reserve demonstrates the continued evolution of this ideal. The reserve retains a sufficient degree of integrity and intactness to demonstrate this phase of local development and philosophy to adequately demonstrate this principle (Criterion A)
Rogers Reserve is considered to be of associative significance for its direct association with Councillor Harry Rogers who made a strong and influencial contribution to the course of the municipality's history, through his advocacy while a Councillor of Garden City ideals, especially the provision of public reserves and parks to the growing suburbs of Coburg. The association of the place to the person is evident through its name. There is direct evidence in written and oral history that Rogers had close interaction with the place (it is a symbol of what Roger's advocated for - Parks and Reserves) and is as memorial to the person, and his ideals (Criterion H).
Rogers Reserve is considered to meet be of potential social significance. The location in the reserve of the Pascoe Vale War Memorial and the Pascoe Vale Swimming Pool is of importance to the local community, who have a strong and special relationship with the place. This is evidenced by the regular and long term use of the place while participating in rememberance services, recreational activies such as swimming, and other types of community activities over many years (continuously since the late 1930s). There is evidence of a direct association between Rogers Reserve and the community of Pascoe Vale. (Criterion G)
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ROGERS RESERVE - Physical Description 1
The Pascoe Vale War Memorial is a small granite memorial comprising a stepped base, a lower section with engraved plaques bearing the names of those who served, which is surmounted by four columns supporting a cupola that shelters a drinking fountain. It is set within a recently laid paved area within the Rogers Reserve and is set back from Cumberland Road on a centrally aligned path. There is a row of mature Monterey Cypress (Cupressus Macrocarpa) at one side.
ROGERS RESERVE - Physical Conditions
Fair
ROGERS RESERVE - Integrity
Minor Modifications
ROGERS RESERVE - Physical Description 2
The Rogers Memorial Reserve is a long irregular shaped reserve of approximately 1.5ha reserve with a 45m frontage on to Cumberland Road. Unusually, parts of area considered as the Reserve (and zoned as such) have been subdivided into housing allotments. These include 5 lots on Prospect Street (between 7 and 9 Prospect Street) and a single lot in Eddie Street (No. 20). These lots are used to either access the Reserve from the surrounding streets or have been planted out (Prospect Street frontage) with native trees and shrubs and appear to form part of the Reserve, although cut off from the main Cumberland Street frontage by built structure.
There is a row of mature Monterey Cypress (Cupressus Macrocarpa) on the northern side of the reserve and some other commemorative plantings. A small number of trees dating from c.1928 to 1945 survive in the reserve, including one Cherry Plum and three Monterey Cypress in the central portion of the site, and possibly a row of Monterey Cypress on the northern boundary. A number of Australian natives, dating from c.1970 to 1980 are planted throughout the reserve. These include specimens of Melaleuca, Spotted Gum and Silky Oak. There are a number of immature specimens of Queensland Kauri and Kurrajong that were planted c.2010 to 2014.
The western half of the site is taken up by the large Pascoe Vale Swimming Pool complex, which comprises a number of swimming pools in various sizes, associated built facilities, high fencing and an area of grass with specimen trees dating from the c1975 -2010 period.
A modern community facility is currently being constructed in the central part of the Rogers Memorial Reserve, in the 'dip' to the west of Cumberland Road frontage. The built form now dominates the reserve, effectively separating public open space (traditional parkland/reserve space) into three parts - the lawn associated with the Swimming Pool complex, and the native planting fronting Prospect Street and the area of Reserve between Cumberland Road and the new community centre.
The northern portion on Prospect Street - a grassy space with 1970s native trees - is effectively cut off by the swimming complex security fence. The open space to the west is only accessible through the swimming complex, and therefore not truly part of the free, public reserve. T
he Pascoe Vale War Memorial (Memorial Drinking Fountain, HO291) is located in Rogers Memorial Reserve, on a paved area about 10m from Cumberland Street. This memorial is a small granite memorial comprising a stepped base, a lower section with engraved plaques bearing the names of those from the Pascoe Vale community who served in conflict including the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Borneo, Malaya, South Vietnam and UN Peacekeeping missions. It is surmounted by four columns supporting a cupola that shelters a drinking fountain. It is set within a paved area within the reserve and is set back from Cumberland Road on a centrally aligned path. A memorial Lone Pine (descendant of the original Lone Pine of Gallipoli) has been planted to the south of the war memorial and paved area. A memorial Olive Tree commemorating Australians and Greeks those who fought and died in the Battle of Crete has been planted to the west of the war memorial.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moreland - Moreland Heritage Gaps Study 2017
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 2017
Grading: LocalMoreland - Moreland City Council: Local Heritage Places Review
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 2004
Grading: LocalMoreland - City of Moreland Heritage Review
Author: Allen Lovell and Associates
Year: 1999
Grading:
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