SELVETTA
22 THE AVENUE PARKVILLE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Selvetta was built in 1884 for Robert and Louisa Jones. The building contractor was Howard Smith but the architect is unknown. The house was originally set on a much larger allotment, with landscaped grounds with lawns and garden beds to the south side of the house, and stables at the rear. Its grand scale was characteristic of town residences built in the Parkville and neighbouring area in the 1880s.
Selvetta is a two-storey rendered brick townhouse, with an unusually wide four-bay composition. Across the front is a two-tier arcade with a balustrade on the first level. The ground floor arches have heavily vermiculated keystones and medallions between the arches. The arcades are supported on slender cast iron columns, and above is an elaborate cornice with decorative festoons, a balustraded parapet, and a centrally located name-plate. The house is unusual for the three windows opening onto the verandah at both levels. There is slate and marble paving on the front path and the verandah floor, and a front door with coloured side lights and a dentillated transom bar. It retains many internal features, such as ornate cornices, ceiling roses, and fire-places. The rendered brick and cast iron palisade fence is compatible with the rendered facade of the house.
How is it significant
Selvetta is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
Selvetta is of architectural and historical significance as an important example of an Italianate-style townhouse that is distinctive to inner-suburban Melbourne and an essential element to the character of Parkville. Selvetta is of historical significance as an example of a suburban villa that reflects the wealth and lifestyle associated with this prosperous period in Melbourne's history.
[Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]
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SELVETTA - History
The two storey townhouse Selvetta, at 22 The Avenue, was erected in 1884 by Howard Smith for Robert and Louisa Jones. The brick structure is four bays in width and has a rendered facade. The two tier arcade with cast iron columns has an elaborate cornice and balustrade with centrally located name plate.
Register of the National Estate citation. (Online data Upgrade Project October 2003).The draft statement of significance and the above history were produced as part of an Online Date Upgrade Project 2004. Sources were as follows:
Extract from heritage study, n.d. [pre-1984]
MMBW plan, 1889, from NT file B1881.
Not listed in Miles Lewis, ‘Australia Architecture Index’.
Jacobs, Lewis, Vines. ‘Parkville Conservation Study’, 1979.
National Trust file. [includes plan c.1880s, showing original garden layout]
Register of the National Estate citation.SELVETTA - 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:General Conditions: 1. 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. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works 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 works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible.General Conditions: 3. All works should ideally be informed by a Conservation Management Plan prepared for the place. The Executive Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan, and permits still must be obtained for works suggested in any Conservation Management Plan.
General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable.Specific Permit Exemptions:
General exemptions for external works
. Minor repair and maintenance which replaces like with like. Repairs and maintenance must maximise protection and retention of existing fabric and include the conservation of existing details or elements. Any repairs and maintenance must not exacerbate the decay of existing fabric due to chemical incompatibility of new materials, obscure existing fabric or limit access to such fabric for future maintenance.??
. Painting of previously painted surfaces in the same colour, finish and type provided that preparation or painting does not remove earlier paint finishes. Note: This exemption does not apply to decorative schemes or unpainted surfaces.
. Works or activities, including emergency stabilisation, necessary to secure safety in an emergency where a structure or part of a structure has been irreparably damaged or destabilised and poses a safety risk to its users or the public. The Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, must be notified within seven days of the commencement of these works or activities.
. Cleaning including the removal of surface deposits, organic growths or graffiti by the use of low pressure water (less than 100 psi at the surface being cleaned) and neutral detergents and mild brushing and scrubbing.
Landscape elements
. The processes of gardening including mowing, pruning, mulching, bedding displays, removal of dead shrubs, planting and replanting of garden beds, disease and weed control and maintenance to care for existing plants and replacement with similar species.
. Subsurface works involving the removal or replacement of existing watering and drainage systems or other services provided there are no visible above ground elements. Existing hard landscaping, including paving and garden edging is to be returned to its original configuration on the completion of works.
. The removal or pruning of dead or dangerous trees to maintain safety by a qualified arborist.
. Management and maintenance of trees including formative and remedial pruning, removal of deadwood, pest and disease control, cabling and similar supportive works by a qualified arborist.
. Installation of physical barriers or traps to enable vegetation protection and management of possums and other vermin.
. Maintenance and repair of existing paving and other hard landscaping elements, like for like.
. All maintenance works to swimming pool and surrounds.
Buildings
Exterior
. Removal of items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting, wiring, antennae and aerials.
. Demolition of the southern garage.
Interior
. Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings in the same colour, type and finish provided that preparation or painting does not remove earlier paint finishes. Note: This exemption does not apply to decorative schemes or unpainted surfaces.
. Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled surfaces including ceilings, joinery, doors, architraves and skirtings by non-abrasive methods.
. Repair of door and window furniture including hinges, locks, knob sets and sash lifts.
. Installation of new electrical wiring and removal or replacement of existing electrical and IT wiring provided that such works do not require chasing or cutting into building fabric and provided that any original light switches, pull cords, push buttons or power outlets are retained in-situ.
. Installation, removal or replacement of smoke and fire detectors, alarms and the like, of the same size and in existing locations.
. Repair, removal or replacement of existing ducted, hydronic or concealed radiant type heating provided that the central plant is concealed, and that the work is done in a manner which does not alter building fabric.
. Installation of plant within the roof space, providing that it does not impact on the external appearance of the building or involve structural changes.
. Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
. All works within the envelope of the south garage which do not alter its external appearance.
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