Former Kara Kara Shire Offices, 8 Napier Street, ST ARNAUD
8 Napier Street ST ARNAUD, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Kara Kara Shire Office building has significance as a rare example of an imposing Federation Free style Shire building that is predominantly externally intact. Constructed in 1902, the building has been the centre of some of the most important civic meetings and developments in the town of St. Arnaud. It also has significance as being part of an unusual grouping of former government and civic 19th and early 20th century buildings in a predominantly Victorian town.
The Kara Kara Shire Office building is architecturally significant at a STATE level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a Federation Free style. These qualities include the unpainted red brick wall construction, as well as the central three-bayed loggia with flanking gable ends distinguished by a parapeted projecting bay broad-arched window (a triple lighted casement with fixed multi-paned windows above), and similar arched window and projecting pedimented bay respectively. Other intact qualities include the unpainted brick loggia piers, unpainted square pillars and round columns, square rendered and tapered pilasters, arched windows and door openings, timber framed double hung two paned windows, unpainted brick chimneys with rendered and corbelled tops (and pots), unpainted stone plinth and the decorative features (sculptural rendered parapets with fluted piers, balustrades and pediments - all adorned with urns, rendered stringcoursing that envelopes the facades, rendered drip moulds blind oculus in one of the gables, rendered keystones, and the name and date plates in the central pediment above the loggia). The open garden areas to the sides and front of the building, together with the mature exotic street trees, contribute to the significance of the place.
The Kara Kara Shire Offices building and site are historically significant at STATE level. They are associated with the growth of the St. Arnaud region and more particularly with the development of the former Kara Kara Shire from 1902 until the 1990s.
The Kara Kara Shire Offices building is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised and valued by the community of St. Arnaud for its role as the civic centre in the town.
Overall, the Kara Kara Shire Offices building is of STATE significance.
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Former Kara Kara Shire Offices, 8 Napier Street, ST ARNAUD - Physical Description 1
The Kara Kara Shire Office site is dominated by the red brick municipal building, which is surrounded by open, garden areas. Substantial exotic street trees are also a characteristic part of the site. The building is visually connected to a number of important 19th century government, civic and community buildings that form an unusual grouping in the centre of town.
The single storey, unpainted red brick, Federation Free Classical styled Kara Kara Shire Offices building is characterised by a central three-bayed loggia with flanking gable ends of differing design. One gable is distinguished by a parapeted projecting bay and its broad-arched window, while the other bay has a similar window that is adorned by a pediment. Unpainted brick piers support the loggia. Above the piers are square pillars and round columns, which in turn support square rendered and tapered pilasters. Other features of the design include the arched windows and door openings. The windows have early timber frames and are typically double hung and two paned. The main front broadly arched windows appear to be three-lighted casements, with fixed multi-paned windows above. The left casements are inappropriately blocked up internally. Unpainted brick chimneys with rendered and corbelled tops (and pots) adorn the roofline. Another distinctive characteristic of the building is the stone plinth.
A distinctive early decorative feature of the design includes the elaborate and highly sculptural rendered parapets with fluted piers, balustrades and pediments - all adorned with urns. Other early decorative features include the rendered stringcoursing that envelopes the facades, rendered drip moulded, blind oculus in one of the gables, rendered keystones that punctuate the arched openings, and the name and date plates in the central pediment above the loggia.
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading:
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CROWN LAND OFFICEVictorian Heritage Register H1530
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ST ARNAUD RAILWAY STATIONVictorian Heritage Register H1594
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LORD NELSON TAILINGS DUMPVictorian Heritage Inventory
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