Former St. Arnaud Mercury Offices, 79-81 Napier Street, ST ARNAUD
79-81 Napier Street ST ARNAUD, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS 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
The St. Arnaud Mercury building, 79-81 Napier Street, St. Arnaud, makes an important contribution to the streetscape of the town as a predominantly intact example of Federation Free style commercial design. This building was constructed in 1914 to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the St. Arnaud Mercury newspaper that had been established in 1864 by Evans and Somerton. The building replaced an earlier structure that had also been occupied by the Mercury newspaper. Today, the building is no longer occupied by the St. Arnaud Mercury and is used for other commercial enterprises.
The St. Arnaud Mercury building is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a Federation Free style design. These qualities include the dentillated and curving parapet following a three bayed composition, with the crowning central bay having a roundel (with the curvilinear Free style date plate: "1864") and drip mould and keystone above, and the rendered cement pilasters that span the full length of the first floor. Other intact qualities include the two inverted curved parapets; roughcast parapet walls; face red brick wall construction; stepped rendered stringcourses; large rendered, rectangular floral relief panel with a roundel inscribed with the name "St. Arnaud Mercury"; three timber framed double casement windows with highlights; double bracketed drip moulds; side ground floor doorway with roughcast wall above.
The St. Arnaud Mercury building is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of the St. Arnaud Mercury newspaper, which was established in 1864, and operated from this building from 1914 until the 1970s. The site has particular associations with the founders of the newspaper, Evans and Somerton.
The St. Arnaud Mercury building is socially significant at a LOCAL level. Although no longer operating as the headquarters of the St. Arnaud Mercury newspaper, it is still recognised by the St. Arnaud Community for its past function.
Overall, the St. Arnaud Mercury building is of LOCAL significance.
-
-
Former St. Arnaud Mercury Offices, 79-81 Napier Street, ST ARNAUD - Physical Description 1
The St. Arnaud Mercury Building, Napier Street, St. Arnaud, makes an important architectural and visual contribution to the predominantly Victorian and Federation commercial streetscape.
The symmetrical, two storey, face brick and cream rendered Federation Free style building is characterised by its dentillated curving parapet and three bayed composition. The central bay of the parapet crowns the building and features a roundel with the curvilinear Free style date plate: "1864". Above the roundel is drip mould punctuated by a keystone, typically conveying the free use of architectural elements. This central bay is distinguished by its rendered cement pilasters that span the full length of the first floor. Flanking the central bay are two inverted curved parapets. The walls of all three bays of the parapets are roughcast and painted cream, with the face red brick wall construction of the building under a stepped rendered stringcourse. A central feature of the first floor is the large rendered, rectangular floral relief panel with a roundel inscribed with the name "St. Arnaud Mercury". The remainder of the first floor is characterised by three timber framed double casement windows with highlights. The windows of the flanking bays also have double bracketed drip moulds. Separating the ground from the first floor is an introduced, cantilevered galvanised corrugated iron verandah, with an inappropriately large hoarding. The ground floor has substantially altered shopfronts, with introduced aluminium framed windows and tiled base walls. The side doorway may however be early, as is the roughcast wall above it.
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: Local
-
-
-
-
-
CROWN LAND OFFICEVictorian Heritage Register H1530
-
ST ARNAUD RAILWAY STATIONVictorian Heritage Register H1594
-
LORD NELSON TAILINGS DUMPVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
-