Former Stawell Volunteer Fire Brigade Station, 1 Byrne St , STAWELL
1 Byrne St STAWELL, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade building, 1 Byrne Street, Stawell, has significance as one of few predominantly intact 19th century Fire Stations in Victoria with an attached bell tower of outstanding polychrome brick construction (currently overpainted). The building is also an important local landmark. The building was constructed in two stages, with the bell tower in 1880 and the fire station in 1883. It was designed by George Inskip of Stawell, who was later to become a prominent Melbourne architect.
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade building, 1 Byrne Street, Stawell, is architecturally significant at a STATE level. It demonstrates original and outstanding design qualities of a Victorian and Victorian Romanesque style. These qualities include the gable roof form, landmark Victorian Romanesque tower, galvanised corrugated iron roof cladding, and polychrome brick wall construction. Other intact qualities include the main gable pediment with the title that reads: "C.F.A. Stawell Volunteer Fire Brigade", brick first floor accentuated by two timber framed double hung window with shallow arched heads, simple stringcourse, two large vehicular ground floor door openings and the bricked in arched door heads, tower detailing (arcaded corbel tables and narrow arched window openings in the tower base, bracketed, widely projecting tower platform, timber columned tower with its shallow pyramidal roof, timber column brackets, paired eaves brackets and the crowning timber flag pole).
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade building is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the provision of fire services in the town. The Brigade was formed in response to a large fire in February 1866 which destroyed a large part of Main Street. The Brigade was associated with this site for over 100 years.
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade building is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised and highly valued by the Stawell community for the important role the fire brigade plays in the Stawell region.
Overall, the Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade building is of STATE significance.
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Former Stawell Volunteer Fire Brigade Station, 1 Byrne St , STAWELL - Physical Description 1
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade Building, 1 Byrne Street, Stawell, makes a substantial architectural and visual contribution and is a landmark in the local area. The building is situated on its front boundary, with a tubular steel and cyclone wire fence to one side.
The brick (with later overpainting) Victorian styled building is characterised by a gable roof form, together with a landmark Victorian Romanesque square tower to one side. The roof forms are clad in galvanised corrugated iron. Within the pediment of the main gable reads the title: "C.F.A. Stawell Volunteer Fire Brigade". Below the pediment is a plain brick first floor accentuated by two timber framed double hung window with shallow arched heads. A simple stringcourse defines the ground from the first floor. The ground floor has two large flat headed vehicular door openings with introduced doors. The original arched heads to these openings are present, but have been bricked in and lintels introduced to form the square heads.
The brick tower base is distinguished by the arcaded corbel tables with narrow arched window openings within. Surmounting the tower base is a bracketed, widely projecting tower platform which supports the tower with its shallow pyramidal roof and timber columns arranged in groups of three. Other early features of the tower include the timber column brackets, paired eaves brackets and the crowning timber flag pole.
The unpainted brick, flat roofed wing to the other side of the building represents a later addition. Other alterations include the replacement of the original timber handrail in the tower with a metal handrail; the removal of the timbers which once supported the bell in the tower; changes to the front doors by squaring off the original arched openings and the introduction of new lintels and the removal of the original doors; the removal of the timber louvres in the openings in the tower and replacement with sheet metal. The building has been painted white obscuring the original polychrome constructional decoration.
Comparative
The Stawell C.F.A. Volunteer Fire Brigade Building is one of a small number of 19th century fire stations constructed in Victorian that included bell or lookout towers as part of the main building. Other extant 19th century Fire Stations with bell towers include the following:
* Ballarat Fire Station tower, designed in 1864 by Henry R. Caselli, Ballarat architect. The Ballarat Fire Station tower is of architectural significance as it demonstrates an outstanding application of brick masonry as both a decorative and structural material in the octagonal tower, with its combination of arcaded corbel tables and angled bricks. The tower in combination with the later, boldly articulated and complementary Engine House forms an unusual and sophisticated ensemble of buildings.
* Maryborough Fire Station, was built in 1888 for the Maryborough Volunteer Fire Brigade. The ground floor has pointed stucco surrounds on imposts to the round headed ground floor openings. The face brick shaft above has pointed windows rising diagonally upwards to an arcaded top storey with cornice. The diagonally braced timber tower above supports an octagonal platform.
* Former Newtown Fire Station, designed in 1884 by local Geelong architect, R.S. Tuffs. This building was also designed in polychrome brick in a Victorian Romanesque style and has a notable bell tower with chamfered corners at the top crowned by an octagonal lookout with a pyramidal roof.
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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HILL PIPE ORGAN - ST PETER'S LUTHERAN CHURCHVictorian Heritage Register H2177
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CENTRAL PARKVictorian Heritage Register H2284
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COMMONWEALTH MEMORIALVictorian Heritage Register H1943
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