Gardiner Park Estate Precinct
Allaville Avenue, Clarke Street GLEN IRIS, STONNINGTON CITY
-
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
What is significant?
The Gardiner Park Estate precinct is an interwar residential area in Glen Iris encompassing all of Allaville Avenue and most of Clarke Street. The initial development of the area occurred along Clarke Street in the late 1920s, creating the present streetscape of bungalow housing. Allaville Avenue was subdivided in 1928 as the Gardiner Park Estate and developed over the course of next decade with middle class villa housing. Almost all of these buildings survive intact with few modern interventions.
Elements which contribute to the significance of the precinct include:
- high degree of intactness to its c1940 state;
- variety in architectural character and expression within a consistent suburban villa or bungalow form;
- the consistent modest single-storey scale of the built form;
- the detached form of housing (with the valued exception of the interwar duplex at 1A/1B Clarke Street);
- the high degree of intactness of individual buildings to their original states. Dwellings typically survive with their presentation to the street largely unaltered;
- face brick or render materiality and hipped or gabled roofscapes with chimneys and terracotta or cement tiles;
- the open landscaped character of the area brought about through nature strips with mature exotic tree plantings and undeveloped front setbacks with a consistent low front fence height (including many original masonry fences);
- the discrete form and siting of vehicle accommodation in side setbacks (including original garages) with single driveway/cross over access; and,
- The allotment pattern and road layout resulting from the original subdivision (including Allaville Avenue's unusual turning circle).
How is it significant?
The Gardiner Park Estate Precinct is of local historical and aesthetic significance.
Why is it significant?
The Gardiner Park Estate Precinct is of historical significance for its capacity to demonstrate the major expansion of the suburbs into the eastern parts of the former City of Malvern in the 1920s and 1930s (Historic Theme: 8.2.3 'The city of real homes - suburban development in Malvern after World War I). This development transformed a once rural area into a suburban ideal of polite middle class villas and bungalows in garden settings. The precinct's proximity to the Gardiner Railway Station is further illustrative of the interdependence of public transport and suburban growth in the Municipality in this period.
The precinct is of aesthetic significance for its remarkably intact and legible collection of interwar villas and bungalows. While none of the houses are of individual significance, the consistency of their period of construction, scale, setbacks and integrity to an original design is remarkable. The houses, ranging in style from Spanish Mission to bungalow and Old English Revival, also demonstrate the eclectic approach to design and applied ornament typical of the building profession at this time; the associated emphasis on distinctive and individual house design for each allotment ensures diversity within what otherwise presents as a coherent and unified environment. The integrity and consistency of the area's early housing stock, the unusual curved form of Allaville Avenue and mature character of the street trees and gardens all contribute to the precinct's attractive interwar character.
-
-
Gardiner Park Estate Precinct - Physical Description 1
Allaville Avenue is an attractive cul-de sac lined on both sides with modest, single-storey freestanding villas dating from the 1930s. A number of these villas draw design inspiration from the Old English revival mode and are typically constructed of face brick or render. There is also a good example of a Mediterranean style villa at 11 Allaville Avenue as well plainer clinker brick villas with hipped tiled terracotta tiles roofs. Many of the dwellings retain original low masonry front fences.
Clarke Street was developed slightly earlier than Allaville Avenue and consequently most of its dwellings adopt a 1920s bungalow expression. The later 1930s duplex at 1A/1B Clarke Street has an asymmetrical facade resembling the detached villas on Allaville Avenue.
Two cast iron metal posts marking the entrance to Allaville Avenue were presumably installed when the subdivision was first created. The roadway itself is of note for its L-shape layout with an unusual turning circle at its bend creating a picturesque aspect.
The precinct remains highly intact to its c1940 state and early housing remains generally in good, original condition with very few modern interventions. There are first floor additions at 13 and 17 Allaville Avenue and garages to the sideages of 3 and 5 Clarke Street. However, these changes have not significantly altered the early character of this interwar suburban development.
The residences at 7 Clarke Street and 21 Allaville Avenue post date the precinct's key period of significance but nonetheless adopt a modest architectural character sympathetic to the more valued interwar housing stock.
Gardiner Park Estate Precinct - Historical Australian Themes
The following themes are drawn from the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (Context Pty Ltd, 2006, Addendum March 2009).
8.2.3 'The city of real homes - suburban development in Malvern after World War I.
Gardiner Park Estate Precinct - Local Historical Themes
8.2.3 'The city of real homes - suburban development in Malvern after World War I
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Heritage Overlay Gap Study - Heritage Overlay Precincts Final Report
Author: Bryce Raworth P/L
Year: 2009
Grading: Various
-
-
-
-
-
KAWARAUVictorian Heritage Register H0489
-
HAROLD HOLT MEMORIAL SWIMMING CENTREVictorian Heritage Register H0069
-
899 Toorak RoadBoroondara City
-
-