Clinton's Pleasure Grounds, later Rob Roy Hill Climb, MG Car Club & former orchard complex
385 Clintons Rd SMITHS GULLY, NILLUMBIK SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
HERITAGE VALUE 2005: Local
SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT
What is significant?
Fabric associated with:
. the 1930s,
. Rob Roy Hill Climb events,
. William Ernest Clinton tenure.
How is it significant?
The Rob Roy Hill Climb track is locally significant historically and socially:
. bituminised in 1939, Rob Roy was, with Shelsley Walsh and Prescott hillclimbs in the United Kingdom, one of only 3, custom designed, bitumen surfaced hillclimbs in the world and the first in Australia (Criterion 82)
. for. its significant contribution to early Australian motor sport where eight of the track record holders have also been winners of the Australian Grand Prix of the era including Jack Brabham (now Sir), Stan Jones (father of Alan, Australia's most recent Formula One Champion), Lex Davidson, Bill Patterson, John Crouch, and Peter Whitehead (Criterion A4)
. for its paramount status as a hillclimb track nationally, if not internationally, within motor sport circles (Criterion G1).
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Clinton's Pleasure Grounds, later Rob Roy Hill Climb, MG Car Club & former orchard complex - Physical Description 1
DESCRIPTION
This site includes the Rob Roy Hill Climb track (1937-) and a farm or orchard complex from the 1930s, with some potentially earlier, farm structures and inter-war entertainment structures/ruins (Clinton's Pleasure Grounds). This hill climb track is entered via a farm complex on Clintons Rd with the
climb commencing some distance along a part bitumen sealed, part gravelled roadway through open farmland, with some cutting into the hillside. The bitumen track heads north and then curves east, then south, to again curve to the north and traverses a steep hill through thinly wooded native forest, each tree group protected by tyres (recent). The termination is at a strip of concrete road and a tyre protected fence line bordering native forest at Rob Roy Rd.
Overlooking the finish line is a pre cast concrete panel former bus stop, acting as a shelter for participants, and set behind Armco barriers. The fibre cement sheet and weatherboard clad house and outbuildings at the farm entry appear from the inter-war period '(1930s Clinton) with a group of three part demolished corrugated iron clad gabled and pole-framed farm sheds and yards in the gully en-route to three purpose built green, metal clad, gabled (one open sided) and skillion (two closed sided) roofed sheds near the start of the climb. Two brick chimneys mark the site of an earlier building at the north-east end of the allotment (old Dance Hall?), next to these sheds. To the north is a recently erected rotunda.
Clinton's Pleasure Grounds, later Rob Roy Hill Climb, MG Car Club & former orchard complex - Integrity
Integrity
The track has been upgraded and changed over time for the same basic use. Most of the buildings associated with the track appear recent and are well preserved externally.
The farm house and outbuildings are externally well preserved to the 1920s30s but the farm sheds are part demolished.
Heritage Study and Grading
Nillumbik - C13 Heritage Stage 2 Final Report Revised Citation
Author: Graeme Butler and Assoc.
Year: 2001
Grading: Local
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