Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates
between Grant St Bond St Tavener St & Station St MADDINGLEY, MOORABOOL SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
Maddingley Park is the major public parkland and recreation reserve in Bacchus Marsh. Although it no longer has a unifying design, a number of element s are significant individually. It is planted with mature avenue trees and individual specimens. It was developed from 1887.
It has regional historical significance for its association with social and sporting developments in community life and it has social significance as a tradition al community and visitor focus and meeting place as well as a landmark, illustrated on representative views including postcards. It bas further historical significance to the town and the region as containing elements which offer a representative embodiment of a way of life and its social values, particularly of he period 1887- 1952 and in demonstrating the effect of local government action in providing for the recreational needs of a rural municipality and region.
It bas aesthetic significance to the town in revealing beauty in its plantings and elements and it has regional architectural significance as a relatively intact example of a surviving nineteenth and early twentieth century municipal garden. Finally its various commemorative elements demonstrate associations with important and influential figure s in the town.
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Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Physical Description 1
A public parkland reserve, containing various sporting facilities, memorials, garden elements, furniture and planting. There appears to be no unifying design. The various elements are described individually:
1. Soldier Memorial (ANA) Entrance Gates. Large, elaborately decorated cast and wrought-iron vehicular gates, flanked by pedestrian gates and these flanked in turn by curved sections ofmatching fence , all ofuniform height. The six posts are built up of castiron plates, fixed together. They have a splayed base, stylised Composite order pilasters linked by an arch, with rosettes in the spandrels and an entwined vine-leaf frieze , with corner acroteria, pyramidal top and a stylised bud finial.
The gates and fence are generally wrought-iron and have a base and dado frieze , with a cyma reversa motif; the dado studded. The dado panel between has a sunflower motif in cast-iron, with curlicues. Spearheads (cast-iron) are round. The maker's mark, a flat triangle in shape, is embossed on each panel of the post sides. A vertical diamond symbol, with identifying numbers and letters, is embossed on the vertical stem ofthe sunflowers.
The name "W. Macfarlane & Co. Glasgow" is embossed on the post shaft, base and each fence panel on the second lowest rail (but not on the gates). The gates have no marks at all, nor do the locks, which survive. The brass plaque was made by "P.l. King, Melbourne".
2. Ticket Office. A square weatherboard timber pavilion, with a slate hip roof; with terra-cotta capping and finial.
3. Seating canopies. There are two types surviving. One has a diamond-shaped hiproof with a hexagonal seat plan , supported by six timber posts. The other is a gable roof with crude finials, supported on two pairs of posts, with seats back to back.
4. Cast-iron palisade fence. This surrounds the perimeter of the cricket oval. It has cast-iron diamond-section balusters, with wrought-iron ring-motif frieze , between flat rails. The number of balusters between posts varies. These have the same section, but formerly had a major finial. All balusters had finials, but none survive. The fence rises in a curve at the pedestrian gates, which are simpler, mild steel between timber posts. There are square iron posts at the ends of panels, each 36 balusters long (4,060=) and 1,030= height. The fence is now all set in a concrete base.
5. Bandstand Rotunda . This is octagonal, elevated and with a hip-roof The masonry base is unfinished (once roughcast?). There is a fine cast-iron lace balustrade, with a Greekderived strapwork pattern, with a frieze of circles above and below. Cast-iron round posts are a form of Doric with an egg and dart mould over the capital. There are cast-iron lace brackets and valance over a timber rail, both in a pattern matching the balustrade. The ceiling is lined with beaded boards on the rake. There is a foundation stone, timber steps and a finial.
6. Pavilion Shelter. A cruciform plan, gable-roofed timber building with open sides. It has large wavescroll fretwork barges, is supported on twenty slender Corinthian cast-iron posts, and has four tall, turned timber finials, on gable-ends. The roof is unlined. It is noted that the side gables are steeper pitch to accommodate their narrower width.
7. Concrete seating. Numerous mushroom-shaped, octagonal or rectangular plan, cl950s pre-cast concrete seats and tables.
8. Memorial cast-iron gas law-standard. It has a square panelled pedestal, supporting a Doric column with an octagonal top over the capital. It bears a memorial brass plaque.
9. High cypress hedge, over post and rail fence, with pickets. The timber pickets have gabled heads and there is barbed wire between the three rails. Rails and posts are split timbers.
10. The T.G. & E. Pearce Memorial Gates. These are metal ribbon and tubular steel gates, with pre-cast concrete posts. The general arrangement is similar to the AN.A gates, but expressed in simpler twentieth century materials. The vehicular gates are topped with cast letters. At left is a crimped woven-wire fence, with timber rails with a barbed wire top. Set in the hedge on Grant Street is a similar pedestrian gate (lOA).
11. Grotto and Fountain. Granite rubble with apertures are shaped to rustic, rocky effect, over a base structure of brickwork, reinforced concrete and with a steel-angle frame.
12. Wrought-iron seats. There are two seats, formed of timber slats supported by flat metal curlicues, riveted together. There are also looped metal rod waste-bins. four of these are located near the main entrance.
13. Victorian Memorial Tree and Plaque. Rei: 356
14. Vietnam War Memorial. Peach tree, with plaque mounted on stone, located near Bond Street.
Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Physical Description 2
Landscape and garden. Victorian park with mature exotic and indigenous trees. The park is dominated by active recreation pursuits such as the football oval, tennis courts, and netball courts. Areas ofthe park have obviously been planted with avenue trees and others with Individual specimens.
Plant species include:
Ulmus procera, Phoenix eanariensis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Cupressus semperivirens, Platanus orientalis, Fraxinus exellsior, Schinus molle, Araucaria bidwillii, Pinus radiata, Grevillea robusta, Lophostemon confertus, Pittosporum undulatum, Quercus robur, Acacia baileyana
English Elms, Canary Island Palm, River Red Gum, Italian Cypressm, Oriental Plane, English Ash, Peppercorn Tree, Bunya Bunya Pine, Monterey Pine,l Silky Oak, Brush Box, Sweet Pittosporum, English Oak, Cootamundra Wattle
Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Intactness
Most of the elements described are particularly intact.
1. Memorial Gates. The central posts lack their tall finials. The locks are inop erative.
2. Ticket Office. The finial is tnmcated .
3. Seating Canopies. The rectangular seat has a steel deck roof. the diamond shaped seat has corrugated steel. Originally they were roofed with asbestos cement (") diamond shaped shingles.
4. Palisade fence. All balust rs lack finials. presumably for th e safety of players.
5. Grandstand Rotunda. The finial is truncated,
8. Lamp standard. This lacks its lamp, and presumably its gas connection.
10. Post and rail fence. A particularly intact example.
11. Grotto and Fountain . There is no sign of the fountain and the grott o lacks much of its granite decoration.
The following elements, photo graphed in the gardens. no longe r exist there:
I. Sundial, within fence.
2. Topiary.
3. Timber grandstand.
4. Timber tennis club pavilion.
S. Lake with water lilies.
6. Rustic bridge over the lake.
7. Canon and shells.
8. Fountain, within fence. four nrns on pedestals and eight urns within the fountain enclosure.
9. Concrete eagle sculpture , centrepiece for the lake.
10. Topiary.
11. Rustic seating, beside avenues oftreesMaddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Historical Australian Themes
Community life/ Townships/ Commemorating.
Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Usage/Former Usage
USE: Public parkland.
PREVIOUS USE: Police paddock
Maddingley Park and Memorial Gates - Physical Conditions
CONDITIONS & THREATS: Generally the condition ofthe elements described is very good . The shelter is in particularly good condition. The only exception is the grotto which is in poor condition and urgently needs maintenance and repair.
Heritage Study and Grading
Moorabool - Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study 1995
Author: Richard Peterson and Daniel Catrice
Year: 1995
Grading:
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MILLBANKVictorian Heritage Register H0263
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ELLERSLIEVictorian Heritage Register H0592
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CHICORY KILNVictorian Heritage Register H2326
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10 Down StreetYarra City
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