Walbaringa Flats, former
16 Eastern Beach, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 213048
City East Heritage Area
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Statement of Significance
Significant
Previously C Listed - Local Significance
Statement of Significance
The former Walbaringa Flats are architecturally significant as an intact and highly unusual example of the interwar Spanish Mission style with visual connections to the highly significance interwar Beaux-Arts and Californian styled Eastern Beach Reserve and Baths. Built in 1928 for Edward Berryman and occupied from c.1938 by Ian McDonald, City Surveyor responsible for the establishment of the swimming pools and promenade at Eastern Beach, the flats appear to be in fair condition when viewed from the street, with evidence of some serious wall cracks.
The former Walbaringa Flats are architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. They demonstrate original design qualities of an interwar Spanish Mission style. These qualities include the rectangular plan form, parapets to the main facades, and the shallow projecting two storey section to the main (north) facade with Cordover tiles on the top and a central Spanish Mission style pediment with applied rendered decorative motif. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the predominantly symmetrical composition, single storey height, unpainted cement stuccoed finish, two banks of tripled arched, timber framed, double hung windows (the upper sashes being 6 paned) with arched highlights and low lights on the projecting section, timber ropework pilasters with decorative capitals on the arched windows, narrow balcony that projects on decorative brackets on the east side of the first floor, side ground floor entry porches with Cordova tiled roofs. Spanish Mission shaped timber framed window opening with decorative metal grill on the ground floor, ground floor timber framed and double hung windows 6 paned upper sashes, timber framed doorways under the western porch and the timber framed 9 paned highlight and timber door, and the timber and glazed door, and the eastern ground floor doorway with timber and glazed French doors. The location and uninterrupted views to the Eastern Beach Reserve and Baths, and Corio Bay, also contribute to the significance of the place. The former Walbaringa Flats are historically significant at a LOCAL level. They have associations with residential developments in Geelong during the interwar (1920s-1940s) period. In particular, the Flats have associations with Edward Berryman, railway employee and original owner from 1928, and with Ian McDonald, early occupant and City Surveyor responsible for the establishment of the swimming pools and promenade at Eastern Beach.
Overall, the former Walbaringa Flats are of LOCAL significance.
References
Reports and Drainage Plans, Barwon Water profis system, 1928, and plans for proposed subdivision.
Certificate of Title dated 23.11.1982.
APP property history, no. 37313, Lands Titles Office, Bourke St., Melbourne.
Electoral Roll, Division Corio, Subdivision Geelong, 1984, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Sands & McDougall's Directory of Geelong, 1972, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Sands & McDougall "Invicta" Geelong Directory, 1968, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Geelong City Council Rate Books (Bellerine Ward), 1925-1960.
Geelong Town Plan 1881, Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Victoria, Appeal determination, September 1989.
Heritage Victoria, Historic Buildings Council Registration Assessment, September 1990.
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Walbaringa Flats, former - Physical Description 1
Description
The former Walbaringa Flats, 16-18 Eastern Beach, Geelong, is set into a sloping site overlooking Corio Bay. The building takes up the full width of the site and has a shallow front boundary. The front garden is very rudimentary, consisting of a sloping grassed area and a solitary tree. The front is bound by an introduced unpainted brick fence. The flats are located opposite the popular Eastern Beach Reserve, an interwar parkland and bathing complex constructed between 1928 and 1929 in a Beaux-Arts and Californian style.
The two storey, essentially symmetrical, unpainted stucco, interwar Spanish Mission styled former Walbaringa Flats is characterised by a rectangular plan form, with parapets to the main facades. The main (north) facade has a shallow projecting two storey section, with Cordover tiles on the top and a central Spanish Mission style pediment with applied rendered decorative motif. Two banks of tripled arched, timber framed, double hung windows (the upper sashes being 6 paned) with arched highlights and low lights are situated on the projecting section, and are adorned with early ropework pilasters with decorative capitals. A narrow balcony projects on decorative brackets on the east side of the first floor.
Side entry porches at ground floor level have roofs of Cordova tiles. The porch on the western side ground floor has a typically Spanish Mission shaped timber framed window opening with decorative metal grill. The other windows on the ground floor are early, being timber framed and double hung with 6 paned upper sashes. There are also early timber framed doorways under the western porch. One opening has an early timber framed 9 paned highlight and timber door, with the other door being timber and glazed. The early doorway on the east side consists of timber and glazed French doors.
Alterations to the building include the glazed infill to the upper storey openings, and the unsympathetic, unpainted brick parapeted additions at the rear.
Walbaringa Flats, former - Physical Description 2
Mostly intact with upper level additions. 2 storey Spanish Mission style building, rendered, parapet with brick capping & brick vigas (appearing as exposed beam ends). Projecting 2 storey bay flanked by single storey entries both with Roman tiles, balconies infilled though retain arched openings & barley twist columns with capitals, metal railing. Timber windows with multi-paned upper sashes, leadlight picture window, panelled timber doors with glazed upper part to first floor, retains original timber beam with decorative brackets to porch.
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study, Volumes 2-5
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1991
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study Volume 1
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1993
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City 'C' Citations Study
Author: Dr David Rowe
Year: 2002
Grading:Geelong City Fringe Heritage Area Review
Author: RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants
Year: 2018
Grading:
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FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
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FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
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CORIO VILLAVictorian Heritage Register H0193
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