High Branches
38 St Georges Road TOORAK, STONNINGTON CITY
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Statement of Significance
Note that the relevant HERCON criteria and themes from the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (TEH) are shown in brackets.
What is Significant?
High Branches at 38 St George Road, Toorak is a double-storey English Domestic Vernacular Revival style building erected in 1937 to designs by noted architect Geoffrey Sommers.
Elements that contribute to the significance of the place include (but are not limited to):
-The original external form, materials and detailing of the building.
-The high level of external intactness.
-The legibility of the original built form in views from the public realm.
-The domestic garden setting (but not the fabric of the garden itself)
- The wrought iron gates and brick piers on the St Georges Road frontage.
How is it significant?
High Branches is of local architectural significance to the City of Stonnington.
Why is it significant?
High Branches is architecturally significant as a fine and largely intact example of an interwar English Domestic Vernacular Revival style house demonstrating the trend towards simplification in the 1930s (Criterion D). It has an elegant, sparsely detailed facade with strong steeply pitched gables recalling the work of leading English Arts and Crafts architects such as Charles Voysey and Edwin Lutyens (Criterion E).
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High Branches - Physical Description 1
High Branches' at 38 St Georges Road is elegant double-storey English Domestic Vernacular Revival style house. It has a steeply pitched terracotta shingle roof with gently curving bellcast eaves. The roof space was reportedly originally designed and constructed so that it could be converted into habitable rooms with dormer windows.[1] The walls are plain painted brick with a subtle dogtoothed detailing at the eaves line. The St Georges Road facade has tall gabled ended bays at either end, pierced by narrow louvred vents. The north and south ends of the principal gable support tall Lutyens brick chimneys with terracotta pots and dogtoothed corbelling replicating the eaves detailing. Windows frames are typically Georgian style multi-pane and double-hung with louvred shutters. Driveway gates are a sympathetic later addition having replaced the original timber gates.
The house appears to be substantially intact in terms of its streetscape presentation. Various alterations and additions were made in the 1980s involving the construction of a garage at the eastern end of the driveway, the conversion of the original garage into a living room and laundry, rebuilding of the roof to the rear wing and the demolition of a chimney (presumably also at the rear). Various changes were made to windows and doors on the north, south and east elevations including the replacement of original joinery and the enlargement of openings.[2] The timber window shutters are also understood to be non-original items, which replaced deteriorated shutters first installed in the 1960s.
The alterations and additions are generally concealed in views from the public realm, or are otherwise of an unobtrusive nature where they occur on or near the principal west facing facade.
In terms of landscape elements, the wrought iron pedestrian gate and supporting brick piers appear to be contemporary with the house. The metal driveway gates were installed in the 1980s. The swimming pool, tennis court and timber paling boundary fences are also non-original.
[1] Arabella Georges, Correspondence to Alayna Chapman, City of Stonnington , dated 7/3/16.
[2] Arabella Georges, Correspondence to Alayna Chapman, City of Stonnington , dated 7/3/16.High Branches - Local Historical Themes
High Branches at 38 St Georges Road, Toorak illustrates the following themes, as identified in the Stonnington Thematic Environmental History (Context Pty Ltd, 2006):
8.1.3 - The end of an era - mansion estate subdivisions in the twentieth century
8.4.1 - Houses as a symbol of wealth, status and fashionHeritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Interwar Houses Study
Author: Bryce Raworth Pty Ltd
Year: 2014
Grading: A2
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CLENDON LODGEVictorian Heritage Register H0561
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ILLAWARRAVictorian Heritage Register H0701
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GREENWICH HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H0693
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