41 Dixon Street
41 Dixon Street MALVERN, STONNINGTON CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The villa at 41 Dixon Street, Malvern, is significant. It is a single-storey building set on a slight
rise. It has a symmetrical, block-fronted facade, front verandah, and hipped roof. The front
wall is of brown Hawthorn bricks with cream brick dressings, while red bricks are used for the
side elevations.
The house was built as a rental property in 1894 by Charles Butler, a successful Melbourne
builder, brickmaker and contractor in the 1870s to 1890s, and was presumably designed by
him.
The house is significant to the extent of its nineteenth-century external form and fabric,
particularly the principal (east) facade, the front verandah, and the hipped roof and chimneys.
The sympathetic front fence, faux Victorian carport, and rear extension are not significant.
How is it significant?
The villa at 41 Dixon Street, Malvern is of local architectural and aesthetic significance to the
City of Malvern.
Why is it significant?
Architecturally, the villa at 41 Dixon Street, Malvern is a fine and intact representative example
of a single-storey Italianate villa built to house the middle-class residents of Malvern, of the
sort that began to characterise the suburb in the 1880s and 1890s. The villa exhibits typical
features of this type, including the symmetrical plan form, M-profile hipped roof with
bracketed eaves, and rendered chimneys with heavy cornices. Bichrome brickwork was popular
for houses of the Italianate and other styles from the late 1860s to the 1890s. (Criterion D)
Aesthetically, the villa is distinguished by its high level of intact ornamental detail, particularly
the front verandah. It has grouped cast-iron posts with octagonal plinths, a rinceaux-pattern
cast-iron frieze and brackets, with arches between paired posts. At the centre is a triangular
pediment with a cast-iron infill and finial. Other details of note are the cast-cement ornament
to the eaves, and the arched front door which retains extensive ruby-flashed glass. (Criterion
E)
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41 Dixon Street - Physical Description 1
Physical description
The house at 41 Dixon Street is a double-fronted single-storey Italianate villa that is highly
intact. It occupies a somewhat elevated allotment on the west side of Dixon Street, Malvern.
The house is set back behind a medium-sized front garden and a sympathetic reproductiontimber picket fence. There is a wide setback on the north side, allowing for a side driveway and
associated Victorian-style carport attached to the side of the house.The house takes the typical form of a symmetrical, block-fronted Italianate villa. Features
typical of this type include the M-profile hipped roof with a symmetrical pair of rendered and
corniced chimneys, bracketed eaves, a cast-iron embellished front verandah, and symmetrical
composition of openings with a central front door and two double-hung sash windows on
either side.The front wall is of tuckpointed brown Hawthorn brick with cream brick quoins to the corners
and around the opening, set on a bluestone plinth. The side elevations are of plain red brick.
Windows have bluestone sills. The roof retains what appear to be original slates with a central
band of green octagonal slates set within rectangular black slates.The house retains a high level of original detail, with a concentration on the verandah. The
eaves have alternating cast brackets and tablet flowers. The front door sits within a round
arched opening and has a double arched highlight and sidelights of ruby flashed glass. The
front door is four-panelled with fielded panels and bolection mouldings. It is reached via a
short flight of bluestone steps. The front verandah has a convex profile hipped roof, with a
triangular pediment marking the central entrance. On its apex is a scrolled cast-iron finial, and
within the tympanum is more cast-iron ornament. Verandah posts are grouped in threes at the
ends, and quadrupled on either side of the entrance. They have an octagonal base transitioning
to a slender round shaft. At the juncture between these two sections is a rounded boss with a
raised snowflake pattern on it. Capitals are the typical Corinthian type typical of this era. The
cast-iron frieze has a traditional rinceaux pattern with integral brackets. Between paired
columns, the brackets form a pointed arch.Apart from the addition of the carport on the north side, the house appears to be externally
intact as viewed from the street.41 Dixon Street - Local Historical Themes
Thematic context
This place illustrates the following themes, as identified in the Stonnington Thematic Environmental
History (Context Pty Ltd, rev. 2009):8.2.1 'Country in the city' - Suburban development in Malvern before WWI
8. Building Suburbs
41 Dixon Street is of historical interest as the work of Charles Butler (1829-1901), notable
brickmaker, builder and contractor operating in Melbourne from the 1870s to 1901.Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Stonnington Victorian Houses Study
Author: City of Stonnington
Year: 2016
Grading: A2Heritage Inventory Description
41 Dixon Street - Heritage Inventory Description
Locality history
Malvern was originally named Gardiner after the early settler John Gardiner, but was renamed
Malvern after the property 'Malvern Hills Estate', which had in turn been named for its
perceived likeness to the Malvern Hills in Hertfordshire, England. This was pleasant, rolling
country on the southern bank of the Gardiners Creek, or Kooyong Koot, which was its Aboriginal
name. Many praised the picturesque character of the area in the early settlement period
(Strahan 1989: 1-3). Journalist William Kelly wrote in 1858 of 'the one-time undulating
stretches of green bushland of Malvern' (Art Portfolio Ltd 1911). Early settlers made use of a
fresh water spring in High Street that inspired the naming of the Spring Gardens; in the 1880s
this local water supply was encased in a rustic rockery and became an ornamental feature of the
public gardens.Like Prahran, Malvern was the name of a municipality as well as a suburb. The Shire of
Malvern was established in 1876 from the earlier Gardiner Road District. In the 1870s the
higher areas were taken up for gentlemen's estates, while small farmers, market gardeners and
orchardists occupied the lower land near the Creek.The railway attracted new settlers to the area and land was subdivided at a great rate through
the boom years of the 1880s and early 1890s. Large areas of open paddocks and market
gardens were rapidly transformed into pleasantly sited homes and gardens. Malvern in the
1880s epitomised the ideal suburb, providing a pleasant refuge for the affluent middle class,
away from the bustle and noise of the city.From its foundation Malvern was regarded as solidly respectable. This was reflected by a
consistency in good quality homes, ranging from Victorian to interwar styles. The famed
Gascoigne and Waverley estates, developed from 1885, were some of the most celebrated
subdivisions in the area. Housing was mostly detached and it was one of a group of new
suburbs with a higher rate of home ownership compared to the older inner areas of Melbourne
(Davison 1978: 181). Malvern was comfortably and solidly middle class. While there wereseveral large mansions dating from the 1870s and 1880s, the suburb generally lacked the
excessive wealth and flamboyance of Toorak. The north-west corner of Malvern, however, was
comparable with Toorak in terms of elevation and grand homes. Here, on the east side of
Glenferrie Road, John Wagner of Cobb & Co. erected the mansion 'Stonington' (1890). A
short distance away was another mansion, 'Moorakyne' (1889). In 1901 'Stonington' became
the official residence of the Governor of Victoria, after the newly appointed Governor-
General took up residency in Melbourne's existing Government House in the Domain. This
gave Malvern an added cachet of importance, and its residents valued proximity to wealth and
influence.Malvern was almost entirely residential, with major shopping strips established on Malvern
Road and Glenferrie Road. There was barely any industry, though in 1879 there was a
ropeworks and a tile factory (Whitworth 1879: 305). There was also a brickworks and clay pits
near the corner of Elizabeth Street and Henderson Avenue. The population of Malvern was
largely conservative and had a high rate of church attendance (McCalman 1995: 7).Malvern's rapid rate of growth led to the Shire being replaced by the City of Malvern in 1911.
The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust had been established in Malvern the year before.
Large estates continued to be subdivided in the early 1900s, and many streets in Malvern are
lined with Edwardian-era houses.Place history
Malvern was developed as a comfortable middle-class suburb from the 1880s, following the
extension of the railway line from South Yarra to Oakleigh in 1879. Many large estates
established in this sought-after locality were subdivided to create smaller suburban allotments.
Dixon Street, originally known as Dixson Street (Foster, 1996), was formed in 1885 as part of
the subdivision of the fashionable Stanhope Estate (Foster and Stefanopolous, 2007:23). The
estate was described as being 'close to three railway stations, [with] magnificent situations,
splendid views, [and] about six hundred sites to choose from' (Lorgnette, 10 February 1885: 2).
Allotments of the Stanhope Estate were sold off in sections from 1885 by auctioneers Staples,
Wise & Co. Owner-occupiers, investors and speculative builders all took up allotments.The Shire of Malvern rate books for 1891 indicate that lots 8, 9 and 10 in Dixon Street were
owned by Charles Butler, contractor, no doubt as a speculative venture, but that no dwelling
had yet been built on lot 9 (RB 1891). In 1893, lots 8 and 9 were rated as land only; the
occupant (possibly using the land for agistment), was Thomas Mingham Muntiz, surveyor (RB
1893). By 1895, Butler had erected a 7-roomed brick house on the property measuring 120 x
120 feet (i.e., lots 8 and 9, 41 & 43 Dixon Street, though the house is located wholly on lot 9).Charles Butler (1829-1901) of Fitzgibbon Street, Parkville, had emigrated from Hampshire,
England, in the 1850s and became a successful Melbourne builder, brickmaker and contractor.
Butler established the South Brunswick Brick Works (HI 7822-0256) in Albion Street,
Brunswick (Argus, 6 April 1911:1; Argus, 14 January 1902:5; Probate papers, PROV). Amongst
his significant building works was the extensive Canterbury Terrace, East Melbourne (VHR
H0454), which he owned and built in 1877; the Goldsborough Mort Building, Melbourne
(VHR H104); Methodist Ladies' College, Kew; and presumably his own two-storey brick
residence at 51 Fitzgibbon Street, Parkville. In 1890, he served as president of the Builders and
Contractors Association (Argus, 12 July 1890:10), and in 1897 he was nominated as a life
governor of the Melbourne Workingman's College (Age, 23 Sept 1897:6).The polychromatic brickwork on the facade of his own residence at 51 Fitzgibbon Street,
Parkville (see below), bears a resemblance to the facade of 41 Dixon Street.In 1895, the newly completed residence at 41 Dixon Street, Malvern, was tenanted by C.A.D.
Pascoe. Butler also owned the adjacent block, lot 10, in 1895. There were at that time very few
other brick houses in Dixon Street (RB 1895). It is likely that Butler used bricks from his own
brickworks to build the house in Dixon Street, which would be indicated by the stamp of
either 'C. Butler' or 'S.B.B.W.' on the frog (Victorian Brickworks:
http://rameking2.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/charles-butler-and-son.html; accessed 20 January
2017).In 1897, the 7-roomed brick house owned by Butler, occupying lots 8 and 9, was tenanted by
Henry M. Ramage, gentleman (RB 1897), and 1898 the tenant appears to be Joseph George
McLean (RB 1898).Charles Butler died in 1901 but appears to have sold the property shortly before his death. His
probate papers indicate that he held several vacant building blocks at the time of his death,
which were no doubt acquired for speculative purposes, but he had disposed of 41 Dixon
Street before his death (Probate papers for Charles Butler, VPRS 28/P2, unit 302).In 1901 and 1902, Bell Middleton was rated for the 8-roomed brick house (RB 1901, 1902). In
1901, his name had been inserted replacing previous owner 'Samuel Arthur, importer' (RB
1901). Until a second house was erected on the site that comprised lot 8, the brick house was
numbered as No. 43 Dixon Street. In 1904, Bell Middleton was described as a 'sorter' (RB
1904). In 1913 and 1914 Bell Middleton, occupation 'gentleman', was leasing the residence toJonathon Barlow, secretary; the house was still listed as 43 Dixon Street (RB 1913, 1914). From
1918 to c.1924, the brick house was tenanted by Mrs Sarah Coburn and by this time it had
been renumbered as 41 Dixon Street. Bell Middleton was recorded by 1918 as the
owner/occupier of the new 43 Dixon Street, which was a smaller weatherboard dwelling, since
demolished (RB 1918).Sarah Ethelwyn Coborn occupied 41 Dixon Street as a tenant from 1919, her occupation given
as 'home duties' (S&Mc 1919). By 1924, there were three additional women listed at this
address with the surname Coburn, all typistes, and presumably Sarah Coburn's daughters (ER
1924).The Malvern rate notice, dated 17 November 1924, for a 7-roomed brick house at 41 Dixon
Street has Sarah Coburn's name crossed out as the occupant, replaced by the name of the new
occupant, Lewen Masters. The owner remained Bell Middleton, gentleman, who continued to
reside next door in the new timber house (RB 1924). In 1924 Bell Middleton was described as
a retired public servant (ER 1924). He died in 1932.Later occupants include Miss V.E. Sheppard in 1930 (S&Mc 1930). In 1949 Isabella Mary
Backhouse, Home Duties, occupied the house (ER 1949). She died in 1952 (Age, 29 January
1952:7).
SourcesAge, 23 September 1897, p. 6.
Age, 29 January 1952, p. 7 (death of Isabella Mary Backhouse).
Age, 16 November 1982, p. 10 (real estate notice).
Apperley, Richard, Irving, Robert & Reynolds, Peter 1989, A Pictorial Guide to Identifying
Australian Architecture, Angus & Robertson.
Argus, 14 January 1902, p. 5 (Will of the late Charles Butler).
Argus, 12 July 1890, p. 10.
Argus, 6 April 1911, p. 1 (death notice of Mrs Charles Butler).
Art Portfolio Ltd 1911, City of Malvern Illustrated.
Brown-May, Andrew and Shurlee Swain (eds) 2005, The Encyclopedia of Melbourne,
www.emelbourne.net.au, accessed 26 June 2016.
Charles Butler (d.1901), Probate records, VPRS 28/P2, unit 302 (Public Record Office
Victoria); accessed through www.prov.vic.gov.au, 20 January 2017.
Commonwealth Electoral Rolls (accessed via Ancestry.com).
Context Pty Ltd 2009, Stonnington Thematic Environmental History, prepared for City of
Stonnington, Prahran.
Davison, Graeme 1978, The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne, Melbourne University Press,
Carlton.
Foster, Di. '42 Dixon Street, Malvern', 1996, MH 58002, SHC.
Foster, Di and Steve Stefanopolous. Walk into History vol. 4: Six more great walks in Stonnington.
Malvern Historical Society Inc., 2007.
Hubbard, Timothy 'Italianate Style' in Goad, Philip & Willis, Julie (eds.) 2012, The Enclyclopedia of Australian Architecture, Cambridge University Press.
Jordan, Kerry 2003, 'Houses and Status: The Grand Houses of Nineteenth-Century Victoria',
PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, as cited in Statham, J 2008, 'HO367 Montrose House
Heritage Assessment', City of Stonnington].
Lewis, Miles. Australian Architecture Index (no record found of a tender notice).
Lorgnette, 10 February 1885, p. 2 (re: Stanhope Estate).
McCalman, Janet 1995, Journeyings: The biography of a middle-class generation, Melbourne University Press, Carlton.
MMBW Plan 61, Malvern, 1948 (University of Melbourne Map Collection).
Nigel Lewis Richard Aitken Pty Ltd 1992, 'City of Malvern Heritage Study', prepared for the City of Malvern.
Rate Books, Shire of Malvern (City of Malvern), 1891-1932.
Sands & McDougall. Melbourne Directories, 1895-1920.
Staples, Wise & Co. 'Stanhope Estate, Malvern', c.189-? (State Library Victoria).
Statham, John 2008, 'HO367 Montrose House Heritage Assessment', City of Stonnington ['The Italianate mode' quoted and paraphrased at length].
Strahan, Lynne 1989, Public and Private Memory: A history of the City of Malvern, Hargreen
Publishing and the City of Malvern.
Victorian Brickworks: http://rameking2.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/charles-butler-andson.html; accessed 20 January 2017.
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MALVERN RAILWAY STATIONVictorian Heritage Register H1575
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MALVERN TRAM DEPOTVictorian Heritage Register H0910
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FORMER ES&A BANKVictorian Heritage Register H1691
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