Aloha
9 Boston Road BALWYN, BOROONDARA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is Significant?
'Aloha', 9 Boston Road, Balwyn, built in 1922 for Francis Edward Bellmaine to designs by architect G H Earp, is significant. The original brick garage is also significant.
The later brick front fence is not significant.
How is it significant?
'Aloha', is of local representative (architectural) and associative significance to the City of Boroondara.
Why is it significant?
'Aloha' is significant as a good and highly intact representative example of a relatively uncommon built form in the municipality during the interwar era, that is, a clear two-storied Bungalow form as opposed to the more common attic-storey Bungalow of the period. It retains typical elements of the Californian Bungalow style, namely its multiple projecting gables with gabled porch, face brickwork, wide eaves with exposed rafters and dominant chimneys. (Criterion D)
'Aloha' is significant for its association with Francis Edward Bellmaine and his wife, Mabel, for whom the residence was built. The house remained in their ownership until 1951. Francis Edward was a Camberwell City Councillor from 1917 to 1925, and chairman of the Freemasons' Hospital board of management from 1945 to 1948. He was also a past Deputy Grand Master of the Victorian Grand Lodge, and represented the Grand Master in England, as the Provincial Prior of the Order of Knights Templar in Victoria. Mabel founded the City of Camberwell Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital auxiliary in 1926 and was its president for five years before retiring due to poor health. She was also the president of the Camberwell Baby Health Centre movement and contributed to the establishment of five baby health centres in Camberwell during the 1920s. (Criterion H)-
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Aloha - Physical Description 1
'Aloha', 9 Boston Road, Balwyn, is a substantial double-storey red brick bungalow built in 1922. Prominently sited on the bend of Boston Road, overlooking Balwyn Park to the north-east, the house is set within an expansive garden of established trees. The site falls gently south to north. The property is bound on its east and northern boundaries by a tall clinker brick fence, which is a recent addition. A double garage and entry porch are reached off a return brick drive entered via mild steel gates along its eastern boundary.
The house is set under a hipped roof with multiple projecting gables and gabled porch. It has exposed rafter ends and eaves brackets. Gable ends are left unadorned with three vertical terracotta vents being the only decoration.
The building's dominant red-orange palette is achieved with the combination of red brick walls and the Marseille-pattern terracotta tiled roof. Notably, a belt course made up of a basketweave brick pattern sits within lines of projecting moulded bricks at the junction between the two storeys. This gives a subtle modulation to wall surfaces and building forms.
The house has two public elevations, though the eastern one is treated as the principal facade. It is symmetrically arranged and consists of two gable ends at the first-floor level with a projecting, central gabled entrance porch below. Above this entrance is a small casement window beneath the eaves. The southern gable has a tripartite widow at the first and ground floor levels whilst the northern gable is dramatically intersected by a stepped chimney, with its shoulders capped by contrasting triangular rendered fillets. This detail synthesises with the broad lintels of the first-floor windows and is repeated on the southern elevation. A timber frame double hung window punctuates the chimney breast at the first-floor level. This unusual detail is repeated at the ground floor level on the southern elevation. The northern elevation is dominated by a large, centrally placed projecting gable that houses an enclosed veranda/sunroom below, and a deep sheltered porch above. Windows are timber framed double hung sash windows with leaded panes to their upper sashes. Lintels and sills are painted and are either render on brick or precast concrete.
A detached garage, which appears to be original and appears on the 1926 MMBW plan, is constructed of red brick with a tiled roof and gable front.
'Aloha' is of high integrity with very few changes visible to original or early elements of the place. The house retains its original building form, complex hipped and gabled roof, original fenestration, and face brickwork.
The integrity of the house is greatly enhanced by the high level of intactness of these main elements, which includes details such as the Marseille patterned terracotta tiled roof, exposed rafter ends and eaves brackets, red face brick chimneys with corbelled detailing and inset windows, red face brick walls with basket-weave patterned brickwork demarcating the floor levels, terracotta wall vents, timber framed double hung sash windows with leaded upper sashes, expressed lintels and sills, gabled porch with arch and open balcony at first floor level.
The integrity of the place is enhanced by its substantial garden setting with mature landscaping and early garden elements including the original brick garage, sympathetic (but possibly not original) brick paved drive and stone garden walls.
The integrity of the place is slightly diminished by the addition of asunroom to the northern elevation that resulted in the enclosure of anoriginal porch.Heritage Study and Grading
Balwyn Heritage Study Peer Review Stage 2
Author: Context
Year: 2020
Grading: Local
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