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Grimwade Court Precinct
1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND 5 AND 6 GRIMWADE COURT CAULFIELD NORTH, GLEN EIRA CITY
Grimwade Court Precinct
1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND 5 AND 6 GRIMWADE COURT CAULFIELD NORTH, GLEN EIRA CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The Grimwade Court Precinct comprises a cluster of six large detached brick houses built between 1935 and 1940 following the creation of a 1928 cul-de-sac subdivision from the
former site of the Victorian mansion, St Aubins. The houses, built by different owners who selected their own architects, reflect the fashionable Moderne and Tudor Revival styles of
the period. While varying in their articulation and detailing, they are broadly similar in form, scale and setback.
The following houses are deemed to be contributory elements in the precinct:
former site of the Victorian mansion, St Aubins. The houses, built by different owners who selected their own architects, reflect the fashionable Moderne and Tudor Revival styles of
the period. While varying in their articulation and detailing, they are broadly similar in form, scale and setback.
The following houses are deemed to be contributory elements in the precinct:
- Grimwade Court: Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
The significant fabric is deemed to include the exterior of all six original houses (and original garages) as well as original brick walls to driveways and street boundaries, and other
elements of the front garden that contribute to the inter-war character of the precinct.
elements of the front garden that contribute to the inter-war character of the precinct.
How is it significant?
The Grimwade Court Precinct satisfies the following criteria for inclusion on the heritage overlay schedule to the City of Glen Eira planning scheme:
- Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Glen Eira’s cultural history.
- Criterion E: Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics.
Why is it significant?
The Grimwade Court Precinct is historically significant as an exceptional example of an interwar cul-de-sac estate developed on the former site of a Victorian-era mansion. From
the 1910s, this pattern of settlement became increasing common in Melbourne’s desirable inner-southern suburbs as demand for residential allotments rapidly outstripped the need for grand mansions in expansive grounds. Characteristically, sprawling Victorian-era properties were nibbled away by subdivision until the original residence remained with a nominal curtilage. Grimwade Court, created in 1928 when the mansion St Aubins (originally fronting Orrong Road) was finally demolished, was conceived as a high-end development, taking its name from the adjacent private school. Although subsequent development was delayed by the Depression, the cul-de sac filled out in the second half of the 1930s as the blocks were snapped up and built upon by wealthy residents (most of whom already lived in the area) who saw a rare opportunity to furnish themselves with a grand residence in an exclusive new enclave. As such, Grimwade Court is quite distinct from contemporaneous cul-de-sac estates more typically created by a single builder/developer who erected all the houses and then sold them off individually. (Criterion A)
The Grimwade Court Precinct is aesthetically significant as an intact and cohesive cluster group of large detached brick dwellings, erected within a few years of each other in the later 1930s and early 1940s. Although designed by different architects for different clients, the six houses display a notable sense of consistency in their scale (ie double-storey), materials (ie, brick and terracotta tile), articulation (ie, asymmetrical double-fronted facades), setbacks and general sense of grandeur. With four of the houses designed in the Streamline Moderne idiom and two in the Tudor Revival mode, they collectively illustrate the two parallel trends in domestic architecture of the period, favouring progressive and conservative design respectively. Even within the framework of their stylistic similarities, the houses are distinct in their form and detailing. This melding of cohesion and individuality has formed a striking residential enclave, enhanced by the retention of original front walls, driveways, garages and front gardens that, with their expansive lawn areas, garden beds, low plantings and mature trees, remain highly evocative of the interwar period. (Criterion E)
the 1910s, this pattern of settlement became increasing common in Melbourne’s desirable inner-southern suburbs as demand for residential allotments rapidly outstripped the need for grand mansions in expansive grounds. Characteristically, sprawling Victorian-era properties were nibbled away by subdivision until the original residence remained with a nominal curtilage. Grimwade Court, created in 1928 when the mansion St Aubins (originally fronting Orrong Road) was finally demolished, was conceived as a high-end development, taking its name from the adjacent private school. Although subsequent development was delayed by the Depression, the cul-de sac filled out in the second half of the 1930s as the blocks were snapped up and built upon by wealthy residents (most of whom already lived in the area) who saw a rare opportunity to furnish themselves with a grand residence in an exclusive new enclave. As such, Grimwade Court is quite distinct from contemporaneous cul-de-sac estates more typically created by a single builder/developer who erected all the houses and then sold them off individually. (Criterion A)
The Grimwade Court Precinct is aesthetically significant as an intact and cohesive cluster group of large detached brick dwellings, erected within a few years of each other in the later 1930s and early 1940s. Although designed by different architects for different clients, the six houses display a notable sense of consistency in their scale (ie double-storey), materials (ie, brick and terracotta tile), articulation (ie, asymmetrical double-fronted facades), setbacks and general sense of grandeur. With four of the houses designed in the Streamline Moderne idiom and two in the Tudor Revival mode, they collectively illustrate the two parallel trends in domestic architecture of the period, favouring progressive and conservative design respectively. Even within the framework of their stylistic similarities, the houses are distinct in their form and detailing. This melding of cohesion and individuality has formed a striking residential enclave, enhanced by the retention of original front walls, driveways, garages and front gardens that, with their expansive lawn areas, garden beds, low plantings and mature trees, remain highly evocative of the interwar period. (Criterion E)
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Heritage Study and Grading
City of Glen Eira Post-war and Hidden Gems Heritage Review
Author: Built Heritage Pty Ltd
Year: 2020
Grading:
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