Woolton Avenue Precinct
55-67 & 52-60 WOOLTON AVENUE, THORNBURY, DAREBIN CITY
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Statement of Significance
The Woolton Avenue precinct comprises the houses at 55-67 & 52-60 Woolton Avenue, Thornbury. It is an early twentieth century residential precinct - apart from Woolton at No.60 the houses were built in the first decades of the twentieth century. All the houses in the precinct are contributory and comprise relatively substantial detached double-fronted late Victorian/Federation villas, as well as Edwardian and inter-war houses and bungalows. The extent to which development in two key phases prior to and after World War I is evident and the relatively high integrity of the contributory dwellings when viewed from the street are important characteristics of the precinct.
Non-original additions and alterations to contributory houses are not significant.
Note: The houses at No.54 and No.60 are of individual significance and have separate citations including statements of significance.
How is it significant?
The Woolton Avenue Precinct in Thornbury is of local historic and architectural significance to Darebin City.
Why is it significant?
Historically, the Woolton Avenue Precinct in Thornbury is significant as a representative example of an early twentieth century residential subdivision, which provides evidence of an important phase in suburban development in Thornbury as the economy recovered in the first decades of the twentieth century and the infill development that occurred after World War I. (AHC criteria A.4, D.2)
The houses at 55 and 57 are architecturally significant as fine examples of Victorian Transitional-style villas in a garden setting, and have typical features of this style. The significance of these houses is enhanced by relatively high degree of external integrity. (AHC criterion D.2)
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Woolton Avenue Precinct - Physical Description 1
This is an early twentieth century residential precinct, which comprises groups of houses on the north and south sides of Woolton Avenue, between the Melbourne to Whittlesea Railway Line and St George's Road in Thornbury. The houses are relatively substantial detached late Victorian/Federation double-fronted villas and Edwardian and inter-war bungalows and houses, which illustrate the key periods of development described in the history.
The late Victorian/Federation villas are typical of the style and have M-hipped roofs with a separate verandah across the facade. The houses at Nos. 55 & 57, which are built on larger blocks, are notable for their high degree of external integrity. No.55 is a relatively large block-fronted house with a verandah that returns on one side to meet the projecting side bay. It has tall double-hung french windows and other detailing includes the paired eaves brackets and the rendered brick chimneys. No.57 is built of brick with a slate roof and is notable for the fine detailing, which includes the elegant and original cast iron verandah with central gablet, pairs of slender double hung sash windows on either side of the central doorway, paired eaves brackets and the symmetrically placed brick and render chimneys. Both houses have early woven wire fences with wrought-iron gates.
The late Edwardian/inter-war houses on the south side of the street include gable-fronted bungalow (No.59), a 1930s house with a hip tile roof and central projecting hip tile porch and an original rendered fence (61) and the bungalow with a gambrel roof and projecting front gable at No.63. No.65-67 is an unusual duplex with a single traverse hip roof with small gablet and a flat roof verandah extending across the facade, which is supported by timber posts set on brick piers.
On the north side of the street, the houses at No.54 and No.58 are individually significant and are described in detail in separate citations (Darebin Heritage Review 2000). The other contributory houses are the Edwardian bungalow at No.52, which has a hip roof with central brick chimney and projecting gables to the front and side, the 1930s house with hip tile roof and projecting hip roof porch supported by paired Tuscan order columns at No.56, and the double-fronted late Victorian/Federation villa at No.60. Like the houses at 55 and 57 the villa No.60 is notable for its high degree of external integrity. It has an original convex profile verandah with central gablet and intricate cast-iron frieze. There are tripartite windows in the front elevation and double hung sashs elsewhere. The roof is punctuated by three well-detailed brick and render chimneys. Other detailing includes the paired eaves brackets.
Heritage Study and Grading
Darebin - Darebin Heritage Study
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2011
Grading: Local
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BATMAN PARKVictorian Heritage Inventory
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PILGRIM INNVictorian Heritage Inventory
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BRICKWORKS, SEPARATION STREETVictorian Heritage Inventory
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AMF Officers" ShedMoorabool Shire
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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"1890"Yarra City
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'BRAESIDE'Boroondara City
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'ELAINE'Boroondara City
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