Waiora
321-327 Glenferrie Road MALVERN, Stonnington City
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Statement of Significance
Waiora is of state significance on account of the following attributes:
- its association with one of Australia's pioneering mining agents, Bowes Kelly, a founder of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited and a later owner of Moorakyne, the neighbouring mansion property to Stonnington;
- the manner in which this property represents the nineteenth century development pattern of this part of Malvern;
- the architectural character of this unusually large single storey Italianate villa (both externally and internally);
- surviving architectural details including the verandah, intact fenestration and impressive interiors with elaborate walls and ceilings and fireplaces;
- the substantial outbuildings of the original development including the stables and coach house; and
- the generous landscape character of the front garden, mature trees, Edwardian picket fence and unusual wrough iron gateway.
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Waiora - Physical Description 1
Bowes Kelly was one of the most famous nineteenth century mining magnates. He was an original director of the Mt Lyall mine in Tasmania. Bowes Kelly also was involved in property development in Melbourne. Waiora is a single storey Italianate villa of extensive proportions set in larga grounds with the original coach house at the rear. The dominant feature of the house is the low pitched slate roof with two bands of decorative curved slates as well as the roof lantern at the south-west corner. This rises above the main roof line over the later billiard room . Whilst the chimneys have lost their cappings, the building is of note for the detailing of the cement render (eaves brackets and the cornices above and below the verandah_, as well as the extensive verandah which returns on eight sides. The verandah is of a simple cast iron design with a modest patterned frieze of a foliated form, simple round columns and cast Corinthian capitals. The brackets are integrated with the design design of the frieze. The building has several large tripartite windows with decoration to the casement boxes as well as the extensive verandah. Internally, in 1992, the walls had deep dados, apparently finished in an embossed papier mache moulding. Fire places were elaborately carved in what appeared to be blackwood and some retained their original tiled surrounds (some were of a particular unusual decorative character of floral and traditional medieval designs popular in the late nineteenth century) and hearth and cast iron grates. The archways in the hall were traditionally treated with moulded arches and elaborate capitals of a semi-Corinthian character. The billiard room has a spectacular roof lantern which has exposed and elegantly curved timber beams supported on projecting consoles which rise to the central roof lantern. This is glazed with sashes having glazing bars in the margins with decorative coloured glass.
Waiora is also enhanced by the extensive stables and coach house which is located on Adelaide Street at the rear. This has a complex building form with a high roof lantern and a narrow cross gable creating a loft. The former storeroom and laundry at the rear have a further section of cast iron veradah but this is of a different design. These buildings are unusual in the manner that decorative detailing is used to provide a picturesque character.
The former house is set well back on a very large site and is enhance by its fence and entry gates. These are of a particular distinctive character and provide an important sense of reminder of the former character of this section of Glenferrie Road. The later outbuildings are generally concealed from Glenferrie Road. There are several large and significant trees, mainly located near the street. Among the most important characteristics of the grounds are the fence and the wrought iron gate. The gate is of unusual early style that has a rural character associates with the wrought iron loops with stiles which terminate as loops on the top rail. Diagonal bracing completes this simple design. A cast iron pillar was used to close the main gate and a side pedestrian gate. (The drive has been widened so that the original gate cannot now be closed). The picket fence has an unusual character with alternate raised pickets, perhaps of an Edwardian era. It is an intact and important remaining picket fence from that period.
The house has been subject to various alterations. On the principal section of the house chimney cappings have been removed; the original verandah floor has been replaced with concrete; the decorative detailing to the gablet over the front entry has been removed; and various other piecemeal external additions have occured. Several recent buildings related to is current usage superficially detract from the character but not the overall significance of the property as they replace other intrusive buildings
Waiora - Local Historical Themes
8.2.2 'Country in the city' - suburban development in Malvern before 1920
10.4.1 Hospitals
4.3.2 Changing modes of transport - from horses to motor vehicles
6.3 Constructing capital city economies
Heritage Study and Grading
Stonnington - City of Malvern Heritage Study
Author: Nigel Lewis and Richard Aitken P/L
Year: 1992
Grading: A1
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