Aberdeen Street Heritage Area
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Statement of Significance
Statement of Cultural Significance
The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is significant for its select and notable concentration of intact Federation/Edwardian and especially interwar era dwellings. While the allotments fronting Aberdeen Street were initially laid out in the mid 19th century, it was not until the early 20th century and particularly during the interwar (c.1920-45) period when the area was transformed by the dwellings that survive today. These dwellings are predominantly single storey with detached compositions, hipped and gabled roof forms, front or return verandahs, corrugated sheet metal roof cladding, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, timber framed windows and detailing consistent with Edwardian, Federation and interwar Bungalow styles. Also contributing to the significance of the area is the rear location of carports and garaging.
The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criterion D.2). It demonstrates original and early design qualities associated with the residential development of the area from the early 20th century. These qualities are expressed in the Edwardian/Federation and interwar Bungalow styled dwellings that are predominantly single storey in appearance and have detached compositions. The buildings include the following design characteristics: hipped and gabled roof forms (with simple or complex roof outlines having a pitch between 25 and 35 degrees), front or return verandahs, corrugated galvanised steel roof cladding, horizontal timber weatherboard wall construction, brick chimneys (detailed to reflect the design era), brick cladding and brick verandah supports, narrow or wide eaves, timber verandah posts timber brackets and/or valances, timber framed windows arranged singularly, in pairs or bays, and the rear location of carports and garaging. Overall, these dwellings constitute 87% of the building stock in the area.
The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria A.4, H.1). It is associated with important eras of residential development from the mid 19th century but it was not until the early 20th century and particularly after the First World War that the area was developed with the dwellings that survive today. The arrival of the tram route in 1912 that extended from the city along Aberdeen Street to Pakington Street and along Aphrasia Street made land nearby more desirable for residential development.
Overall, the Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is of LOCAL significance.
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Aberdeen Street Heritage Area - Physical Description 1
Physical Evidence
Building Character & Appearance
The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is a residential area predominantly identified by detached dwellings.
Height
The dwellings in the heritage area are predominantly single storey in appearance and height (photos 2.01 -2.08) There are some two storey dwellings that have a single storey appearance as viewed from the street, with the two storey elements largely included in the roof gable or are well recessed from the front (photo 2.09)
Form, Design and Scale, Construction and Finish
The dwellings in the Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct comprise early 20th century and interwar eras (Federation, Edwardian, Interwar Bungalow and Interwar Californian Bungalow design buildings).
Prepared by City of Greater Geelong 35
There is a significant concentration of Federation and Edwardian dwellings interwar dwellings comprising interwar Californian Bungalow and interwar Bungalow styles in Aberdeen Street.
Edwardian and Federation Style Buildings
The early 20th century era buildings are largely designed in Edwardian and Federation styles and reflect the following type:
The Edwardian buildings in the precinct reflect the following key characteristics:
asymmetrical compositions and three dimensional composition of the overall form of the building.
Recessive hipped roof forms, and a gable and front verandah that projects towards the street some, with front verandahs formed under the main roof. Alternatively, broad hipped, gabled or gambrel roof forms.
Strapped and/or corbelled brick chimneys.
The verandahs are largely supported by timber posts and feature decorative timber fretwork valances and brackets.
Timber framed double hung windows and timber framed doorways with sidelights and highlights.
Timber joinery and roughcast gable infill.
Dwellings are constructed of horizontal timber weatherboards.
Galvanized corrugated steel (non-zincalume) roof cladding pitched at 25-35 degrees.
Timber eave bracket and exposed rafters.
Timber window hoods.
Rounded picket fence or capped timber picket.
Examples of Edwardian era buildings include 4 Cumberland Street (Photo 2.06) and 43 George Street.
The Federation era buildings in the precinct reflect the following key characteristics:
asymmetrical compositions and three dimensional composition of the overall form of the building.
Complex hipped and gable roof forms clad in slate or in Marseilles terra cotta tiles or galvanized corrugated steel (non-zincalume) roof cladding pitched at between 25-35 degrees.
Terra cotta roof ridge decoration and terra cotta finials.
Unpainted red brick construction.
Bowed projecting bay windows.
Timber framed or casement or double hung window
Dominant face red brick chimneys, commonly strapped with terra cotta pots.
Decorative timber fretwork, brackets and posts to verandahs.
Timber joinery and roughcast gable infill.
Timber window hoods.
Timber shingling.
Examples of Federation dwellings include 123 Aberdeen Street and 131 Aberdeen Street.
Bungalow Style Buildings
The interwar era dwellings are designed as interwar Bungalows and interwar Californian bungalows and include the following types:
A gable or hipped roof form that traverses the site, together with a minor gable and/or verandah that project towards the street frontage or at the side.
Timber framed double hung windows, arranged singularly, in pairs.
Verandahs are mainly supported by timber posts and brick piers, or solely with brick piers.
There are plain rectilinear brick chimneys, with some featuring rendered or soldier-coursed tops.
The gable infill comprises timber shingles.
Gable ventilator.
Street facing gable.
Constructed in horizontal timber weatherboards.
Low pitched roof forms between 25-35 degree roof pitch.
Wide eaves with exposed timber rafters.
Galvanized corrugated steel roof cladding.
interwar Bungalows with multiple hipped roof forms having front or side verandahs and several of the features listed for the interwar Californian Bungalows.
There is a concentration of interwar Bungalows in Aberdeen Street between Cumberland Street and George Street. Typical example of an interwar Californian Bungalow include the timber dwellings at 135 Aberdeen Street (Photo 2.08) and 137 Aberdeen Street. An example of interwar Bungalow dwellings are at 125 Aberdeen Street (Photo 2.07) and 129 Aberdeen Street.
Garages and Carports
More than half of the properties fronting Aberdeen Street have vehicle access from Aberdeen Street. The properties at 121-129 Aberdeen Street have rear vehicle access from the rear right of way. Dwellings with front vehicular access have their carports or garages located to the rear of the existing dwelling and are therefore are not streetscape features.
Significance of Dwellings
Twenty one of the twenty four dwellings (87%) within the Aberdeen Street Heritage precinct are considered to have significance within the area. Further details and a photograph of each of the dwellings are provided in the Inventory of Places as Volume 2.
The dwellings that have contributory significance (D) listing within the heritage precinct are:
117 Aberdeen Street
119 Aberdeen Street
121 Aberdeen Street
123 Aberdeen Street
125 Aberdeen Street
127 Aberdeen Street
129 Aberdeen Street
131 Aberdeen Street
135 Aberdeen Street
137 Aberdeen Street
141 Aberdeen Street
143 Aberdeen Street
147 Aberdeen Street
149 Aberdeen Street
151 Aberdeen Street
153 Aberdeen Street
2 Cumberland Street
4 Cumberland Street
43 George Street
45 George Street
6 Cumberland Street
The properties that are not considered to have significance within the precinct are at:
133 Aberdeen Street (six units).
40 George Street
42 George Street.
6 The Lairds Way (vacant).
Urban Design & Engineering Infrastructure
Layout and Subdivision
The layout of allotments within the Aberdeen Street Heritage precinct follow a traditional grid pattern subdivision.
The allotment sizes are generally uniform within the street and the precinct as a whole.
The allotment sizes in Aberdeen Street are typically 50 feet (15.24 metres). Some are slightly larger up to 70 feet (21.3 metres).
Setbacks
Throughout the precinct are regular front setbacks. Most dwellings form a consistent front setback pattern.
All dwellings have side setbacks with clear visual building separation.
Engineering Infrastructure
The Aberdeen Street Heritage precinct has no early engineering infrastructure. There are, however, asphalt footpaths.
Front Fences
The streetscapes within the Aberdeen Street heritage precinct are identified by a substantial number of introduced front fences possibly due to the heavy traffic that frequents Aberdeen Street.
In Aberdeen Street there are a number of high fences approx 1.8 metres in height and low fences approx 1.0 metres in height which are introduced.
Appropriate style fences relating to the era of the building include the property at 109A and the recently constructed fence at 121 and 123 Aberdeen Street.
There are also some properties with introduced brick and timber infill fences, low timber picket or other fences that do not relate to the design and construction of the interwar and postwar dwellings.
Landmarks
While located outside the heritage precinct the two storey commercial building located at the corner of Aberdeen Street and St James Street opposite the heritage precinct is visually connected to the heritage precinct and forms a strong local landmark.
Prepared by City of Greater Geelong 38
Landscaping
There are street trees in Aberdeen Street but no grassed nature strips within the Aberdeen Street Heritage precinct.
The setbacks to the properties include grassed areas, often bordered with flower beds or shrubbery and trees on the larger allotments.
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MITRE TAVERNVictorian Heritage Register H0464
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MELBOURNE SAVAGE CLUBVictorian Heritage Register H0025
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FORMER LONDON CHARTERED BANKVictorian Heritage Register H0022
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