LEIGHWOOD
222 MOUNTJOY PARADE LORNE, Surf Coast Shire
Victorian Heritage Register
Statement of Significance
Last updated on - June 24, 1999
Rodney Alsop designed Leighwood at 222 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne for the Bell family in 1915. Both the Bell and Alsop families had associations with Lorne. The Bells were connected generally with the nearer western district. Leighwood is an excellent example of the bungalow type both for its original Indian qualities and, more clearly, as a combination of the Californian and Craftsman Bungalow styles. It was designed very much as a retreat from urban living. The informality of Leighwood is innovative. It is created by its planning and siting as much as the use of plain materials and simple details. There is direct access from the outside to the sitting room, dining room and kitchen. The plan is not centred on a formal hall. The bungalow became the dominant domestic building type after the First World War. Leighwood is an outstanding early example. It was executed with finesse and simplicity by a leading and gifted designer and remains remarkably intact in an evocative setting.
