Byrne's Arcade Terrace

History:

Byrne's Arcade Terrace, 318-326 Victoria Street, Richmond, was built for Robert Byrne, a shopkeeper, in 1879. The Rate Books of 1878 show Thomas Byrne as the owner of a 7 room wooden house, valued at ₤24, and land valued at ₤26. The following year, Robert Byrne is shown as the owner of six brick houses, all valued at ₤30. In 1880, the same properties are listed as in the ownership of Thomas Byrne, but the value of the five houses has risen to ₤42. By 1887, the value of the houses had risen to ₤45, and the terrace was fully tenanted. By 1892, the value had risen to ₤60, but there was only one tenant. In 1895, the houses had devalued to ₤30, and only two were occupied. By the turn of the century, Byrne had sold the houses, which were occupied by their owners.

The adjoining house at 316 Victoria Street, Richmond, was built for Thomas Byrne as his own house, in 1885 (see separate datasheet).

Description:

Byrne's Arcade Terrace is a row of five double-storey attached rendered brick residences, Italianate in style. Each has a skillion-profile roof to a timber first-floor balcony with cast iron lacework infill as balustrading and friezes. The transverse gabled roof is concealed behind a rendered parapet with a dentillated moulded string course, central segmental pediment and decorative urns. Rendered corbels trim the wing walls of each terrace at roof and balcony level. Ground floor windows are tripartite timber-framed double-hung sashes, whilst at first floor level each dwelling has three rectangular double-hung windows.

Intactness varies across the residences. Whilst all the balconies have cast iron lacework friezes and balustrading, they are not all to the same design. Nos. 320 and 326 retain central verandah columns; the others do not. Colour schemes also vary; only the rendered chimneys with moulded caps remain unpainted.

Some of the original bluestone and iron picket front and dividing fences remain.

Significance:

Byrne's Arcade Terrace is of local architectural significance. Whilst there are a number of 19th century double-storey shops with residences above in Victoria Street, Byrne's Arcade Terrace is the only residential terrace, and a typical and reasonably intact example. It is a major contributor to the streetscape in an area much denuded by post-War commercial and industrial buildings.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Terrace