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House; 36 Forrest Street, SUNSHINE

Location

36 Forrest Street, SUNSHINE VIC 3020

File Number

1732

Level

Stage 2 study complete

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36 Forrest Street.JPG

Statement of Significance

Individual place statement of significance::
The houses in Forrest Street are major remnants of the large blocks allotted to senior staff of the Sunshine Harvester works. Many of the houses are set well back on their blocks, giving an air of spaciousness. They are all weatherboard with large corrugated iron roofs and tall chimneys. Gables, verandahs, and rough-cast surfaces are a feature of many of the houses, A number of the houses have associations with people who worked for the Sunshine Harvester Works or who were members of the McKay family.

Precinct statement of significance::
The McKay housing subdivision is of national historical and social significance as the first stage of the suburb created by Australia's leading industrialist and a milestone in the development of the industrial suburb, under the influence of the Garden City movement. Sunshine became a yardstick for planning and housing reformers, with H.V. McKay being regarded as an expert on planned industrial housing. The McKay estate is of regional architectural significance as it marks a crucial phase in the development of Sunshine, housing the resident work force which promoted further industrial development.

The estate is also of historical significance in relation to H. V. McKay's important role in the history of industrial relations in Victoria and Australia, as the provision of housing for his workers was one of the arguments made by McKay in defending the Basic Wages Case which lead to Justice Higgins' "Harvester Judgement".

The group of houses along Forrest Street, Ridley Street, Sydney Street, King Edward Avenue, Anderson Road, Talmage Street and Kororoit Street, represent the type of houses built either by or for company employees, foremen and managers. The houses include major remnants of the large blocks allotted to senior staff of the Sunshine Harvester Works. Most of the houses were set back on their blocks with side drives, rather than rear service lanes, giving an air of spaciousness and permitting large gardens (of which some remnants survive).

Group