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'Diamond House' & adjacent house, 24 Seaby Street, STAWELL

Location

24 Seaby Street STAWELL, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE

Level

Recommended for VHR

Statement of Significance

The Diamond House at 24 Seaby Street, Stawell, has significance as a unique example of 19th century domestic architecture in Victoria. Constructed of rectangular, parapeted wall planes, the building features highly unusual and intact brown and quartz stone facades shaped in diamond patterns and bordered by timber slats. The idea and construction was conceived by the original owner, John Hearne, miner and wine merchant, with the work being carried out between c.1866 and 1868. The house appears to be in good condition when viewed from the street and makes a significant contribution to the predominantly single storey Victorian styled streetscape.

The Diamond House at 24 Seaby Street is architecturally and scientifically significant at a STATE level. It demonstrates unique design and construction qualities for a 19th century residential building in Victoria. These qualities include the parapeted rectangular wall planes constructed of brown stones and white quartz in the shape of diamonds that are bordered by wooden slats. Other intact qualities include the uniform appearance of the carefully cut and fitted stones, decorative brick and stone parapet band, screw fixings, flat roof behind the parapet, unpainted and multi-corbelled chimney, and the paired elongated timber framed casement windows with herringbone pattern glazing that continues the diamond theme. There are few if any known comparisons with the Diamond House in Australia, with the most comparable building being Jules Saulner's chocolate factory at Noisiel on the Marne in France. This design was published in E.E. Viollet-le-Duc's Entretiens sur l'Architecture, second volume, published in French in 1872 and in English in 1881.

The Diamond House at 24 Seaby Street is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with residential developments in Stawell in the 19th century. In particular, this house has associations with John Hearne, miner, wine merchant and original owner, who conceived the rare design and construction of the house had built it between c.1866 and 1868.

The Diamond House at 24 Seaby Street is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised and valued by the Stawell community for its highly unusual architectural qualities.

Overall, the Diamond House is of STATE significance.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House