Humffray Street Heritage Precinct

The Precinct is associated with the early track, Humffray Street, the main access route that followed the Yarrowee River to the major alluvial gold finds near Black Hill and the northern-eastern section of Eureka Lead at Brown Hill, later known as Little Bendigo.

The Precinct is also of historical importance for its association with the rich quartz and open cut company mining at Black Hill, which was first exploited by a group of French miners, and the environmental degradation of the Yarrowee River and flats that followed. The environmental impact of the mining in this area had major repercussions with sludge, debris that contaminated dams and polluted water, causing havoc with flash flooding down stream. Water Boards were set up early in 1860s to provide safe and secure water supplies, and to reduce the high rates of diseases. Major engineering infrastructure projects were undertaken to control water courses. It included the construction of a vast network of bluestone and brick channels, storm water drains as well as bluestone, kerbs and deep gutters that are a vital part of Ballarat's heritage. The northern section of the Precinct (in the general area now bounded by Princes, Morres and Newman Streets) is historical important as an example of environmentally degraded mining wasteland land that was only reclaimed recently for the construction of Housing Commission houses in the 1950s, while other areas along the Yarrowee River channel remain vacant.

The Precinct is also of historical significance for its association with early recreational activities held in Ballarat, particularly at Eastern Oval which became the home of the Ballarat Cricket Club in the mid-1850s, and the headquarters of the Ballarat Bowling Club in the mid-1860s. The Yarrowee Creek that runs around the oval is an important example of early timber lined canalization project in 1860s which was later upgraded with bluestone in 1880s.

The Humffray Street/Ballarat East Precinct is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria D.2, E.1).

The Precinct demonstrates many original and intact design qualities associated with the residential, educational, and cultural/community development of this early mining area of East Ballarat between the 1860s and the 1940s.

The particular mining character of this area is important to Ballarat as it retains the atmosphere of an early mining settlement more strongly than elsewhere. By the late 1850s Humffray Street had progressed from a rough bullock-dray track following the ridge line above Yarrowee River to a wide thoroughfare fronted with houses and the occasional store and hotel. The urban consolidation of the 1860s was based on a town layout plan prepared by the town surveyor John Curruthers. By 1880s the area included a mixed collection of housing, hotels, industry such as brick kilns and tanneries, shops, schools and a Female Refuge, and associated Alexander Steam Laundry and Alexander Babies Home. There are several notable Churches; the Primitive Methodist Church designed by J.A Doane (1860 2) the Bible Christian Church designed by carpenter S. H. Lugg, (1867) and Methodist Brown Hill Church, designed by J.A Doane (1869).

The built form and urban appearance of Humffray Street is important as it still retains the organic form of an unplanned commercial thoroughfare, typical of many ephemeral 19th century mining settlement, featuring long winding roads and closed vistas. These particular historic streetscape qualities are created by commercial buildings with post verandahs located at street corners interspersed by a diverse collection of largely 19th century modest vernacular timber weatherboard cottages. Many of the rear lanes and side streets remain undeveloped, others contain evidence of very small early miners cottages.

Despite the quite varied residential allotment sizes and widths, the Precinct is architecturally important for its high numbers of substantially intact examples of small scale Victorian, Edwardian and Inter War style cottages and villas set in mature gardens. The subdivision pattern varies considerably with local streets of varying widths in the western sector of the Precinct, which also contains the smallest allotment sizes and dense small scale residential development, characterized by predominately single-storey timber weatherboard cottages.

The Humffray Street/Ballarat East Precinct is aesthetically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria D.2, E.1).

The Precinct demonstrates important visual qualities that reflect the historical, cultural and architectural development of the Precinct, that contribute to its historic mining landscape setting. These qualities include the complex views across and through the Precinct to other parts of Ballarat including north to Black Hill. Other important aesthetic qualities include a variety of significant urban landmarks, a number of which can be seen from outside of the Precinct. These include but are not limited to the Brown Hill Uniting Church, the Eastern Oval reserve with its notable grandstand and mature trees including the W.G.Grace Dutch Elm, the former Eastern Station Hotel and various commercial and cultural/community buildings along Humffray Street North as well as the former Ballarat Female Refuge and former Alexandra Babies Home in Scotts Parade. Exotic trees such as mature Corsican and Monterey Pines mature oaks and other pines dominate many viewscapes, which together with a number of grassy ovals provide an open recreational landscape focus within residential surroundings.

The important visual qualities of the Precinct are also enhanced by the gravel/grass road shoulders and turf nature strips or footpaths; by the stretches of unmade roads; and by private gardens with mature canopy trees. Together with the various treed and landscaped reserves they provide the Precinct with a less urbanised setting of considerable variety. Furthermore, the visual qualities of the precinct are specially enhanced by the retention of much of its original engineering infrastructure, particularly as identified by the numerous stretches of bluestone or brick spoon drains, and bluestone or brick kerbing and channel gutters

The Humffray Street/Ballarat East Precinct is scientifically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criterion C.2 and F).

The Precinct is of importance for contributing to our knowledge of the infrastructure development of East Ballarat associated with efforts to minimize the environmental degradation caused by mining operations. This is evidenced by intact stretches of bluestone and brick spoon drains, kerbing and channel gutters, and stormwater drainage channel with its unusual cast-iron pipe culvert. Furthermore the precinct contains highly significant specimens of Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus) and Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra var. corsicana). There is also a notable specimen of a Dutch Elm (Ulmus x hollandica) that is also on the Significant Tree Register.

The Humffray Street/Ballarat East Precinct is socially significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criterion G.1).

The Precinct is recognized and highly valued by the local community for residential, religious, and recreational reasons.

Group

Urban Area

Category

Mixed Use Precinct