Cottage Complex

What is Significant?

The cottage complex at 80 Gebbies Road, Lara, has significance as a rare grouping of Victorian vernacular stone buildings associated with farming and lime burning developments during Lara's fledgling years of development in the 1860s and 1870s. Variously constructed of rendered limestone and basalt, the original cottage and store were built in 1869, with the main gabled dwelling possibly constructed between c.1872 and 1884 when the property was first owned by William Foot. Foot and his family had occupied the land from 1869, having made a successful application for the site as a result of the passing of the 42nd clause of the amended Land Act (which came into force in 1869). Foot sold the property to George Walker, farmer and lime burner in c.1883-84 and it is also possible that main dwelling was built at this time under his ownership. With the death of George Walker in 1901, the property passed to his wife, Margaret, and from about this time she operated a bakery on the property in a gabled building that may have been built for this purpose. The bakery ceased in the 1920s on the death of Margaret Walker. Further contributing to the rarity as a 19th and early 20th century farm complex are the stone and galvanised steel outbuildings in the south-east corner of the site, possibly limestone quarries to the north of the site, rendered masonry wells and the mature peppercorn trees.

How is it Significant?

The cottage complex at 80 Gebbies Road, Lara is historically, architecturally and scientifically significant at a LOCAL level.

Why is it Significant?

The cottage complex at 80 Gebbies Road, Lara, is historically significant for its associations with 19th century farming and lime burning developments and particularly with William Foot and the Foot family, original owners and occupiers from 1869 (Criteria A & H). It was not until 1872 when William Foot formally purchased the land, a consequence of the enactment of the 42nd clause of the Land Act which enabled the formal acquisition of small farm landholdings. The property also has associations with the farming and lime burning developments by George Walker and his wife, Margaret, and from 1901 until the 1920s, the operation of Walker's bakery by Margaret Walker.

The cottage complex at 80 Gebbies Road, Lara, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (Criterion D). Although the main dwelling has been altered in the 20th century, this building and the 19th and early 20th century farm buildings are a rare surviving legacy of early farming and lime burning in the Lara area. They demonstrate original vernacular design qualities in their gabled forms, rendered limestone and basalt construction, modest scale and rudimentary appearance. The rendered masonry wells also contribute to the significance of the place. The main dwelling is also one of a small number of surviving Victorian vernacular styled dwellings in the Lara area, all of which have experienced alterations.

The remnant lime quarries at 80 Gebbies Road are scientifically significant as a legacy of 19th century lime operations in the local area, a process no longer in practice (Criterion F).

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Cottage