42 The Avenue, Windsor

The Avenue Precinct, Windsor, is a small residential area of freestanding villas developed through the 1880s (Nos 42, 44 and 46) and 1890s (Nos 48-56).

Elements that contribute to the significance of the precinct include:

. The consistent construction dates.

. The consistent open setbacks of the villas.

. The detached form of individual villas.

. Complete absence of modern infill development and prominent additions and alterations.

. Modest scale of the residential buildings which are typically of one storey.

. All of the buildings within the group are of high individual architectural distinction and have been identified as significant buildings under the City of Stonnington Planning Scheme.Otiraat No 56 is graded A1.

. Face brick, timber or render materiality and roofscapes with chimneys and pitched roof forms clad in tiles.

. Intactness of the individual dwellings to their original states. The villas typically survive with their presentation to the street unaltered retaining verandahs and decorative detailing.

. Garden setbacks to the street which are (with the exception of 46 and 54) free from prominent vehicle accommodation.

. Most buildings retain original fences to the street.

. The large plane trees in the median strip along the eastern side of The Avenue.

How is it significant?

The Avenue Precinct, Windsor, is of local historical (HERCON Criteria A, C, & F) and aesthetic significance (HERCON Criteria B, D & E).

Why is it significant?

The Avenue Precinct is of historical significance retaining remnants of one of the earliest and most elegant streets in the former City of Prahran (8.2 Middle-class suburbs and the suburban ideal). Development in the area generally derives from the surge of building construction which swept across South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor during the land boom which continued into the 1880s and beyond (3.3.1 Crown Land Sales, 3.3.3 Speculation and land boomers). The Precinct is unusual for the extent to which development proceeded unabated during the recession of the 1890s. Areas of this level of intactness to their early state are becoming increasingly rare. The Precinct is of some additional interest for its associations with, noted developer, Henry Cheel and with St Matthew's Church.

The Avenue Precinct is of aesthetic significance for its, largely intact, collection of late Victorian buildings. By local standards, these are unusually grand reflecting the stature of their original occupants (8.4.1 Houses as a symbol of wealth status and fashion). Mature plane trees along the eastern side of The Avenue provide a garden setting for the group (8.7.1 Creating leafy suburbs).

The significance of the Precinct is evidenced by the unusually high gradings assigned to buildings within the group (Refer to the Schedule of Gradings appended to this report). Such consistently high levels of individual significance are rarely encountered within Council's Heritage Overlay areas.

Group

Health Services

Category

Doctor's Surgery