Balfour's Motors

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Balfours Motors building, 155 Mercer Street, Geelong, has significance for its long-term associations with motor car servicing, repairs and parts from 1918 until the present day (2002). Originally built for the woolbrokers Dennys Lascelles in 1918 to a design by the Geelong architects, Laird and Buchan, the building experienced several alterations and additions from 1918 until the 1960s. The Balfours Motors building also has significance as a moderately intact example of an important early 20th century motor garage in Geelong that continues to operate as originally intended.

The Balfours Motors building, 155 Mercer Street, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original and early design qualities from the early 20th century. These qualities include the rudimentary capped parapet of the main building, as well as the projecting moulded cornice and horizontal composition that is punctuated by three vertically-oriented arched pavilions with raised parapets. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the single storey height to the Mercer Street facade, two storey height to the Gheringhap Street facade, arched pavilions, timber framed shopfront windows with upper awning sashes, slightly projecting stringcourse above the Mercer Street shopfront windows, rendered and/or painted brick wall construction, timber framed windows within the arch of the Gheringhap Street pavilion, timber framed basement windows, shallow rudimentary Gheringhap parapet that extends to the height of the slightly projecting stringcourse on the Gheringhap Street pavilion, double hipped (M) roof form clad in lapped galvanised corrugated iron painted grey, regularly spaced painted brick piers that extend from ground level and terminate at the top of the parapet (Gheringhap Street facade), three banks of timber framed windows at first floor level (Gheringhap Street facade), shopfront window openings at ground floor level (Gheringhap Street facade), timber framed four paned double hung windows (Gheringhap Street facade), galvanised iron rainheads and round downpipes, and the timber flagpole that surmounts the central pavilion on the Mercer Street facade.

The Balfours Motors building, 155 Mercer Street, is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with commercial developments in Geelong in the early 20th century, particularly in relation to the motor car industry. In particular, this building has associations with Dennys Lascelles, original owners from 1913. However, the historical significance of the building especially lies in its long-time associations with the Balfour family, who have operated the motor garage and parts store from 1918 and the business continues to be known as Balfours Motors to the present day (2002). The building has further associations with the R.A.C.V., when the local headquarters in 1931. There are also associations with the Geelong architects, Laird and Buchan, who were responsible for the original building design in 1913, as well as the alterations and additions from 1918 until the at least the late 1930s.

The Balfours Motors building, 155 Mercer Street, Geelong, is socially significant at a LOCAL level. It is recognised by sections of the Geelong community as an important, long-standing motor garage and motor parts building. Overall, the Balfours Motors building is of LOCAL significance.

REFERENCES

Nicholls, T., Balfour Motors - Conservation Report, School of Architecture & Building, Deakin University, 1990 (copy held in the Geelong Historical Records Centre).

Geelong Town Plan, 1881, Geelong Historical Records Centre

Group

Commercial

Category

Other - Commercial