Dwelling - Hightrees

History/Notes
In 1925, Mrs Mary McLaughlin purchased the vacant land at 26 Stephen Street. She commissioned the builder, Fred Coulson, to construct this substantial two storey dwelling in 1926. It was designed by Cleverdon and McLaughlin, architects, with Dugald McLaughlin being the son of Mary McLaughlin. She was in occupation by 1927 and she lived there until her death in 1933.

Mrs Mary McLaughlin (nee McFarlane) was born at Warragul in c.1875 to Dugald and Sarah (nee McInnis) McFarlane. She married James McLaughlin, a grazier of Casterton, in 1902. They had three sons: Dugald (born 1903), James Ronald (born 1905) and John Myles (born 1909). They lived at the family farm, "Sunny Hill" at Casterton until James McLaughlin's death in November 1912. By 1914, Mrs McLaughlin and her sons had left the farm. Prior to the construction of the dwelling in Stephen Street, Mrs McLaughlin resided at 52 Sharp Street, Newtown.

The substantial, two storey, rendered cincrete brick, interwar Georgian Revival styled dwelling is intact when viewed from Stephen Street. The original design qualities include its symmetrical composition, tiled hipped roof form, regular bays of timber framed 12 paned double hung windows, pilastered and recessed entrance porch, timber entrance door and rendered brick chimneys. The gabled entrance portico has been introduced. The front fence was constructed in recent years. The cincrete block wall construction may have been manufactured by the Geelong Cincrete Company. According to the Geelong Advertiser, the product was 'in demand with builders' 'and composed of cinders and concrete, are exceptionally light, in light of their large size, and they become lighter with age.' Cincrete was also largely used by the Carlton Brewery Company in carrying out alterations and addition to their numerous hotels. Some of the principal designs by Cleverdon were for the Carlton Brewery Company.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
James McLaughlin, Probate Administration files, 1913, VPRS 28/P3 Unit 368 PROV.
Newtown Rate Books, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1935, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permit, 1926, City of Greater Geelong.
Building Permit 3663/2010, 301/2012, City of Greater Geelong.
Geelong Advertiser, 29 August 1924, p.4, 8 June 1925, 11 Aug 1926.
W.H. Cleverdon R.V.I.A. Personal file, box 86, env. 5, SLV.
Horsham Times, 4 April 1941.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House