Dwelling

History/Notes
The land at 130 Aphrasia Street formed lot 2 of the Brooklyn Estate advertised for sale by public auction on 24 March 1923. The estate had earlier been part of Alfred Price's "Brooklyn" property (now addressed as 132-134 Aphrasia Street). The allotment was first sold to Mrs Jessie Bragge and she in turn sold it to William Joseph McNeil, retired grazier, in 1925. He had the existing dwelling built at this time by G. Christinson to a design by Fred C. Purnell, local architect. Purnell also designed a garage for the property thye following year.

William Joseph McNeill was born at Ascot, Victoria, in 1873, the son of John and Mary (nee Ryan), McNeil. He married Miss Ellen Worthington (born in Ballarat in 1878) and they had three children: William, Beryl and John. W.J. McNeill ran a sheep farm at Mt Cavern with his brother, Daniel. Presumably W.J. McNeill retired to Geelong in the 1920s. W.J. and Ellen McNeill lived their retirement years at 130 Aphrasia Street until their deaths in 1949 and 1947 respectively.

The substantial brick interwar Bungalow is predominantly intact. It has an original principal gable roof form (with attic) that traverses the site, together with a verandah gable (with attic) that projects towards the front. There is also a minor gabled wing on the west side. These roofs are clad in corrugated sheet metal. The verandah is supported by a rendered arcade above which is a small bellcast shingled balconette that has a glazed infill. The bases of the gable ends are bellcast and shingled. Other intact design features include the bay windows, timber framed double hung windows, skillion dormer windows, broad eaves with exposed timber rafters, and the timber gable brackets. At the front is an introduced high fence.

The dwelling at 130 Aphrasia Street was a precursor to F.C. Purnell's substantial design, 'Chipchase', 8-10 Ryrie Street, in 1930 for Dr Frederick Hilton Wallace.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Brooklyn Estate subdivision plan, 24 March 1923, maps & plans collection, B65, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Rate Books 1925, 1935, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permits, 1925, 1926, City of Greater Geelong.
Geelong Advertiser, 5 September 1925, p.7.
'Chipchase', Victorian Heritage Database online.
Creswick Advertiser, 22 May 1914, p.3.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House