Dwelling

History/Notes
The property at 24 Nantes Street formed part of the 'Newtown Brae' Estate subdivision of 1912. It was sold to William David Alexander in 1913 and he sold it to Joseph William Cahill in 1925. The following year, 1926, it was purchased by Michael Denno, a builder. He may have built this house in 1927 and sold it to Archibald McInnes at this time. McvInnes leased the
property to Henry C. Giles, a dentist, until he sold it to William J. Harrison of Drumcondra in 1929. Giles continued to occupy the dwelling until he purchased it in 1931.

Archibald McVicar McInnes (born c.1881) was the son of John McInnes, grazier in the Narracoorte district, South Australia. Archibald followed his father as a grazier, holding a wheat farm at Laen in the West Wimmera for a few years. He married Bertha Marion Black in 1912. Some years later, McInness acquired a grazing property at Berrybank near Lismore, Victoria. This property was eventually leased and with his family, McIness resided in Shannon Avenue, Newtown. Highly esteemed, McIness died in 1930 as the result of an accident, aged 49. As reported in The Horsham Times: 'The tragic death of Mr. Archibald McInnes, grazier, of Newtown, Geelong, came as a shock to his many friends in this district. it appears that when returning from Berrybank to Geelong on Thursday evening last week his car caught fire, and in endeavouring to extinguish the flames his clothes became ignited. Suffering great pain, Mr. McInnes ran to a dam a short distance away, and when in the water he collapsed and was drowned.'

The elevated single storey timber interwar Californian Bungalow is reflective of its original design. This includes the main gabled roof form and projecting front verandah gable clad in tiles. Other original features include the stuccoed brick verandah piers and balustrading with concrete cappings,the paired squat, round Doric columns, projecting flat-roofed faceted bay window at the front, timber framed double hung windows, front doorway and the gable infill (panelling and shingling). The attic windows might have been introduced or altered (additions were constructed in 1997). There is a recessive, gabled carport at the side. The front has an introduced fence comprising brick piers and plinths with bays of flat timber pickets.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1927, 19258, 19219, 1930, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Certificates of Title, vol. 3666 fol. 074, vol. 5042, fol. 307.
The Narracoorte Herald, 27 May 1930, p.2.
The Argus, 23 May 1930.
The Horsham Times, 30 May 1930.
Building Permit 2863/1997, City of Greater Geelong.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House