Dwelling - Derreweit

History/Notes
With the death of G.A. Stephen in 1908, his land fronting West Melbourne Road and Stephen Street was sold to Daniel Organ McIntyre, clerk. He subdivided the land, the site at 305 Shannon Avenue being sold to William McAdam. He in turn sold it to Ernest Beach, a builder, in 1914. Beach subsequently built this dwelling at this time, in anticipation of his marriage to Miss Rita Isabell Robinson in November of that year. The dwelling was named 'Derreweit'.

Ernest Edwin Beach was born in Geelong in 1888, the son of Henry Richard and Stella Elizabeth (nee Rashleigh) Beach. Ernest followed his father into the building trade. With his wife, Rita, he lived at 'Derreweit' until 1918-19 when the property was sold to Richard Hancock, a retired farmer. On Hancock's death in 1925, his property was described as consisting of '6 roomed Weatherboard dwelling with outbuildings, fencing and garden' valued at 65 pounds.

The single storey timber dwelling reflects its original Federation style in the main hipped roof form with projecting gabled wings at the front and side connected by a return verandah formed as an extension of the main hipped roof. These roofs are clad in corrugated sheet metal. Other early Edwardian design features include the rendered chimneys, timber framed casement windows with highlights (especially shown in the projecting bay windows), broadly-projecting window hoods to the window bays in the gable ends, gable infill and timber brackets, the unusual square timber verandah posts with elongated timber brackets, and the timber verandah balustrade. There is a flat roofed rear addition.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1913-14, 1-14-15, 1917-18, 1918-19, 1921, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Certificates of Title, vol. 2121 fol. 075, vol. 2204 fol. 672, vol. 3793 fol. 521, vol. 3348 fol. 524.
Geelong Advertiser, 10 November 1914, p.1.
R. Hancock, Probate Administration files, 1925, VPRS 28/P3 Unit 1563 PROV.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House