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Upper Skene Street

Location

1-63 Upper Skene Street NEWTOWN, GREATER GEELONG CITY

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

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Upper Skene Street Precinct
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Upper Skene Street Precinct.
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Photo 2: 'Meran', 11 Upper
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Photo 3: 'Aireys' and
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Photo 4: Dwelling, 35 Upper
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Photo 5: 'Mowbray', 45 Upper
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Photo 6: Dwelling, 63 Upper
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Photo 7: Dwelling, 51 Upper
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Photo 8: Dwelling, 53 Upper
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Photo 9: Dwelling, 55 Upper
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Photo 10: 'Baillieu', 57 Upper
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Photo 11: 'Hirst', 3 Upper
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Photo 12: Dwelling, 9 Upper
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Photo 13: Dwelling, 37 Upper
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Photo 14: Dwelling, 43 Upper
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Photo 15: Dwelling, 7 Upper
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Photo 16: Dwelling, 47 Upper
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Photo 17: 'Chetwynd', 5 Upper
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Photo 18: Dwelling, 23 Upper
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Photo 19: Dwelling, 25 Upper
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Photo 20: Dwelling, 59 Upper
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Photo 21: Dwelling, 31 Upper
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Photo 22: Aerial view of
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Photo 23: Upper Skene Street,
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Photo 24: Upper Skene Street,
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Figure 1: Portion of the
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Figure 2: Subdivision of
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Figure 3: Subdivision of
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Figure 4: R. Balding, Map of
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Figure 5: Thomas Wentworth
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Figure 6: View looking north
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Figure 7: Geelong Waterworks &
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Figure 8: 'Newtown Tram
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Figure 9: Miss Mary Ryan�s
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Figure 10: Aerial view
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Figure 11: McQueen Estate
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Figure 12: Aerial showing

Statement of Significance

What is Significant?
The Upper Skene Street Heritage Precinct, 1-63 Upper Skene Street, Newtown, has significance as a predominantly intact grouping of interwar era Bungalows, and to a lesser degree, Late Victorian and Edwardian styled dwellings. These houses reflect the evolution of the street from the late 1890s until the 1940s. Until the interwar period, the street largely remained a rural residential area, with only 11 dwellings on the south side of the street until c.1915. These houses were built from the 1850s following the broad subdivision of the area and the creation of Upper Skene Street. No fabric of the mid 19th century survives. The area is primarily identified by detached, single storey, modestly-scaled dwellings on separate allotments. The majority have hipped/and or gabled roof forms, front verandahs, corrugated sheet metal roof cladding, timber weatherboard wall cladding, timber framed windows and doors, chimneys and detailing applicable to their era and style. There are a smaller number of houses with tiled roofs and brick wall construction (either face brick or with a rendered finish). The dwellings have elevated locations from the street boundaries, a consequence of the steeply-sloping topography of the area. Contributing to the significance of the place is the regular, rectangular allotment pattern, regular front setbacks with garden settings, narrower side setbacks with side driveways, and mainly recessive garaging. In 2016, the character and appearance of the streetscape is enhanced by the avenue of alternating Lophostemon confertus (Queensland Brush Box) and Corymbia ficifolia (West Australian Flowering Gum street trees. While planted in the c.1960s (being outside the significant era of development for the area), they reflect the evolution of change in tree plantings, with Upper Skene Street having been characterised by an avenue of trees since the interwar period.

How is it significant?
The Upper Skene Street Heritage Precinct, Newtown, is historically and aesthetically significant at a LOCAL level.

Why is it significant?
The Upper Skene Street Heritage Precinct is historically significant as a tangible legacy of residential progress in this part of Newtown between the 1890s and the 1940s (Criteria A & H). Initially developed from broad subdivisions in the early 1850s, the street formed part of a predominantly rural residential area until the interwar period. Only 11 dwellings had been built until c.1915, being very modest and of timber or brick construction. At 33 Upper Skene Street, the brick dwelling built in the 1860s was the home of Thomas Wentworth Wills between 1870 and 1878. Wills was a notable amateur cricketer who coached the first Australian Eleven all-Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868. He was also one of the pioneers of Australian Rules Football, and played over 210 games, mainly with Geelong, retiring in 1876. No physical evidence of Wills' dwelling survives. More tangible are the associations with the professional and primarily the working class as illustrated in the existing houses. The earliest, 11 and 13 Upper Skene Street were first owned by the wheelwright, Charles Wilks. Homes built in the Federation period at 45 and 63 Upper Skene Street were for Miss Kate Adcock, of independent means, and Abram Dower, engine driver. They were constructed on the 'Newtown Tram Estate', a subdivision of Henry King's 'Sunnyside' property in 1912. However, the greatest transformation of Upper Skene Street came during the interwar period. It resulted in part from additional subdivisions of larger landholdings, including the late Mrs McQueen's property in 1928 (subdivided as the 'McQueen Estate'). The transformation also resulted from the need for modest, affordable housing. Several of the dwellings were built for returned soldiers, including those at 9 Upper Skene Street (for Valentine Curtis, in 1927), 39 Upper Skene Street (for Matthew Foggo, labourer, in 1923), 43 Upper Skene Street (for Frederick Gavin, plumber in 1924) and 57 Upper Skene Street (for Laurence Willy in 1926 - he named the house 'Baillieul', after the Casualty Clearing Station at Baillieul, France, where he had been evacuated after being wounded in action). Several other houses have associations with businessmen and professionals. They included those at 23 Upper Skene Street (Bruce Mills, accountant and Geelong Football Club footballer, in 1930), 25 Upper Skene Street (for Allan Shrimpton, clerk and Tourist Bureau Proprietor, in 1931), 29 Upper Skene Street (for Walter Hooper chemist, in 1931), 27 Upper Skene Street (for Laurie Brooke-Ward, clerk, in 1937), 41 Upper Skene Street (for William Walker, grocer, in 1930), 7 Upper Skene Street (for Lewis Campbell Dunoon, accountant, in 1933), 3 Upper Skene Street (for Godfrey Hirst junior, woollen manufacturer, in 1934) and 5 Upper Skene Street (for Lionel Walter, long-serving Town Clerk of the Geelong City Council). The precinct also has associations with several local builders, and particularly John Henry Godfrey (Harry) Denno (who built five dwellings in Upper Skene Street between 1925 and 1941), and M.J. Denno and H.S. Johnston.

The Upper Skene Street Heritage Precinct has aesthetic significance as a demonstration of original Late Victorian, Federation and interwar era design qualities as expressed in the existing, predominantly intact grouping of dwellings (Criterion D). The modest scale, conventional designs and detailing clearly reflect the eras within which they were constructed, with most being predominantly intact. At the west end of the precinct is a grouping of four, gabled timber Bungalows of similar design and detailing (including paired verandah posts), the work of Harry Denno. The hipped interwar Bungalow at 41 Upper Skene Street is a contextually substantial example of its type, while 'Chetwynd' at 5 Upper Skene Street is an locally unusual Bungalow type, being an Old English styled brick dwelling. The dwelling at 59 Upper Skene Street, of more conventional design, might be reflective of a State Savings Bank design concept. Architecturally, the grouping of primarily interwar Bungalows (with a lesser number of Late Victorian and Federation era dwellings) is comparable to other heritage precincts in Greater Geelong, including parts of the Aberdeen, George and Skene Streets Heritage Area (Newtown), Eyre Heritage Area (Newtown), Mercers Hill Heritage Area (Newtown), parts of the Newtown West Heritage Area (Newtown) and Kardinia Heritage Area (Belmont).

SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPONENTS
Contributory Significance
These places make an important contribution to an understanding of the historical evolution and aesthetic character of the Upper Skene Street precinct, being representative examples of development in the important period between the late 1890s and 1940s:

* 3 Upper Skene Street.
* 5 Upper Skene Street.
* 7 Upper Skene Street.
* 9 Upper Skene Street.
* 11 Upper Skene Street.
* 13 Upper Skene Street.
* 19 Upper Skene Street.
* 23 Upper Skene Street.
* 25 Upper Skene Street.
* 27 Upper Skene Street.
* 31 Upper Skene Street.
* 37 Upper Skene Street.
* 39 Upper Skene Street.
* 41 Upper Skene Street.
* 45 Upper Skene Street.
* 47 Upper Skene Street.
* 51 Upper Skene Street.
* 55 Upper Skene Street.
* 57 Upper Skene Street.
* 59 Upper Skene Street.
* 61 Upper Skene Street.
* 63 Upper Skene Street.

Conservation Desirable
These places been noticeably altered to public view and therefore they do not meet the threshold for contributory significance. However, some original design qualities and historical associations to the precinct are discernible and of interest:

* 21 Upper Skene Street.
* 35 Upper Skene Street.
* 53 Upper Skene Street.

Non Significant
These places have been greatly altered (their original designs not being immediately discernible) or they do not relate to the significant era of building development of the Newtown West Heritage Precinct between the late 1890s and 1940s:

* 1 Upper Skene Street.
* 15 Upper Skene Street.
* 17 Upper Skene Street.
* 29 Upper Skene Street.
* 33 Upper Skene Street.
* 43 Upper Skene Street (interwar era dwelling demolished 2016).
* 1,2,3/49 Upper Skene Street.

Precinct Map
The following precinct map shows the boundaries of the proposed Newtown West Heritage Precinct.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Upper Skene Street

Location

Level

Statement of Significance

Group

Category