Dwelling - Hirst

History/Notes
The land at 3 Upper Skene Street initially formed part of larger landholding owned by Thomas Ryan from 1857. He built a dwelling near the front boundary at about this time. In 1926, the property had passed to Ryan's daughter, Miss Mary Ryan, and she proposed a four lot subdivision of the land. This portion of the landholdings did not sell at this time. On Miss Ryan's death in 1932, the land was subdivided and this site was owned by Catherine, Mary, Lucy and Winifred Ryan. They sold it to M.J. Denno, builder, in 1934. He appears to have constructed this house and then sold it to Godfrey Hirst junior in 1934, in anticipation of Hirst's marriage to Miss Rose Elizabeth Pearl Maddern at this time. They had a daughter, Barbara.

Godfrey Hirst was born in Geelong in 1911, the son of William Hirst (born 1877, Meltham, York, England) and Catherine Hirst (nee Cameron, born 1871, Mt Duneed). William Hirst was a pioneering woollen manufacturer in Geelong with his brother Godfrey, the business known as Godfrey Hirst and Co. Pty Ltd., Excelsior woollen and worsted mills. Godfrey Hirst junior followed his father and uncle into the family woollen textile business. With his wife, Pearl, he lived at 3 Upper Skene Street until at least 1950.

The single storey timber interwar Bungalow styled dwelling has a main gabled roof form, and minor gable and skillion verandah that projects towards the front. Other early features include the brick verandah piers and balustrade, brick wall base, brick entrance steps, gable infill, brick chimney, broad eaves, front bowed bay window, timber framed double hung windows and timber framed and glazed entrance doors. The garage at the side has been introduced but the original design and construction of the dwelling is clearly discernible. At the front is an introduced low brick fence.

References:
Land Application 47386, General Law Library, Laverton.
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1950 Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
The Age, 26 November 1925, p.9.
'Amanda', Hirst family, Rootsweb online, 1 January 2004.
Certificates of Title, vol. 5455 fol. 937, vol. 5844 fol. 647. Land Application 47686, General Law Library, Laverton.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House