Dwelling

History/Notes
The land at 29 Upper Skene Street was offered for sale as lot 1 of the McQueen Estate in 1928 and purchased by Frank Apted, solicitor. In 1934, he sold it to Walter Hooper, a chemist. In 1936, this house was designed at this time by the local architectural firm, Buchan Laird and Buchan, and built by C.L. Chappell, in anticipation of Hooper's marriage to Miss Lorna Alice Ebbott in 1936.

Walter Henry Wilbur Hooper was born in Geelong in 1909, the son of Walter Norman and Lottie Jane (nee Rangott) Hooper. W.H.W. Hooper was educated at Geelong College and in 1925 he passed the Melbourne University public examination. Hooper later studied at the Gordon Institute of Technology where in 1934 he completed a Diploma in Chemical Engineering. From this time, he worked as an industrial chemist. He relocated to Glen Iris, Melbourne, in 1939.

The interwar Bungalow styled dwelling appears to have been originally constructed with the existing main traversing gabled roof form and projecting minor gabled wing with a bank of timber framed double hung windows. The broad eaves and side chimney are early. Originally, there was a small entrance porch. Alterations and additions were carried out in 2010, including the return verandah and the gabled roof above the verandah.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permit, 1936, City of Greater Geelong. Building permit, 4859/2010, City of Greater Geelong.
W. Hooper, Probate Administration files, 2001, VPRS 28/P21 Unit 387 PROV.
Geelong Advertiser, 17 December 1924.
The Argus, 4 March 1925, 10 December 1934, 19 May 1940.
McQueen Estate subdivision plan, 14 April 1928, special collection, Alfred Deakin Library, Deakin University, SAMSS 333.337099452
Gre/Pos.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House