Dwelling

History/Notes
A two-roomed timber cottage appears to have been erected on this site in c.1859 for J.B. Evans, law clerk. It was extended or replaced with a four-roomed brick house in 1862-63. The dwelling was sold to Thomas Wills, cricketer and founder of Australian Rules football, in 1872. He sold the property to Kennteth Sutherland in 1878 and in turn, he sold it to John West, gentleman, in 1885. He lived there until his death in 1898 when the property was described as "a 7 roomed brick and W.B. house with stable and stud." It remained in the West family until it was sold to Charles Seeley in 1905-06. He sold it to William McRorie in 1909-10 and he in turn sold it to William Pearson in 1910-11 (it was addressed as 35 Upper Skene Street in 1912). Pearson rented the property until his death in 1929.

It would appear that the brick dwelling of the early 1860s was demolished and replaced with a hipped roofed brick veneer dwelling in late 1971 when the property was owned by J.W. L. Hosking. In 1973, it was owned by the Sisters of Mercy Property
Association who owned it until 2002. The dwelling built in late 1971 was demolished in 2012 and replaced with the existing house. At the front is a high rendered brick and horizontal timber fence.

References:
Land Applications 77194 & 113058L, General Law Library, Laverton.
Newtown Rate Books, 1860-61, 1895-1950, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Planning Permit 12/20-12, City of Greater Geelong.
Building Permit 1483/2012, City of Greater Geelong.
J. West, Probate Administration files, 1898, VPRS 28/P2 Unit 499 PROV.
W. Pearson, Probate Administration files, 1929, VPRS 28/P3 Unit 812 PROV.
GWST Amended Plan of Drainage, No. 6136, dated Sept & Nov 1971, City of Greater Geelong.
J.H. Bottrell, 'Geelong Reminiscences: Early Homes of Newtown', no. 5, part 2, 1930, published in the Geelong Advertiser, Geelong Family History Group Inc., collection.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House