Former Astolat Ladies' College

The former Astolat Ladies' College, 59 Auburn Road, Hawthorn. Astolat was founded by sisters Mary and Rosina Card in 1889 and shortly moved to this site, after it was purchased by their father, David Card, in 1890. When it first opened its doors, the site at 59 Auburn Road contained a brick school building of two rooms, and had 74 students (both female and male). Mary Card was the Head Teacher of the college, her sister Harriet ran the kindergarten, and their mother was in charge of boarders.

The school building was enlarged, or more likely rebuilt, in 1899-1900 to its present size of eight rooms. It is an attic-style bichrome brick building with a transverse gable roof and a high level of mostly Queen Anne detailing. The school operated here until 1903, when Mary Card retired due to her failing hearing. She went on to become famous for her crochet patterns, published in Australia, England and the United States.

The current front porch, added in 1932 for owner Joseph Le Pine of Le Pine & Sones funeral parlours, is sympathetic in its design.

While the two mature Norfolk Island Pines in the front yard provide an attractive setting, due to their relatively young age (40-50 years), they are not considered to be of heritage significance.

The former Astolat Ladies' College is of local historical and aesthetic significance to the City of Boroondara.

Historically, as a purpose-built private school, which is domestic in its scale and detail so ask to fit comfortably into its residential setting, its original use signalled by its two front doors. The former Astolat is a tangible illustration of the era in the late 19th and early 20th century when secondary education was rarely expected to lead to university for young women. As it was not socially acceptable for girls to travel by public transport, private girls' schools were often local institutions or boarding schools, many of them in middle-class suburbs such as Hawthorn. (Criterion A)

Aesthetically, as an unusual bijoux Queen Anne building of the domestic type. Despite its diminutive scale, it displays a wealth of high-quality details in an integrated whole. These include the large arched window with a scrolled hood mould, diagonal boarding to the front door and sidelight, a range of cladding materials including bichrome brick, roughcast render, timber shingles and half-timbering, a gable with half-timbering to its apex above a bay window, casement windows with small multi-coloured highlights, bull's eye window beneath the north chimney, and a steep transverse gable roof with terracotta ridge capping and a crow-stepped gable to the south side. (Criterion E)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House