Grandview and Devon

The houses are two-storeys in height, with brick walls (overpainted) and cement render dressings, including balustraded parapets, wing walls and canted bay windows. They are both high set, reached by a short flight of original steps.

How is it significant?
'Grandview' and 'Devon' are of local architectural and aesthetic significance to the City of Stonnington.

Why is it significant?
Architecturally, they are intact representative examples of the substantial houses built for the middle-class residents of South Yarra during the boom years of the 1880s and early 1890s. The terrace house form, with blind boundary walls, designed to fit on a narrow building block, was most commonly built in rows in the densely packed inner suburbs. In the better part of Stonnington, particularly South Yarra, there were many free-standing houses that followed the terrace typology on more spacious sites. 'Grandview' and 'Devon' exhibit typical features of this type, including the blind boundary walls and verandah wing walls creating a focus on the front facade, and the balustrade front parapet which became ubiquitous after 1885. (Criterion D)

Aesthetically, they are distinguished by the level of cast-cement detail, which likely reflects the trade of their first owner, in particular the contrast of rendered surrounds to windows and the front door and to the canted bay window with the face brick (obscured by overpainting), and the profusion of ornament to the parapet, cornice and frieze, as well as the cast-cement balusters to the front steps and verandah. The uncommon cast-iron patterns to the verandahs, particularly the Eastlake style balustrade panels featuring stylised leaves, flowers and geometric 'stick' patterns, are also of note. (Criterion E)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House