Clare House (formerly Hintonville)

It was subsequently owned and occupied by the Mahon family, from 1895 to 1917. Hugh Mahon was an Irish-born journalist and later a member of the Australian Federal parliament. He was the former colleague and gaol mate of the failed Irish nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell and took a firm stance against British occupation of Ireland in 1920, for which he was expelled from Parliament.

'Hintonville' features polychrome brickwork, a classic Italianate asymmetrical plan form and a distinctive cast-cement balustraded parapet. The house is highly intact externally, and the house is significant to the extent of its nineteenth century form and fabric. The modern alterations and additions are not significant.

The setting of 'Hintonville', as one of a unique group of villas that are highly illustrative of the Boom-style located in Stanhope Street, contributes to its significance.

How is it significant?
'Hintonville', at 56 Stanhope Street, Malvern is of local architectural, aesthetic and associative significance to the City of Stonnington.

Why is it significant?
Architecturally, 'Hintonville' is a highly intact, representative example of the Boom-style houses constructed in Melbourne's suburbs in the late 1880s and early 1890s. It demonstrates the stylistic excesses and the flamboyance of the late Boom period and is synonymous with the stylistic group of villas constructed on the south side of Stanhope Street c1889. A successful design expression for terrace houses, here, the 'Boom-style' has been translated into a detached 'row house' form which is uncommon in the eastern suburbs of the City of Stonnington. (Criterion D)

Aesthetically, the house is distinguished by its polychrome brickwork and highly decorated and boldly modelled parapet. The brickwork is expressed in tuckpointed brown Hawthorn brick with cream and red brick dressings in the form of surrounds to the windows, door, blind niche, and to the building corners. The balustraded parapet with classical urn balusters set between piers with raised and fielded panels is embellished with a semi-circular pediment with scalloped shield motif above the house name. Urns, masks, raised panels, dentil mouldings and eaves brackets separated by rosettes add further interest to the cast cement parapet. The house also retains its ogee-profile cast-iron verandah with high quality floral motifs to the cast-iron lacework and ornamental iron post with Corinthian capitals. (Criterion E)

'Hintonville' is of historical and associative significance for its ownership and occupation by Hugh Mahon (1857-1931), who was an Irish nationalist, compatriot of Charles Stewart Parnell, and Member of the Australian Federal Parliament. He was the only politician ever to be expelled from the Australian parliament for his 'disloyalty' to Britain over Britain's treatment of Ireland. This association illustrates the strong Catholic character of Stanhope Street, which was described as Malvern's 'Catholic precinct', as it was furnished with a Catholic primary school, presbytery, brothers' residence, church, and church hall, attracting a predominantly Catholic population. (Criteria A & H)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Villa