Western Beach Road Heritage Area

The Western Beach Heritage Area, extending between The Esplanade (to the north) and near Malone Street (to the south), includes residences dating from the Victorian, Federation, Interwar and Post-War periods which overlook Corio Bay. The area, includes many substantial houses that were erected for prominent citizens close to the town centre on premier bayside allotments and/or designed by prominent Geelong-based architects.

The character of the precinct is defined generally by wide allotments and high quality residential buildings, either single or two storey. Typically houses have open gardens to the street to maximise views across Corio Bay, some Post-War places also incorporating original landscape elements such as brick planter beds. Also contributing to the significance of the precinct are original front fences, including cast iron palisade fences to Victorian residences and low brick fences to Post-War houses.

The significant and contributory buildings in the precinct are largely constructed of masonry. Unusually, a high percentage of the Victorian period houses in the precinct incorporate faceted bays to the facades and most have roofs clad in slate. This includes the symmetrical Fernshaw (no. 4) and Glenburnie (no. 52-54) as well as the asymmetric house at no. 36, and Warrain (no. 56). A few Victorian residences also retain cast iron palisade fences. There are fewer examples from the Federation and Interwar, though these generally have more complex or steeply pitched roofs. Residences from the Post-War period reflect Modernist influences with larger windows and low-pitched roofs, and generally have cream brickwork.

The Western Beach Heritage Area is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Greater Geelong.

Historically, the Western Beach Heritage Area is significant as a prestigious residential area that includes substantial houses from the Victorian, Federation, Interwar and Post-War periods. These houses were erected for prominent residents of Geelong, with many of the earliest houses originally having larger land holdings. Developed from the mid-19th century, land in the precinct has been progressively subdivided with several high quality Post-War houses erected in the location of established gardens which had previously been part of larger Victorian period holdings. This includes the notable residence at no.2 which was erected on part land that had previously been part of the holdings of Fernshaw (no. 4). During this time there was a shift in the precinct to multi-residential living, involving the conversion of large houses, such as Llanberris, to flats. (Criterion A)

The Western Beach Heritage Area is of aesthetic significance as a waterfront residential area which is characterised by substantial, high quality residences mostly from the Victorian and Post-War periods, with a few houses also from the Federation and Interwar periods. Indicative of this quality is the fact that the houses are typically masonry and many have tiled roofs. They are generally good examples of their type and are mostly intact with open garden settings. Several were designed by eminent local architects, such as Davidson & Henderson. (Criterion E)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct