Victoria Road Precinct

Victoria Road Precinct, comprising 3-7 and 4-8 Albert Street, 1-27 and 2-20 Cambridge Street, 1-5 and 2-4 Freeman Street, 1-3 and 2-10A and 14 Grandview Grove, 1-11 and 2-8 Hallcroft Place, 2-6 Irelands Lane, 40-92 Lilydale Grove, 1-65 and 4-40 Lingwell Road, 1-11 and 2-10 Lorne Road, 14–170 and 212-224 Rathmines Road, 1-21 and 2-24 Stanley Avenue, 3-25 and 6-36 Station Street, 1-15 and 2-24 Stewart Street, 1-15 and 2-10 Temple Street, 1-23 and 2-28 Victoria Grove, and 1-97, 125-161 and 34-164 Victoria Road, Hawthorn East, is significant. The majority of the houses were built in the late Victorian period (mid 1880s-1890s) with significant further infill in the Edwardian and interwar eras. 

 

The following houses with site-specific HOs are Significant: 12 Grandview Grove (HO51), 2-4A Station Street (HO120-HO123), and 149 Victoria Road (HO428). The majority of properties are contributory elements to the overall significance of the precinct as well as the bluestone laneways and kerbing that remains of the characteristic nineteenth century street infrastructure. 

 

The mature English Oak street trees along Grandview Grove are a contributory element. 

 

The front fences at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 8 Hallcroft Place, and 84 Victoria Road are contributory elements.

 

Non-original alterations and additions to the houses are not significant. 

Victoria Road Precinct is of local historic and architectural significance to the City of Boroondara. 

Victoria Road Precinct demonstrates the influence the opening of a railway line had on the development of suburbs in the late nineteenth century in Melbourne. The opening of Auburn Station in 1882 was instrumental in the rise in preference for and desirability of living within the precinct and directly contributed to the influx of middle class residents to the area. This is demonstrated by the differing subdivision patterns in the precinct and the predominance of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century housing stock. Along Victoria and Rathmines roads, are larger allotments with a bluestone-paved laneway providing rear access to the properties. The larger plots of land are located along the primary access routes to the railway station and other desirable amenities. The smaller lots of land are found on the ancillary roads, generally running between Rathmines and Victoria Road, providing accommodation for the brickmakers and other workers in the area, amongst the larger Villas and mansions of the precinct. (Criterion A)

 

Following the end of the depression in the 1890s, the ongoing subdivision and sale of land surrounding the larger villas and mansions demonstrates the continued popularity of the area, and is reflected through the construction of Edwardian and interwar dwellings in the former gardens and grounds of the larger Victorian Italianate villas as well as the complete replacement of the larger houses with several duplexes and smaller bungalows and cottages. (Criterion A)

 

Architecturally, the housing stock in the precinct is dominated by the Victorian Italianate style, with the large and small examples of the style displaying characteristic elements such as low-pitched hipped roofs, rendered cornices to chimneys and bracketed eaves. Most of the dwellings of this style retain the typical cast-iron detailing and slender Corinthian posts. A smaller number of houses demonstrate the principal characteristics of Edwardian Queen Anne architectural style such as high hipped roofs, the use of terracotta tiles and ridgecapping, projecting half-timbered front gables and timber posts and fretwork to the verandahs and front porches. Among the interwar buildings of the precinct, the dominant type is the single-storey red brick duplex. These almost all have projecting bays to the front façade with corbelled gables. All housing stock of this period displays the characteristic decorative brick detailing to both the gable end as well as the chimneys and main body of the house. The precinct’s bluestone pitched laneways and bluestone kerb to the junctions of streets are characteristic of nineteenth century suburban infrastructure. (Criterion D)