WINKLER ENCLAVE

This site, located south of the Geelong Railway line at 323-331 Torquay Road, Mt Duneed, is the former location of a number of houses and yards associated primarily with the Winkler Family, who owned and occupied these and adjacent allotments the north and west between the 1860s and mid 20th century. Other allotments are associated with initial ownership and/or occupation by members of the Schulte family, with one of those allotments later passing to the Winklers. Historical mapping and aerial photography identified a number of houses and yards extending both north and south of the railway line on the western side of Torquay road. The earliest plan that shows buildings at this location is a c. 1874 railway plan – although houses are shown on topographic maps and aerial photographs throughout the historical period. 

A recent targeted archaeological field inspection found that the southern part of the land in question is currently unoccupied, and archaeological evidence of its prior use was observed in the form of minor landscaping works, a bluestone lined garden bed and plantings, as well as a scatter of what appeared to be demolition material in another section of the property. The northernmost property located south of the railway line (323-325 Torquay Road) was not surveyed in detail, as it was functioning as an occupied private residence at the time the field inspection took place. As a result of the field inspection, two potential archaeological features were recorded that relate to the former use of the properties (see Figure 1). It is considered possible that further archaeological evidence of the historical use of this property may be present in a subsurface context.  

The place provides information about residential occupation and use of the land from the early days of Grovedale township, including the time prior to the introduction of the railway, which bisected a family enclave of properties held by a single family for approximately 100 years. It also includes a property to the south of this that may or may not have formed part of the enclave, but nonetheless was occupied and built-on from at least c. 1874 and through the historical period. The site potentially contains archaeological evidence of structures dating to c. 1874 or earlier, and has potential to inform about the evolving use of the land around the former Germantown/Grovedale for residential purposes as well as small intensive farming, orcharding and vineyards.