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Elderslie Estate Heritage Area
LocationElderslie Estate Heritage Area Belmont, Greater Geelong City LevelIncluded in Heritage Overlay |
Statement of Significance
The Elderslie Estate Heritage Area, Belmont, has significance as a
highly intact interwar and postwar residential area established from
1923 as part of the Elderslie Estate subdivision, with the eastern
portion created in the 1940s as part of the Cuthbertson Estate
subdivision. The area is characterised by varying types of interwar
Bungalows and postwar modern Bungalows built between 1925 and the
1950s. Most houses have brick or timber weatherboard construction,
detached compositions, hipped and/or gabled roof forms clad in
corrugated sheet metal or terracotta tiles, front or side verandahs or
porches (with detailing reflecting the style of the dwelling) and rear
or side garaging. The area is further characterised by front
landscaped settings with regular front and side setbacks and
sympathetic front fences. A local landmark is the grouping of
modestly-scaled semi-detached interwar brick cottages known as the
Miller Homes which overlook the Barwon River valley. The area
originally formed part of James Clark Wallace's Elderslie homestead
from the 1850s, the area known as Strawberry Hill in the 19th century.
Wallace's homestead was demolished to allow for the initial
21-allotment Elderslie Estate subdivision in 1923 and consequently the
building of some of the earlier interwar Bungalows in the area today. The Elderslie Estate Heritage Area is architecturally significant at
a LOCAL level (AHC D.2). It demonstrates original and early design
qualities associated with residential developments between 1925 and
the 1950s. The intact qualities include the varying interwar Bungalow
and postwar modern Bungalow designs, with their detached compositions,
single storey height, hipped and/or gabled roof forms (with a pitch
between 20 and 35 degrees), wide eaves, timber framed double hung
windows, brick and timber weatherboard wall construction, prominent
chimneys and front or side verandahs. The low-medium height front
fencing (of designs and construction sympathetic with the era of the
dwellings) also contributes to the significance of the place. An
architectural variation in the area is the Miller Homes at 7 Culbin
Avenue. This grouping of modestly scaled semi-detached brick interwar
cottages overlooks the Barwon River valley. The rear facades of the
buildings therefore front onto Culbin Avenue. The Elderslie Estate Heritage Area is aesthetically significant at a
LOCAL level (AHC E.1). It demonstrates important visual qualities that
include the front substantial garden settings, regular grassed nature
strips and the mature exotic trees at the Miller Homes. The Elderslie Estate Heritage Area is historically significant at a
LOCAL level. It is associated with residential development during the
interwar and postwar periods as a result of the subdivision of the
area as the Elderslie Estate from 1 December 1923, together with an
eastern extension of Culbin Avenue in the 1940s as part of the
Cuthbertson Estate. Most of the dwellings in the area were built
between 1925 and the 1950s. The area also has associations the 5-acre
Elderslie Homestead originally owned by the local solicitor, James
Clark Wallace from the 1850s. The homestead was demolished as part of
the subdivision in the 1920s. The local landmark in the area is the
Miller Homes, which have associations with the Geelong philanthropist,
Alexander Miller, who bequeathed a Trust that enabled the construction
of homes for elderly women and women of lesser means. Overall, the Elderslie Estate Heritage Area is of LOCAL significance.
Group
Residential buildings (private)
Category
House