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Riverview Estate - Leslie Rd

Other Name

Precinct, Review

Location

1-41, 2-38 LESLIE RD, and 2-6, 12-16 & 1-13 RIVERVIEW RD, and 2-4 SHERBOURNE ST, and 1-7, 2-12 STANLEY ST, and 1-3 INGLEBRAE CT, ESSENDON and 52a-72 & 51-73 PARK ST, and 16 ARDMILLAN RD and 35 & 30-40 MANTEL ST MOONEE PONDS, MOONEE VALLEY CITY

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

[1/4]
Leslie Road
[2/4]
Leslie Road
[3/4]
Leslie Road
[4/4]
Stanley Street

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Riverview Estate & Trinafour Estate precinct, which is a residential area comprising mansions, large villas and houses, and flats from the late nineteenth century to the Inter-war period, is significant. The precinct contains a range of suburban domestic styles, the majority being from the period c.1900-c.1940, which are grouped into stylistic sub-precincts around three landmark Victorian era mansions. The Federation and Edwardian era houses include Queen Anne style brick villas and Arts & Crafts bungalows while the Inter-war styles represented include California Bungalows (some with Arts & Crafts detailing), Old English, Spanish Mission or Mediterranean influenced houses, and houses and flats in the Moderne or Modernist style. Significant qualities of the precinct include:

- The high quality of many of the buildings, some of which are architect designed.
- The spacious 'garden suburb' character created by large single dwellings on garden allotments with mature trees, and low front fences, many of which are original.
- The landmark qualities of the three nineteenth century mansions.
- The extent to which three phases of development during the Victorian, Federation/Edwardian and Inter-war periods are represented in the housing stock.
- The intactness of the precinct to the original phases of development with limited examples of post-war redevelopment.
- The relatively high integrity of the majority of houses when viewed from the street.
- The bluestone kerb and channelling in some streets and bluestone laneways.

On this basis, the following places are of individual significance and also contribute to the significance of the precinct:

- 2, 10, 29* (Lowther Hall), 22, 28, 30, 35 & 41 Leslie Road
- 52, 56-58, 57, 60, 62 & 65 Park Street
- 2* , 5 & 8 Riverview Road
- 10 & 12 Stanley Street (St Columba's)

The following places are of Contributory significance:

- 16 Ardmillan Road
- 1-15, 37 & 39 and 12, 14, 18, 20 & 32-36 Leslie Road
- 25, 29-35 & 30-40 Mantell Street
- 51, 53, 69-63, 67-73 & 54, 66, 68, 70 & 72 Park Street
- 1 & 3, 7-13 & 4, 12 & 16 Riverview Road
- 2 & 4 Sherbourne Street
- 1-7 & 2-8 Stanley Street

Non-original alterations and additions to Significant or Contributory places, and other houses or flats are not significant.

*Note: The places of individual significance have their own Hermes record with a statement of significance.

How is it significant?
The Riversview Estate & Trinafour Estate precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Moonee Valley.

Why is it significant?
Historically, the precinct is significant as evidence of key phases of residential development in Essendon and Moonee Ponds from the late nineteenth century boom to the resurgence in residential building in the early decades of the twentieth century. It is of particular significance as an enclave of houses built for middle and upper middle class residents, which has few comparisons in the municipality. The historic desirability of this area is also reflected by the presence of two leading private schools within the precinct. (Criteria A & B)

Aesthetically, it is significant as a residential area, which is notable for the consistent quality of the built form, some of which is architect designed. Although the architectural styles vary, the precinct mostly comprises detached houses on garden allotments with mature trees and generally low front fences (some of which are original or early), which create visually cohesive streetscapes with a distinctive 'garden suburb' character. The aesthetic qualities of the housing in the precinct are enhanced by the high degree of intactness with limited post-war redevelopment and the generally high degree of integrity of the majority of the houses when viewed from the street. (Criteria D & E)

Group