Warrandyte Township Heritage Area Prec

The Warrandyte township precinct comprises residential, civic and commercial buildings, as well as parkland and open space in Yarra Street (and parts of intersecting streets) generally between Trezise Street and Mullens Road and part of Brackenbury Streetthat illustrate three key phases in the historic development of the township; the establishment and early development following the gold rush of the mid nineteenth century, the rise of the town as a tourist resort and artists retreat during the Inter-war years, and the re-building that occurred in the wake of the disastrous 1939 bushfires.

How is it Significant?

The Warrandyte Township precinct is of local historic, social and aesthetic significance to Manningham City.

Why is it Significant?

The Warrandyte Township precinct has historic and social significance as it provides evidence of one of the first townships to be established in the study area and illustrates the influence of gold discovery upon settlement in the nineteenth century. Gold continued to be a major local industry into the early twentieth century. The township is also an example of one of the first tourist resorts close to Melbourne that emerged in the inter-war years as a result of improved roads and increased motor car usage. It also has important associations with many notable Australian artists and architects, which is demonstrated by it being a subject of a number of paintings and other works. Finally, the town also provides evidence of the re-building that occurred in the wake of the disastrous 1939 bushfires. This is particularly demonstrated by the Warrandyte Style Residential precinct, which is historically significant for its associations with locally important female architect/builders Alexa Goyder and Myrtle Houston. It as a representative area of housing demonstrating the characteristics of the 'Warrandyte Style' first identified by Robin Boyd in Australia's Home in 1952, a style that was copied elsewhere in the township. (RNE criteria A.4, D.2, G.1 and H.1)

The Warrandyte Township precinct has aesthetic significance as an informal almost semi-rural village where the buildings are often secondary to the landscape elements, particularly the mature vegetation, which comprises a mix of native and exotic species that creates a distinctive cultural landscape character. It is notable for the use of local materials such as Warrandyte stone in a number of buildings and public realm elements, which gave rise to the description of a 'Warrandyte Style' that is a notable and distinctive element of the character of the area today. This is particularly evident in the Warrandyte Style residential precinct at the east end of Yarra Street and in Brackenbury Street, which contains the best examples of the style by Goyder and Houston. (RNE criterion E.1)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct