GIPPSLAND AND MIRBOO TIMES OFFICE (FORMER)

The former Gippsland and Mirboo Times Office and residence at 40 Ridgway, Mirboo North, built in 1907 is significant. The simple weatherboard office has a transverse roofline and Victorian symmetrical dwelling has a hipped roof. The front office building has a high timber parapet with curved central pediment. The straight roof verandah is original although the metal frame supporting the roof is not original, but in the same style and outline. The front windows are also sympathetic but not original, as the original timber windows now have new aluminium frames.

Non-original alterations and additions, other than those specified above, are not significant.

How is it significant?

The former Gippsland and Mirboo Times Office and dwelling are of local, aesthetic and social significance to the South Gippsland Shire.
Why is it significant?

Historically the dwelling is believed to be one of the oldest extant residential properties in Ridgway. This building demonstrates the early phase of residential development on Ridgway prior to commercial development. The Times Office illustrates the commercial growth in the area. The Times Office is the oldest extant newspaper office in the South Gippsland Shire, opening in 1907, and demonstrates the importance of local newspapers, especially in the early development of the Mirboo North and surrounds. (Criterion A)

Aesthetically, the Times Office, and the residence behind it, significantly contribute to the aesthetic and historic character of Ridgway and Mirboo North. In particular, the property represents both the residential and the commercial stages of the Ridgway precinct and Mirboo North. (Criterion E)

In 1907, when the Times Office first opened, newspapers were a vital part of the communications network of the South Gippsland region, as the population were so spread out and travelling within the region was difficult. The Mirboo Times continues to be one of the four main newspapers within the Shire, with high circulation across the region. The Times Office is a physical representation of the longevity of the newspaper and this of communication within South Gippsland. (Criterion G)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House