Sunville Estate Heritage Area

The Eyre Heritage Precinct is significant for its notable concentration of Victorian, and particularly Edwardian/Federation, interwar and postwar buildings constructed between c.1864 and c.1953. Parts of the area were initially laid out from the 1840s and 1850s, but the precinct largely reflects important eras of building development from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and during the interwar period. The majority of the dwellings of heritage value are single storey and are typical examples of Edwardian, Federation, interwar and postwar Bungalow styles. Most are built of timber weatherboard wall construction with slate or more particularly corrugated sheet metal hipped and gabled roofs, and front or return verandahs. Carports and garages are located towards the rear. The precinct is also identified by a small number of commercial buildings that form local landmarks in Skene Street, including the Gold Diggers Hotel at 87 Skene Street, former shop at 89 Skene Street, corner shops at 105 Skene Street and the shop at 125 Skene Street. Kenwith Park, which was laid out in c.1909, forms an important landscaped public park in the area, while the stone pine tree at the rear of the Gold Diggers Hotel represents another notable landscape feature. Also contributing to the significance of the area are the asphalt footpaths, as well as the bluestone kerbs and channels in Manning and Pescott Streets.

The Eyre Heritage Precinct is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criterion D.2). It demonstrates original and early design qualities associated with the residential development of the area from the late 19th century but predominantly from the early 20th century until c.1953. These qualities are expressed in the Victorian, but predominantly Edwardian/Federation and interwar Bungalow styled dwellings and post war commercial shops that are predominantly single storey in appearance. The buildings include the following design characteristics: hipped and gabled roof forms (with simple or complex roof outlines having a pitch between 25 and 35 degrees for residential dwellings and flat roofs and/or pitched roofs for commercial buildings some with parapets), front or return verandahs (some commercial buildings have verandahs over street footpath), slate and

corrugated galvanised steel roof cladding, horizontal timber weatherboard wall construction, brick chimneys (detailed to reflect the design era), brick cladding and brick verandah supports, narrow or wide eaves, timber verandah posts with decorative cast iron or timber brackets and/or valances, timber framed windows arranged singularly, in pairs or bays, and the rear location of carports and garaging. Overall, these dwellings constitute 85% of the building stock in the area.

The Eyre precinct also demonstrates important visual qualities that reflect the historical and residential development of the area. These qualities include the layout of the roads, streets and allotment configuration. The two storey Hotel at the corner of Skene Street and Pescott Street forms a local landmark. The early bluestone kerb and channel in Manning Street and Pescott Street and asphalt footpaths also contribute to the significance of the place. The lack of a visual presence of garages and carports from the street frontages further retains the aesthetic heritage values of the area.

The Eyre Heritage Precinct is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria A.4, H.1). It is associated with important eras of residential and commercial development after the subdivision of the area from the c.1840s and 1850s and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and during the interwar (c.1920-1953) period. Allotments in the first subdivision were sold from 1850's. However, it was especially from the Federation period with the construction of dwellings in Aberdeen, Manning and Skene Streets when the area was transformed into the residential neighborhood identified today. Further residential building development occurred during the interwar period as shown in the interwar Bungalows. Limited commercial developed occurred initially from c.1864 with the construction of the Gold Diggers Hotel. It was remodeled during the early 20th century when a small number of shops were built in Skene Street to service the local residents.

Overall, the Eyre Heritage Precinct is of LOCAL significance.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct