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Cairns Avenue Heritage Area

Location

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

Statement of Significance

Statement of Cultural Significance

The Cairns Avenue Heritage Precinct is significant for its notable number of interwar era dwellings and smaller number of Edwardian dwellings. These dwellings are largely single storey and detached, and feature gabled and/or hipped roof forms, front verandahs, wide eaves, corrugated sheet metal roof cladding, timber weatherboard wall cladding, timber framed double hung windows and detailing reflective of the stylistic era in which they were built. Cairns Avenue was transformed into an area of interwar Bungalows after the First World War from 1923, although some Edwardian dwellings had been built before the war, including the house at 38 Cairns Avenue (built in c.1912-13), which represents the earliest surviving dwelling in the street.

The Cairns Heritage Precinct is architecturally and aesthetically 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 1920's until c.1940. These qualities are expressed in the predominant interwar Bungalow styled dwellings that are single storey in appearance and have predominantly detached compositions. The buildings include the following design characteristics: a gable or hipped roof form that traverses the site, together with a minor gable and/or verandah that project towards the street frontage or at the side, timber framed double hung windows, arranged singularly, in pairs, galvanized corrugated steel roof cladding, verandahs are mainly supported by timber posts and brick piers, or solely with brick piers, brick chimneys (detailed to reflect the design era), with some featuring rendered or soldier-coursed tops, rough cast gable infill and gable infill comprising timber shingles with gable ventilator. The buildings are constructed of horizontal timber weatherboards and, with a 25 to 35 degree roof pitch form and wide eaves with exposed timber rafters, and the rear and side location of carports and garaging. Overall, these dwellings constitute 64% of the building stock in the area.

The Cairns Heritage Area is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria A.4, H.1). It is associated with important eras of residential development after the subdivision of the area in the early 1920's. It was from 1923 when Cairns Street was transformed into a residential area. Vacant land in the street was initially advertised for sale at this time, showing 4 subdivided allotments on the east side of Cairns Avenue, north of Percy Street. Plan of subdivision LP9518 also outlines the subdivision layout of this section of the street. Ten additional home sites were offered for sale in Cairns Avenue between Mervyn Street and Fairview Avenue in 1923. Further subdivision occurred a year later in 1924 as part of LP 10347 for 4 allotments south of Mervyn Street.

Overall, the Cairns Heritage Area is of LOCAL significance.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct