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Bona Vista Heritage Precinct

Location

Newtown, GREATER GEELONG CITY

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

Statement of Significance

Statement of Cultural Significance

The Bona Vista Heritage Precinct is significant as an intact residential area fronting the eastern side of Shannon Avenue, south of Noble Street. It is especially identified by interwar Bungalow styled dwellings, but also by a smaller number of Edwardian and postwar Bungalow dwellings. Most of the dwellings in the area are conventional in design, reflecting the middle and particularly working class population for which they were built. The architectural qualities of the area include the single storey detached compositions, hipped and/or gabled roof forms, front verandahs, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, corrugated sheet metal roof cladding, narrow or wide eaves, timber framed windows and doors and rudimentary detailing consistent with the stylistic era in which the dwellings were built. While the area had been subdivided for residential development in the 19th century, it was the subdivision in 1909 known as the Bona Vista Estate that had the greatest impact on this part of Shannon Avenue. Most building development occurred after the First World War until the late 1940s.

The Bona Vista Heritage Area 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 early 20th century until c.1946-47. 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: hipped and gabled roof forms (with simple or complex roof outlines having a pitch between 25 and 35 degrees), front or return verandahs, corrugated galvanised steel roof cladding and Marseilles terra cotta roof tiles, 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, timber brackets and/or valances, timber framed doorways with sidelights and highlights and timber windows arranged singularly, in pairs or bays. Overall, these dwellings constitute 91% of the building stock in the area. The carports and garages are predominantly located at the rear of the site with access from the rear right of way. The majority is single car carports/garages but there are some more recent ones that are dual car carport/garages.

The Bona Vista 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 c.1850s but in particular from early 1900's until the late 1940's period. Allotments in the first subdivision were sold from the 1850's. Subsequent residential subdivisions took place in 1850's and again in 1888 although the land sales that had the greatest impact occurred in 1909 as part of the Bona Vista Estate. However it was not until after World War 1 and until the late 1940s when the area took on its existing characteristics. The residents in the Bona Vista Heritage Area were made up of a mix of residents from the middle class and the working class.

Overall, the Bona Vista Heritage Area is of LOCAL significance

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct