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ROGERS RESERVE

Other Name

Park

Location

109 CUMBERLAND ROAD, PASCOE VALE, MORELAND CITY

Level

Recommended for Heritage Overlay

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Rogers Memorial Reserve, located at 109 Cumberland Road, to the extent of all of the land included in the title between the Cumberland Road frontage and the new Pascoe Vale Community Centre. The following elements are considered to be significant:
. The early plantings of Cherry Plum tree (1 specimen) and Monterey Cypress (3 specimens) to the west of the Memorial Drinking Fountain
. The Cumberland Street frontage and views to the memorial and Reserve from Cumberland Street
. The original title boundaries of Rogers Reserve on the north and south sides of the Reserve to the extent of the Heritage Overlay area.
It does not include the Pascoe Vale Swimming Pool Complex, the existing curtilage of the Memorial Drinking Fountain (HO291), nor does it include the following titles associated with Rogers Memorial Reserve:7 Prospect Street Pascoe Vale or 20 Eddie Street Pascoe Vale.

How is it significant?
The Rogers Memorial Reserve at 109 Cumberland Road, Pascoe Vale is of local historic, social and associative significance to the City of Moreland.

Why is it significant?
Rogers Reserve is historically significant as an example of the Councillor Rogers and more broadly, the Coburg City Council's aspirations to create and facilitate recreational spaces throughout the rapidly expanding residential areas of the municipality in the interwar period, a period of key growth and consolidation in Coburg and Pascoe Vale in particular. Inspired by, but not strictly true to Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement, it was led in the Victorian context by Saxil Tuxen and other town planners, surveyors and councillors. While the Swimming Pool is not part of the area of significance, the placement of this public facility with in the Reserve demonstrates the continued evolution of this ideal. The reserve retains a sufficient degree of integrity and intactness to demonstrate this phase of local development and philosophy to adequately demonstrate this principle (Criterion A)
Rogers Reserve is considered to be of associative significance for its direct association with Councillor Harry Rogers who made a strong and influencial contribution to the course of the municipality's history, through his advocacy while a Councillor of Garden City ideals, especially the provision of public reserves and parks to the growing suburbs of Coburg. The association of the place to the person is evident through its name. There is direct evidence in written and oral history that Rogers had close interaction with the place (it is a symbol of what Roger's advocated for - Parks and Reserves) and is as memorial to the person, and his ideals (Criterion H).
Rogers Reserve is considered to meet be of potential social significance. The location in the reserve of the Pascoe Vale War Memorial and the Pascoe Vale Swimming Pool is of importance to the local community, who have a strong and special relationship with the place. This is evidenced by the regular and long term use of the place while participating in rememberance services, recreational activies such as swimming, and other types of community activities over many years (continuously since the late 1930s). There is evidence of a direct association between Rogers Reserve and the community of Pascoe Vale. (Criterion G)

Group