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Cremorne Precinct

Other Names

Cubitt Street , Cremorne Precinct, Cremorne

Location

BALMAIN STREET, BENT STREET, CUBITT STREET, and DOVER STREET, CREMORNE, YARRA CITY

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

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Cremorne Precinct.JPG

Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Cremorne precinct, comprising 27-31, 38-58 & 43-47 Balmain St, 20-34 Bent St, 123-31, 155-195,142-194 Cubitt St, and 143-155 & 171 Dover St, is significant. The following buildings and features contribute to the significance of the precinct:

- The houses, constructed in the period from c.1885 to c.1925 at 40-58 & 43-47 Balmain St; 20-34 Bent St, 123-31, 155-165 & 169-195 and 142-52, 158, 160 & 170-194 Cubitt St, and; 143-155 & 171 Dover St.
- The shop and residence at 38 Balmain St, and the former shops and residences at 27-31 Balmain St and 167 Cubitt St.
- The overall consistency of building forms (pitched gabled or hipped roofs, one storey wall heights), materials and detailing (walls of weatherboard or face brick or stucco, prominent brick or render chimneys, post-supported verandahs facing the street), and siting (small or no front and side setbacks).
- The nineteenth century subdivision pattern comprising regular allotments served by rear bluestone laneways.
- Traditional streetscape materials such as asphalt pathways and bluestone kerb and channel.

Non-original alterations and additions to the Contributory buildings listed above, and other houses and buildings are not significant.

How it is significant?
The Cremorne precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Yarra.

Why it is significant?
The precinct is historically significant as a well-preserved example of a residential area that demonstrates the two key phases in the development of Cremorne during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although the majority of housing dates from after 1886, it does include one terrace row at 46-58 Balmain Street partly constructed prior to 1885, which is notable as one of the earliest surviving examples in Cremorne. The existing and former commercial buildings demonstrate how local shops within walking distance served small neighbourhood areas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is also historically significant as a speculative subdivision associated with Thomas Bent, one of the notorious figures in the 'land boom' era in Melbourne. Bent's connection with the precinct is recalled by the naming of Thomas and Bent streets. (Criteria A & H)

The precinct is significant as an enclave that is characteristic of residential precincts in Richmond that were largely developed prior to World War II being comprised of predominantly Victorian era housing, supplemented by Edwardian and interwar infill with commercial buildings on corner sites. Overall, the intactness of the building stock to the period prior to World War II is very high and creates visually cohesive and consistent streetscapes that are complemented by traditional public realm materials such as asphalt footpaths, bluestone kerb and channel and bluestone laneways. (Criterion D)

Group