"Rannoch"

NEWTOWN URBAN CONSERVATION STUDY - C CITATION

A particularly intact, almost symmetrical Edwardian timber house built in 1912. It is architecturally significant locally as an unusual variant of this domestic style and historically in embodying unpretentious professional family life in Newtown at the onset of the Great War.

INTACTNESS: Excellent, The fly screen door and fence are later.

CONDITIONS AND THREATS: Very Good

REFERENCE: City of Newtown and Chilwell Ratebooks

GRC - HISTORIC PLACES DOCUMENT - SHEET 329

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The design of "Ranncoch House" can be attributed to noted Geelong architects, Backhouse and Reynolds and was constructed in 1855-58 as a Renaissance Revival two storey stuccoed masonary residence with a ornate arcuated timber verandah and loggia. A. S. Robertson, wealthy pastoralist and formerly of "Burnside" at Murgeboluc, was the first owner. Jacob Pitman architect of Geelong, designed the single storey conservative classical style wings to the central pavilion of c 1858 in 1863. the finely detailed stables by Backhouse and Reynolds to the rear of the house were erected of squared coarsed basalt in 1858 At the time of completion in 1863, "Rannoch House" was one of the finest and most substantial town houses in Victoria.

RECOMMENDATIONS: PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Geelong Regional Commission Register.

Australian Heritage Commission Register of the National Estate.

Historic Buildings Council Register.

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Register.

REFERENCES

Huddle Lorraine - "Architects in Geelong in the 1840's and 1850's. Humanities Research Report, Department of Architecture, University of Melbourne, 1979. Vol. 1, p.67, Vol 2. P.45, Vol 3 p 137.

Brownhill, W. R. - A History of Geelong and Corio Bay, Wilke & Co., Melbourne, 1955, pp. 152, 153, 193, 215, 342, 363, 552.

Geelong Advertiser - 8 January, 1881, for sale notice 22 January 1880, let to Mrs Power of Melbourne.

Sutherland, Alexander - Victoria and It's Metropolis Past and Present, McCarron, Bird and Co, Melbourne, 1888, Vol 2 p 168, biographical sketch of Louis Robertson, son of A S Robertson.

Geelong Advertiser - 30 August 1858, January 1863, 8 May 1863, tender notices.

Billis RV and Kenyon AS - Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip, Stockland Press, Melbourne , 1974, p. 131 re: Other pastoral run in Little Corangamite.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House