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Keilor Road Precinct
Location2-12 KEILOR ROAD, ESSENDON NORTH and 3-19 KEILOR ROAD, ESSENDON, MOONEE VALLEY CITY LevelIncluded in Heritage Overlay |
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Statement of Significance
What is significant? All buildings in the precinct are Contributory, apart from 8 Keilor
Road and the heavily altered former State Savings Bank at 9-13 Keilor Road. Key attributes that contribute to the significance of the precinct include: - The consistency of scale (one and two storeys), form, siting
(generally built to the front and side boundaries), original cladding
materials (face brick, render, roofs clad in corrugated iron where
concealed behind a parapet, or tiled where visible) of Contributory
buildings.
How is it significant?
Why is it significant? It is also significant for its association with John Keam Real
Estate, which was one of the first businesses to be established in the
precinct (in 1914), and the earliest surviving building was
purpose-built for Keam in 1925-26 (Nos. 3-7). John Keam & Co.
played an important role in the development of Essendon North and
Essendon West acting as the agent for major subdivisions such as
Fountain's Paddock in 1916, Major's Paddock in 1917, Devonshire Estate
from 1920, and the Boulevard Estate with 300 blocks north of Buckley
Street overlooking the Maribyrnong River from 1920. (Criterion H) It is architecturally significant as the best collection of late
interwar commercial buildings in the municipality, which is notable
for its consistency of built form and relatively high degree of
integrity to the period of development. (Criterion D)
The Keilor Road Precinct, comprising shops and commercial
buildings constructed in the interwar period and early post-war, is
significant. The precinct comprises single and double-storey
commercial buildings mainly constructed between 1925 and 1939. They
are all of masonry construction, both with a cement rendered finish as
well as face brick examples. In keeping with the eclecticism of the
interwar period, they range in style from simple Stripped Classicism,
to Neo-Grec and the Streamlined Moderne. The fine Metropolitan Gas Co.
Building by architect Tompkins provides a clear entry to the precinct,
complemented by the Lincolnshire Arms Hotel across the road
(remodelled c1938, HO369) which is just outside the precinct.
- The high degree of intactness of the Contributory
buildings above parapet level, as well as the retention of original
cantilevered verandahs.
- The retention of original shopfronts to
Nos. 5, 10, 12, 15 & 19 with solid stallboards (clad in tiles or
bricks), metal-framed display and highlight windows, recessed entries
with tiled floors, and timber-framed glazed doors.
- The absence of
vehicle crossovers.
The Keilor Road Precinct is of local historical and architectural
significance to the City of Moonee Valley.
It is historically significant for its demonstration of the
commercial development that followed the path of the tramway, which
allowed both easy access to new shopping strips as well as encouraging
residential development on either side, which created demand. The
Essendon electric tram service arrived at the Mt Alexander Road
junction in 1906, and was extended about a kilometre along Keilor Road
to Gillies Street in 1923. In 1925, the precinct began to develop in
earnest. (Criterion A)
Group
Retail and Wholesale
Category
Shop