Dwelling

History/Notes
In 1935, John Brownlee sold the vacant land at 30 Stephen Street to John McEwin, manager of Dalgety and Co., a substantial stock and pastoral company . In April of that year, the News (Adelaide) reported on the engagement of McEwin to Miss Agnes Cosgrave of Dysart House, Geelong. It

seems that McEwin had purchased the land in anticipation of his marriage to Miss Cosgrave on 6 May 1935 at All Saints Church, Newtown. Construction of the two storey dwelling by F.R. Pilley was delayed until the second half of 1936 as J. and A. McEwin took a six month honeymoon to Great Britain and America, being welcomed on their return by a cocktail party hosted by Mrs Lee at Dysart Guest House. The house in Stephen Street appears to have been completed in 1936. A brick garage was built in 1938.

John Oswald McEwin was born in 1884, presumably in Adelaide. He was the youngest son of the Rev. John and Agnes McEwin of Finniss Street, North Adelaide. In 1904, McEwin passed the examination for the advanced commercial certificate at the University of Adelaide. McEwin took up the position as manager of the Geelong branch of Dalgety and Co. in 1921, serving for 21 years until his retirement in 1949. He died in 1956. His wife, Agnes, was born in 1884, the daughter of John Thomas and Agnes (nee Hallowes) Cosgrave.

The rendered brick, two storey dwelling constructed for J.O. and A. McEwin in 1936 remains predominantly intact. Built in an interwar Georgian Revival style, it has a principal gabled roof form clad in tiles and wide eaves, with rendered chimneys at the sides. The symmetry of the design is offset by the projecting minor rectangular bay on the east side, which has a bank of timber framed double hung windows and a balcony above. There are early timber framed double hung ground and first floor windows. An introduced sun room at the front has recently been removed and 2 storey additions built at the rear.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permits, 15 June 1936, 10 August 1938, City of Greater Geelong.
News (Adelaide), 15 April 1935, p.9.
The Argus, 15 June 1935, p.16, 16 February 1956, p.6.
Table Talk, 24 October 1935, p.46.
The Advertiser (Adelaide), 4 October 1904, p.9.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House