Dwelling - Chetwynd

History/Notes
The land at 5 Upper Skene Street initially formed part of larger landholding owned by Thomas Ryan from 1857. He built a dwelling near the front boundary on the eastern portion (3 Upper Skene Street) at about this time. In 1926, the property had passed to Ryan's daughter, Miss Mary Ryan, and she proposed a four lot subdivision of the land. This portion of the landholdings did not sell at this time. On Missdeath in 1932, the land was subdivided and this site was owned by Catherine, Mary, Lucy and Winifred Ryan. They sold it to Lionel Walter in 1934. He had this house (named "Chetwynd") built by G. Warren in 1936 in anticipation of his marriage to Miss Lesley Marion McGowan at All Saints Church, St. Kilda, on 1 July of that 1936. They later had two sons, John Lewis and Ian.

Lionel Lewis Walter was born in Geelong in 1907, the son of Arthur Lewis and Daisy May (nee Short) Walter. Educated at Geelong College, Lionel followed his father (Geelong City Council Town Clerk) into the public service, joining the Geelong City Council as a junior officer before being appointed Deputy Town Clerk. On the death of Arthur Lewis, Lionel became Town Clerk, a position he held for 34 years. During these years, Geelong experienced substantial development which added considerably to his duties. Lewis also served in the militia forces in 1920 and 1923, and in 1938 he again enlisted in the militia forces before serving as a commissioned officer in the RAAF in New Guinea and elsewhere. Lewis also contributed much to community life, being involved in the establishment of Deakin University (as Hon. Secretary for the University of Geelong Committee), Treasurer of the Geelong & District Regional Tourist Authority, member and President of Rotary and the Apex club and a Justice of the Peace. In 1974, Lionel was honoured with the Order of the British Empire - Office (Civil) (OBE). Lionel Lewis died at Point Lonsdale in 1986, aged 79 years.

"Chetwynd" is reflective of its original interwar Old English style, being similar (but not identical) to the standard designs by G. Burridge Leith for the State Bank of Victoria's credit foncier scheme. "Chetwynd" has a main gabled roof form that traverses the site, projecting gabled wing and gabled entrance portico at the front, brick wall construction, tiled roof cladding, faceted bay window, timber framed and glazed front doors, skillion attic dormer, timber framed double hung windows (with fixed central lights and diamond leadlighting in the upper sashes), chimney and bracketed lancet ventilators in the gable ends. There is a landscaped setting at the front with a low hedge on the boundary.

References:
Land Application 47386, General Law Library, Laverton.
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1930, 1934, 1936, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permit, 1936, City of Greater Geelong.
Certificates of Title, vol. 5455 fol. 937, vol. 5844 fol. 647.
L.L. Walter, Attestation Form for Personal Voluntarily Enlisted in the Militia Force, A.M.F., no. 443599,
NAA online, series B4747.
C.T. Grills, Bradworthy to the Barrabool Hills: a history of a pioneering family and their descendants, C. T. Grills, Geelong, 1984.
The Relatives of Frederick Lionel Walter online at http://www.fredwalter.com/
Land Application 47686, General Law Library, Laverton.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House