Dwelling

History/Notes
In 1912-13, the site at 51 Upper Skene Street formed lot 4 of the Newtown Tram Estate that had previously formed Henry King's "Sunnyside" property. It was purchased by Otto Albers, school master of Newtown, who, in 1925, sold it to Harry Denno, builder. He built this house at this time and sold it in 1926 to Mrs Christina Beatty. She leased it to Howard Nicholls, a clerk, from 1927 and then to E.J. Fisher before selling it to Edwin Madden, fruiterer in c.1935.

Christina Beatty (nee Pike) was born in Junee, N.S.W., in 1890 to Henry and Caroline (nee Gerhard) Pike. She married Duncan Beatty, a railway employee in 1921. By the late 1920s, Christina and Duncan Beatty were resident at Cressy. They subsequently relocated to Weller Street, Geelong West, before settling at Yarram in the 1940s. Mrs Beatty died there in 1962.

The timber interwar Californian Bungalow styled dwelling is reflective of its original design when viewed from the front. The original features include the main gabled roof form and projecting verandah gable, brick chimney, gable infill, eaves with exposed timber rafters, timber framed double hung windows and front door opening. The timber verandah posts and balustrading may have replaced original fabric. At the rear are additions hardly visible from the front. They were constructed in 1998. At the front is a high introduced capped timber picket fence and gates.

References:
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes, Dept. of Justice.
Newtown Rate Books, 1925-1935, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.
Newtown Building Permit, 1925, City of Greater Geelong.
Building Permit, 1257/1998.
The Age, 9 June 1949.
Newtown Tram Estate subdivision plan, 30 March 1912, Alfred Deakin Library, Deakin University, 333.337099452 Gre/Pos.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House