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St Leonards

Location

35 St Leonards Road ASCOT VALE, MOONEE VALLEY CITY

Level

Included in Heritage Overlay

Statement of Significance

What is Significant?

35 St Leonards Road Ascot Vale, a late Victorian era Italianate villa built c1886-89 for Essendon councillor John Notman is significant.

Significant fabric includes the:

single-storey asymmetric built form with a projecting bay;

original hipped roof form and slate roofing;

timber block and weatherboard cladding, bay window detailing and verandah decoration;

unpainted cement rendered chimneys and eaves details;

original pattern of fenestration and elements of window and door joinery;

masonry pedestals; and

original building setback at the front.

The rear extension is not significant.

How is it significant?

25 St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, is of local architectural (representative) and associative significance to the City of Moonee Valley.

Why is it significant?

35 St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, is significant as a Victorian-era Italianate villa. Both the villa and the Italianate style are well represented in the Heritage Overlay in Moonee Valley with many individually significant examples. Typically, such houses are on medium size allotments with a garden setting and are predominantly of brick. Timber examples are less common in Moonee Valley, with a house at 42 Myross Avenue, Ascot Vale (HO225), being the only other timber example on the Heritage Overlay.

35 St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, demonstrates key characteristics of the Italianate style including an asymmetrical form with projecting room, timber block detailing to the facade, original chimneys, a slate hipped roof, canted bay window, a verandah of cast iron and decorative eaves detailing. The integrity of the house is high, with very few changes visible to original or early elements. 35 St Leonards Road is comparable to the brick examples noted at 28 Nicholson Street, Essendon, 1891 (HO265); 3 Aberfeldie Street, Essendon, 1892 (HO143); and 40-42 Vida Street, Aberfeldie, c1892 (HO319). (Criterion D)

35 St Leonards Road, Ascot Vale, is significant for its association with John Notman (1836-1914). Notman served as a councillor of Ascot Vale Ward in the City of Essendon from 1894 to 1904 and was mayor of Essendon from 1896 to 1897. After retiring from his metal manufacturing business based in Collins Street, Melbourne, in 1912, Notman continued to be an active member of the municipality, particularly advocating for improvements to the Maribyrnong River, amongst other services to the Essendon community. (Criterion H)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House