Reumah

'Reumah', 1 Reumah Court, Balwyn, originally constructed in 1908-9, and then partly rebuilt after being struck by lightning in 1919, is significant.

The remnant garden setting, including several mature deciduous trees, is also significant.

The capped timber picket fence, brick drive piers and mild steel drive gates are all recent additions and not significant.

How is it significant?

'Reumah' is of local architectural (representative) significance to the City of Boroondara.

Why is it significant?

'Reumah' at 1 Reumah Court, Balwyn is a substantial and largely intact Federation house whose massing and details are largely a fine example of the style. It is a well-designed and carefully detailed example and bears similarities to the work of pre-eminent architects of that time, particularly Ussher and Kemp and their hipped genre which has been identified as a distinctive Melbourne Queen Anne (or Federation) style. Other similar details repeated across much of Ussher and Kemp's work and other fine houses of the period include dominant brick and roughcast chimneys with raised brick drops and paired chimney pots, broad fronted canted bays with distinctive joinery details and verandahs with heavy timber posts. Unusually, the roof is tiled in terracotta shingles rather than the typical Marseille patterned tile, though this likely occurred with the work associated with rebuilding following a fire in 1919. (Criterion D)

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

House