Aberdeen Street Heritage Area

The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is significant for its select and notable concentration of intact Federation/Edwardian and especially interwar era dwellings. While the allotments fronting Aberdeen Street were initially laid out in the mid 19th century, it was not until the early 20th century and particularly during the interwar (c.1920-45) period when the area was transformed by the dwellings that survive today. These dwellings are predominantly single storey with detached compositions, hipped and gabled roof forms, front or return verandahs, corrugated sheet metal roof cladding, horizontal timber weatherboard wall cladding, timber framed windows and detailing consistent with Edwardian, Federation and interwar Bungalow styles. Also contributing to the significance of the area is the rear location of carports and garaging.

The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criterion D.2). It demonstrates original and early design qualities associated with the residential development of the area from the early 20th century. These qualities are expressed in the Edwardian/Federation and interwar Bungalow styled dwellings that are predominantly single storey in appearance and have detached compositions. The buildings include the following design characteristics: hipped and gabled roof forms (with simple or complex roof outlines having a pitch between 25 and 35 degrees), front or return verandahs, corrugated galvanised steel roof cladding, horizontal timber weatherboard wall construction, brick chimneys (detailed to reflect the design era), brick cladding and brick verandah supports, narrow or wide eaves, timber verandah posts timber brackets and/or valances, timber framed windows arranged singularly, in pairs or bays, and the rear location of carports and garaging. Overall, these dwellings constitute 87% of the building stock in the area.

The Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC criteria A.4, H.1). It is associated with important eras of residential development from the mid 19th century but it was not until the early 20th century and particularly after the First World War that the area was developed with the dwellings that survive today. The arrival of the tram route in 1912 that extended from the city along Aberdeen Street to Pakington Street and along Aphrasia Street made land nearby more desirable for residential development.

Overall, the Aberdeen Street Heritage Precinct is of LOCAL significance.

Group

Residential buildings (private)

Category

Residential Precinct