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Mononia

Location 21 Brunswick Street,, FITZROY VIC 3065 - Property No B6425 File Number B6425 Level State

[1/1] B6425 Mononia

Statement of Significance

Mononia is architecturally and historically important at a state level as an early house built in 1851 for John Mickle, a squatter, to the design of distinguished architect Charles Laing. It was constructed by Brown and Ramsden, well-known and important builders of the 1850s.
The building is significant as one of the earliest known surviving examples of a pre gold rush mansion in Fitzroy, and as one of the few known remaining examples of a Charles Laing house in Melbourne. The double polygonal bay arrangement is unusual for the time, and the austere classicising treatment of the original detailing (window hoods, door surrounds, cornice) is notable. The imposing cast iron fence at the front of the property, while not original, is a significant element in the Brunswick Streetscape.
Alterations made presumably in the Edwardian era, particularly to the interior, while having compromised the integrity of the house, have not substantially diminished its significance.
Classified:18/09/1991