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Former Wilson's Beaufort Motors & Former Beaufort Service Station

Other Name B & G Beaufort Motors Location 27-31 Neill Street,, BEAUFORT VIC 3373 - Property No B6935 File Number B6935 Level State

[1/2] B6935 Fmr Beaufort Motors [2/2] B6935 Fmr Beaufort Motors

Statement of Significance

These two garages, the former Wilson's Beaufort Garage, built in 1933, and the former Beaufort Service Station of 1927, both probably designed by Geelong architects Laird and Buchan, are of State level significance for historic and architectural reasons.
Motor Garages and Service Stations from the first half of the twentieth century are historically important for demonstrating the growing importance of the motor car in everyday life, and the shaping of the urban environment.
These two examples are both important as the best, and amongst the very few examples, of interwar motor garages designed in the Spanish style remaining in Victoria. Spanish was popular style for garages in this period, but few remain.
With its tall Baroque scrolled facade, Wilson's Motors is one of the most eye-catching and elaborate interwar garages of any style in Victoria, and is important as an early example of roadside architecture in this regard. Beaufort Motors has striking geometric tilework, and is the earliest Spanish style garage remaining.
The existence of two early garages, both architecturally notable versions of the same style, side by side, is remarkable, and unique in Victoria.
They are also of interest for their physical relationship to each other, graphically demonstrating competition in the motor trade. Wilson's Garage was constructed after the Beaufort Garage, and is larger and set further forward with a higher more elaborate facade, and completely obscures views of the Beaufort Garage by motorists coming into the town from Ballarat.
Classified: 06/08/2001