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Nobelius Nursery And Emerald Country Club

Other Name

Crichton Road, Emerald (Packing Shed), Ca 53B, No Section, Parish Of Gembrook, County Of Evelyn (Carramar And Former Koenig Residence)

Location

Lakeside Drive, (Country Club), EMERALD VIC 3782 - Property No G13028

File Number

G13028

Level

State

Statement of Significance

The Nobelius Nursery at Emerald, commenced c.1886 and greatly expanded over the next three decades, the land in part reused for the Emerald Country Club estate from the mid 1920s with a clubhouse from 1928-29, is of State cultural significance

- as the site of one of Victoria's and Australia's foremost plant nursery operations; surviving attributes include two residences occupied by Nobelius, at least one (probably two) packing sheds, close links with the Belgrave to Gembrook narrow gauge railway line (a facility sought and heavily used by Nobelius in his nursery and orchard business) including a siding serving the packing shed, retention of trees and other plantings from Nobelius occupation (especially around his residence Carramar and throughout the Emerald Country Club estate). and a small portion of land which formed the last remnant of the Nobelius nursery and now named the 'Nobelius Heritage Nursery';

- for its ability to demonstrate the features of a country club estate in Victoria dating from the interwar period and based on American precedents; this is a rare and relatively intact example and attributes include the clubhouse, surrounding golf course with associated landscaping (especially the first nine holes which were the first to be developed), subdivision plan of 1931, roads formations (especially Lakeside Drive which was based on a track through the Nobelius nursery), several residences (notably 9, 11, 21, 34, 36, 38 and 66 Lakeside Drive and 22 Sycamore Avenue - more may be disclosed from further research) which date to the early days of the estate, the lake and lake surrounds (including the rotunda);

- for the individually notable and externally well-preserved clubhouse design, being the most complete example of the country clubhouses built in this era. The clubhouse is also evocative of the American Craftsmen precedents, with the extensive use of natural finishes, inside and externally, and particularly for its demonstration of Arts and Crafts principles by selection of materials from the site (in this case stone);

- for its historical links with the development of the Emerald district, especially land selection, local roads, the narrow gauge railway line and the township;

- for the aesthetic significance of constituent elements; these derive from a consistent use of local materials (especially stone), mature trees and shrubs, lack of boundary fences in the country club estate, and vistas (especially to and from the golf course and across the Heritage Nursery site).ANALYSIS

The Nobelius Nursery and Emerald Country club form part of a large and complex site, with many overlays of history and development. This analysis considers the area under several major headings to enable the cultural significance of the site to be adequately assessed.

B5919 Emerald Country Resort & Carramar Homestead now incorporated in this file.
Classified: 23/11/1994

Group

Parks, Gardens and Trees