Lurnea has high local significance as an early remaining example of the

many substantial, timber guest houses that flourished in the Dandenongs

during the 1920s and 1930s. It forms part of a historic precinct near

Belgrave Railway Station with the nearby guest houses, Ardoch and

Whitehall, both opened in the 1940s post-war years.

A substantial mid-1920s two storey bungalow, situated on the steep hillside overlooking the Monbulk-Belgrave Road and Sherbrooke Forest Park. The house is elevated within a mature, landscaped setting with plantings to the building line of the front facade. It is constructed from timber, with a rectangular plan and a combination of tiled gable roofs with exposed rafters to the eaves.

The front facade is symmetrical with access via a raised pathway which extends from the driveway along the length of the building and is edged with a stone retaining wall. The ground floor facade is delineated by an off-centre doorway which is flanked by a set of double hung, multi-pane, timber windows to the north and a single matching window to the south. It is shaded by a narrow cantilevered overhang. At the north corner of the house the ground floor is clad with a combination of lattice and regularly spaced timber slats, indicating that the ground floor plan is not defined by the external walls.

The upper floor of the front facade is delineated by a centrally located gable roof and a recessed verandah. A latticed gable end, extending from the transverse gable of the dominant roof form, crowns a projecting verandah bay. The verandah fretwork and posts have simple, Arts and Crafts-inspired timber detailing with angular timber brackets and balustrade insets. Recently installed lattice panels encloses the verandah.

The north facade includes a projecting balcony, possibly a later addition, surrounding a centrally located, stepped brick chimney. Lattice panels have been installed recently as a balustrade for the north-facing balcony.

The house is largely intact with minimal intrusions including lattice to enclose the upper, recessed verandah and possibly the cantilevered balcony.

Physical Conditions: Good

Integrity: Intact