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MACGEORGE HOUSE
25 RIVERSIDE ROAD IVANHOE, BANYULE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
MACGEORGE HOUSE SOHE 2008
MACGEORGE HOUSE SOHE 2008
MACGEORGE HOUSE SOHE 2008
MACGEORGE HOUSE SOHE 2008
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe south side 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe plan
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe south side from river 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe west side 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe porch 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe living room 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe living 02
H02004 macgeorge house ivanhoe hallway 02
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Built in 1911, the Macgeorge House (also known as Fairy Hills) is situated at the intersection of the Yarra River and Darebin Creek in Ivanhoe. A substantial bungalow, it is roughcasted externally with some half timbering to gables. The interior is comprehensively finished in a variety of natural and dark stained timbers, with very fine hand crafted detailing to fittings and furnishings. The house remains largely intact to its original appearance and character to both exterior and interior.

How is it significant?
Thw Macgeorge House is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria

Why is it significant?
The Macgeorge house is of architectural significance as an important and remarkably complete example of the work of leading architect Harold Desbrowe Annear in the early years of this century. While demonstrating a number of features typical of his work at this time, such as his love of roughcasted and half timbered bungalow forms and richly detailed Arts & Crafts interiors, it shows his broad tendency in this period toward simplification and abstraction of form and details, factors important to the notable character of his later work. The associated gardens are an integral part of the original conception of the site by the Macgeorges and their architect. Vestiges of the original formal garden adjacent the house and of the bush garden along the river make an important contribution to the appreciation of the site and of the tastes of the Macgeorges.

The Macgeorge house is of historical significance for its associations with the Macgeorges and, through them, with a larger circle of artists, art patrons and art critics in Heidelberg and Melbourne from 1910 through to 1970. Following the bequest to the University of Melbourne by the Macgeorges,the association with the arts community as accommodation for artists in residence from the University of Melbourne.

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    • Permit Exemptions

      MACGEORGE HOUSE - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.

      Landscape:
      * Completion of the formal garden around the house acording to the 28 April 1911 plan
      * Continuation of indigenous planting and weed removal in the informal areas of the garden and along the river and creek banks
      * Installation, removal or replacement of garden watering systems
      * The process of gardening, mowing, removal of dead plants, disease and weed control, emergency and safety works.
      * The replanting of plant species to conserve the landscape character.
      * Management of trees in accordance with Australian Standard; Pruning of amenity trees AS 4373.
      * Repairs, conservation and maintenance to hard landscape elements, asphalt and gravel paths and roadways, stone and concrete edging, fences and gates.

      House Exterior:
      * Repainting of previously painted surfaces in the same or original colours

      House Interior:
      * Refitting of previously refitted parts of the two kitchen areas and laundry
      * Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings in the same or original colours
      * Removal of paint from originally unpainted or oiled joinery, doors, architraves, skirtings
      * Replacement of flexible floor coverings in kitchens and bathrooms
      * Replacement of curtain track, rods, blinds and other window dressings
      * Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of mirrors, paintings and other wall mounted artworks.
      * Removal, installation or replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring provided that all new wiring is fully concealed and any original light switches, pull cords, push buttons or power outlets are retained in-situ.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of insulation in the roof space.
      * Installation, removal or replacement of smoke detectors

      Permit Exemption Policy

      MACGEORGE HOUSE - Permit Exemption Policy

      The Macgeorge House is significant both as a house designed by Annear and for its historical associations with the Macgeorges and the artistic community with which they were involved. The conservation of the significance of this place is closely connected to the high level of intactness of the place. The house was bequeathed to the University of Melbourne substantially as the Macgeorges left it in 1970, including furniture and furnishings. The University has made considerable efforts to maintain that intactness since then. This intactness adds in particular to the ability of the place to demonstrate the historic associations with the Macgeorges and the arts community of the time. The intactness also gives a rare glimpse into how an Annear bungalow was used by the people that commissioned it.

      Because of the intactness of the fabric of the house and its interior furnishings, the range of permit exemptions for this place is less than that usually given for residences which have been more substantially changed and had many different users since they were built.

      For those spaces which have already been substantially changed to maintain an acceptable level of amenity and to enable ongoing ocupation of the palace, exemptions are given for further upgrading of services.

      The landscape can be usefully divided into the formal garden and the bush garden. Only limited elements of the original formal garden remain, including the oak trees to the north of the house and the box hedge to the south. The University of Melbourne has created a formal garden based on a plan of 28 April 1911. While the extent to which the plan was actually realised by the Macgeorges is not documented, in the absence of any other evidence the existing document provides  the best guidance. The completion of this project is supported and is exempt from permit requirements. The indigenous planting activity already undertaken along the creek and river banks and the lower slopes of the site has no negative impact on the heritage significance of the place and should be allowed to continue.

       

Public contributions

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