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Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre
208 Burgundy Street HEIDELBERG, BANYULE CITY

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Banyule City
Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre
Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre
Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?

The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre, built c.1928, and the setting in a strip of parkland close to Warringal Hospital, is significant.

How is it significant?

The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre is of local historical, social and aesthetic significance to the City of Banyule.

Why is it significant?

The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre is of historical significance for its associations with the history of maternal and infant welfare in Victoria demonstrating the strength of community concern about infant and maternal welfare prior to official government involvement. Designed to resemble a typical middle class suburban house in a garden setting, the purpose-built centre remains a symbol of domesticity and stability. The building of a permanent baby health centre was also symbolic of a culturally progressive caring society, a place associated with new scientific ideas, and professionally designed programs designed to improve the health education of women raising families in the suburbs. (Criterion A)

The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre is of architectural significance as an intact example of an early baby health care centre. As a building constructed in the Inter War Bungalow style, it is important for its high degree of external integrity, in particular for its unpainted roughcast rendered exterior and stylistic detailing. Importantly, the building is representative of many subsequent baby health centres of the inter-war period built in the domestic style, a style which demonstrates a philosophical association between early baby health centre designs and the ideal suburban house, both traditionally perceived as the domain of women and children. The planting of conifers, and other detailed garden plants reflects the era in which the building was constructed and contributes to the setting. (Criteria D & E)

The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre is of social significance for its enduring civic value to the community as demonstrated by the range of community uses accommodated in the building, and importantly for its current use as a location for parenting programs. (Criterion G)

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    • Physical Description 1

      Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre - Physical Description 1

      The former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre is located on a narrow strip of land between Burgundy Street and the service road to the Warringal Hospital. Despite its location it is surrounded by parkland consisting of lawn and a number of conifers. Detailed planting of agapanthus and some small shrubs surround the building. The building is designed in an Inter War bungalow style and is built of masonry with a terra cotta tiled roof. The siting takes advantage of the sloping land with the entrance on the high side facing Burgundy Street, whilst the rear faces the service road and has a large area of base walling in clinker brick.

      It is designed in a domestic style to demonstrate a connection between the lives of mothers in the suburbs where the home was traditionally the domain of women and children.

      The walls are of face clinker brick with a sill course below floor level whilst the upper walls are of roughcast render which is unpainted. The porch facing Burgundy Street consists of three arches forming an entrance and a sheltered verandah. There is a panel with raised lettering denoting the title of the building at the base of the porch.

      Windows are timber framed sashes set in external box frames and arranged either singly of in banks as across the rear elevation facing Warringal Hospital. There is a solid fence of piers and panels with matching render finish, and gates to the entry.

      The porch has been altered by the addition of a metal grille gate. Otherwise the building has a high degree of integrity and is in good condition.

      Historical Australian Themes

      Former Heidelberg Baby Health Centre - Historical Australian Themes

      AHC Themes
      9.1.1 Providing maternity clinics and hospitals
      9.1.2 Promoting mothers' and babies' health

      HV Themes
      8.3 Providing health and welfare services

      Local Themes
      Local Government and suburban development

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Banyule - Banyule Heritage Review

      Author: Context P/L
      Year: 2009
      Grading: Local

Public contributions

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