COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, 920-938 WHITEHORSE ROAD, BOX HILL

920-938 WHITEHORSE ROAD BOX HILL, WHITEHORSE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, 920-938 WHITEHORSE ROAD, BOX HILL - History

    Crown land auctions south of Whitehorse Road took place in 1853-1854. The site is within Section 29A purchased by William Hill in 1853 (Figure 1). The primary use of the land was agricultural comprising market gardens and orchards (AJM JV, 2021). Through the 1850s and 1860s services began to be established in Box Hill including the White Horse Inn/hotel, the Post Office, and other small shops. The railway line in Box Hill was constructed in 1882 which led to increased commercial and residential development, concentrated around the station and White Horse Road (AJM JV, 2021).
    
    

    920-928 Whitehorse Road

    In 1895 the Box Hill Market was opened north of the Box Hill Railway Station, initially just as a cattle market, by TRB Morton (Lemon 1978:110). A 1905 township plan shows the parts of the market within the Whitehorse Road site include stalls for fruit and vegetables and the cattle yards. P. Bird’s timber yard is to the west (Figure 5). The 1928 MMBW plan demonstrates the market structures which intersect with the Whitehorse Road site as a large, rectangular timber building (Figure 8).

    In 1929 a timber strike badly affected P. Brid’s Timber Yard, the Box Hill Market also experienced a downturn and was downsized. The Market Street thoroughfare was created from the former market and timber mill sites. The Whitehorse Road frontage of the market (the large timber building) was refurbished as a produce market (Lemon 1978:161,247). This building is evident in the 1931 aerial image (Figure 9). A 1930s photo from inside the produce market demonstrates a large open plan timber building with a twin gabled corrugated iron roof and timber trusses (Figure 10). A two-storey brick commercial building was constructed at 920-928 Whitehorse Road in the 1930s (AJM JV, 2021). This building is evident in the 1945 aerial image (Figure 11). 
    
    

    The building was divided into several shop fronts, the Box Hill rate valuation records (1940s-1950s) provide separate listings for the addresses 920, 922, 924 & 926 Whitehorse Road. The modern street address includes No. 928 Whitehorse Road, however no listing was identified in the rate valuation records for this address. The entire building was owned by Mrs. Doris, Mrs. Esther and Mrs. Ada Freda Berkowitz. 920 Whitehorse Road is described as a 6 room, sewered, brick house and shop with an iron roof occupied by George Campbell Rennie, a confectioner and then subsequently Frederick McKenzie, followed by Monica Carroll and then Sarah Laurie (occupations not listed or illegible) (Assessment No. 3268A). 922 Whitehorse Road is described as a brick, sewered, shop with an iron roof occupied by Alma Joyce Rain who ran a florist and subsequently Ray Gillham who ran a shoe store (Assessment No. 3268B). 924 Whitehorse Road is described as a 5 room, sewered, brick shop with an iron roof occupied by the fruiterer Domenico Vozzo (Assessment No. 3268C). 926 Whitehorse Road is described as a 5 room, sewered, brick shop with an iron roof occupied by Albert Edward Peters, a pastry cook (Assessment No. 3268D).

    The building is relatively intact today; various businesses have occupied the premises and internal modifications have likely been made.
    
    930-932 Whitehorse Road

    930-932 Whitehorse Road is within the land marked as cattle yards for the Box Hill Market in the 1905 plan (Figure 6). The 1928 plan (Figure 8) depicts this area as a fenced off yard adjacent to the timber building at 920-928 Whitehorse Road. The yard is maintained alongside the timber building in the 1931 aerial image and appears to be vacant (Figure 9). At 930-932 Whitehorse Road a two-storey rendered brick shop was constructed in the 1930s (AJM JV, 2021). This building is evident in the 1945 aerial image, with what appears to be several small outbuildings in the fenced off rear yard, and then vacant land onto the lane at the southernmost extent of the property (Figure 11). 

    The building comprised two shopfronts recorded in the Box Hill rate valuation records (1940s-1950s). The entire building was initially owned by Eastern Theatres Pty Ltd it was subsequently purchased by Paul and Lillian Talbot. 930 Whitehorse Road was listed as a 5 room, sewered brick shop or dwelling with an iron roof, initially occupied by Hedley and Alice Brunning who were dairy produce merchants (Assessment No. 3269). 932 Whitehorse Road was recorded as a 5 room brick shop and dwelling occupied by Mrs. Ruth Garland (occupation not listed), followed by Karla Schincn, a draper and then Hampton Furnishings Pty Ltd (Assessment No. 3270).
    
    

    The building appears consistently in subsequent aerial imagery and remains extant today. At some stage the rear yard was sealed with concrete and is currently utilised for car parking. There is potential for deposits associated with the earlier market activities to be present underlying 930-932 Whitehorse Road.
    
    934-938 Whitehorse Road

    The Recreation Hall was constructed at 934-938 Whitehorse Road in 1885 (AJM JV 2021); the building is depicted (not to scale) in the 1888 advertisement for the Box Hill Township Estate allotments (Figure 5). The 1905 plan depicts the Recreation Hall with two small stores at the front: Mrs Dodswell’s Sweets store & A.S. Lafters’ Estate Agent (Figure 6). The 1928 MMBW plan depicts a T shaped brick building, with a narrow yard behind the two small shops (Figure 8). 934 Whitehorse Road has a small timber verandah or outbuilding adjacent at the rear and an additional timber outbuilding at the southernmost end of the yard. In 1929 the Recreation Hall was converted to the Rialto cinema (AJM JV, 2021). The building is evident in the 1931 aerial image as a large structure encompassing the entire property (Figure 9). The building appears consistently in subsequent aerial imagery.

    The Box Hill rate valuation records provide separate listing for 934, 936 and 938/940 Whitehorse Road (1940s-1950s). The entire building is owned by Eastern Theatres Pty Ltd throughout this period. 934 Whitehorse Road is described simply as a brick shop occupied by Annie Ellen Sinclair followed by Mrs Chipperfield (occupations not listed) (Assessment No. 3271). 936 Whitehorse Road is described as a sewered brick theatre, which “widens at rear of shops” with Paul Talbot listed as the director (Assessment No. 3272). 938/940 Whitehorse Road is described as a brick shop occupied by Allen Cale, a confectioner, followed by a series of occupants whose names are illegible and occupations are not listed (Assessment No. 3273).
    
    

    The building was remodelled again in 1961 becoming the Palmers Arcade. The facade of the building has changed considerably, however, the building fabric to the rear has been retained. It is not clear what level of ground disturbance may have been caused to the site during the phases of remodelling. 

    Interpretation of Site

    COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, 920-938 WHITEHORSE ROAD, BOX HILL - Interpretation of Site

    19th century land use was predominantly agricultural, likely with market gardens and/or orchards. In 1882 the Box Hill Railway Station was opened and Whitehorse Road and other streets in the vicinity were established as the commercial centre of Box Hill. The Box Hill Markets and Recreation Hall were established on Whitehorse Road at this time. Land use in the early 20th century became residential as well as commercial and recreational. By the 21st century activities within the site were predominantly commercial. The Commercial Buildings at 920-938 Whitehorse Road are representative of the changing character of Box Hill from the 1880s land boom through to the present day.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, 920-938 WHITEHORSE ROAD, BOX HILL - Heritage Inventory Description

    920-932 Whitehorse Road comprises two extant 1930s commercial brick buildings. 934-938 Whitehorse Road is the extant 1885 Recreation Hall. The facades of the buildings have all been modified (although some original facades are retained behind), the building have likely experienced internal modifications. The interiors of the buildings were not subject to the site inspection. The rear yards of the buildings are surfaced with either concrete or asphalt.
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