Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct
Davies Street (part) and Melbourne Road (part) NEWPORT, HOBSONS BAY CITY
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Statement of Significance
The Melbourne Road Commercial Heritage Precinct, which comprises all land in HO20 and generally includes properties bounded by Melbourne Road, Davies Street and Susman Street, Newport.
How is it Significant?
The Melbourne Road Commercial Heritage Precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Hobsons Bay.
Why is it Significant?Historically, the Melbourne Road Commercial Heritage Precinct is significant for its associations with the development of the main Newport shopping centre that developed around the Newport Railway Station from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century and was second only to Williamstown commercial area in its importance. It demonstrates the development of the Newport area during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and illustrates how retail centres developed around railway stations. (AHC criteria A4 and D2)
Aesthetically, the Melbourne Road Commercial Heritage Precinct is significant as a representative example of a late nineteenth and early twentieth century commercial precinct, which is notable for the intact upper level facades that contribute to the historic character of the Newport commercial precinct. (AHC criterion E1)
On this basis, the following properties contribute to the significance of the precinct:
- 316, 328-338 and 344 Melbourne Road.
- 35 Davies Street.
Please note that some heritage places within this precinct may also have an individual citation in this Study.
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Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct - Physical Description 1
The is a well-established small commercial centre, which predominantly comprises buildings from the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. It is an extension of the Newport commercial centre to the north although the physical connection has been diminished by the construction of the railway overpass and large traffic roundabout at the North Road intersection.
Situated on the eastern side of Melbourne Road, at the southern end of the main Newport shopping centre, it comprises single and double-storey brick timber shops built to the street boundary, which have face and rendered brick facades. The integrity of the fabric is moderate. Typically for commercial centers, the first floors, which often feature decorative Victorian and Edwardian era parapets, are substantially intact, however the ground floor shopfronts are mostly altered.
Key buildings include:
- The timber Victorian shop at 316 Melbourne Road.
- 'Kardinia', a red brick Edwardian shop at 330 Melbourne Road, with an intact tiled shopfront and a horseshoe arch balcony.
- The single storey Edwardian shops with distinctive parapets at 332-334 Melbourne Road.
- Italianate shops at 336-338 Melbourne Road
- The red brick former State Savings Bank at 344 Melbourne Road. The ground floor of this building has been altered, however, the upper level remains substantially intact.
Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct - Integrity
Integrity
Moderate
Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct - Usage/Former Usage
Context
The Melbourne Road commercial heritage precinct is related to, but physically separated from the Newport Civic & Commercial precinct, which is just to the north. It forms part of the Private Survey Precinct.
Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct - Historical Australian Themes
Principal Australian Historical Theme(s)
Making Suburbs
Melbourne Road Commercial Precinct - Physical Description 2
Associations
State Savings Bank of Victoria, Independent Order of Oddfellows
Heritage Study and Grading
Hobsons Bay - Hobsons Bay Heritage Study
Author: Hobsons Bay City Council
Year: 2006
Grading:
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FORMER NEWPORT RAILWAY WORKSHOPSVictorian Heritage Register H1000
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GREENWICH PIERVictorian Heritage Inventory
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OLD YARRA RIVER COURSE STONE EMBANKMENTSVictorian Heritage Inventory
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'ELAINE'Boroondara City
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-oonahYarra City
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..eld HouseYarra City
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