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Washingtonia palm
78 Cowper Street, FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 - Property No 3021002800

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Maribyrnong City
Cowper St 78 palm
Cowper St 78 palm
Cowper St 78 palm
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Statement of Significance

Washingtonia palm at 78 Cowper Street is significant to the City of Maribyrnong:
- for its maturity and rarity within the City (Criterion B2).

Australian Heritage Commission (AHC) criteria

The Australian Heritage Commission criteria consist of a set of eight criteria which cover social, aesthetic, scientific, and historic values. Each criterion has sub-criteria written specifically for cultural or natural values. The relevant criteria are:

B.2 rarity

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    • Physical Description 1

      Washingtonia palm - Physical Description 1

      A large specimen located north of what appears to be a brick Edwardian-era villa (78), on a vacant grassed area close to the footpath.

      The Washingtonia genus is made up of 2 species of fan-leafed palms from arid parts of western Mexico, southern California and Arizona. Their stately appearance makes them ideal specimen or avenue trees. They have an upright, single trunk, and are sometimes called petticoat palms because the dead fronds hang down in a mass around the trunk, almost to the ground. The large leaves have many strap-like segments and spiny leaf stalks. The small white flowers cluster at intervals on long flowering branches that arch out well beyond the leaves. The fruit are small dark drupes {Botanica}.' `Washingtonia filifera' is from southern California and Arizona. `This palm develops a fat trunk and grows 40-50 ft (12-15 m) tall. The greyish green leaves form a broad, spherical crown about 15 ft (4.5 m) across. The common name of cotton palm derives from the white, cotton-like threads on and between the leaf segments. Its small hard black berries ripen in winter {Botanica}.

      Physical Conditions

      Washingtonia palm - Physical Conditions

      The tree is in good condition.

      Integrity

      Washingtonia palm - Integrity

      The house and the tree are substantially intact/some intrusions.

      Physical Description 2

      Washingtonia palm - Physical Description 2

      Context
       Set next to a late Victorian-era duplex.

      Historical Australian Themes

      Washingtonia palm - Historical Australian Themes

      Thematic context
      Australian Principal Theme Developing cultural institutions and ways of life
      PAHT Subtheme Creating landscape
      Local Theme(s) Cultural development

      Physical Description 3

      Washingtonia palm - Physical Description 3

      Map (Melway) 42D5
      Boundary description The trees and sufficient land around each to allow for root zone and canopy
      protection, nominally 1m beyond the drip line, root zone or canopy perimeter which ever is the greatest.
      Heritage Significance City
      Creation date(s) 1895c
      Local Government Area City of Maribyrnong
      Ownership Type Private

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Maribyrnong - Maribyrnong Heritage Review

      Author: Jill Barnard, Graeme Butler, Francine Gilfedder & Gary Vines
      Year: 2000
      Grading:

Public contributions

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