MIKADO PARK, ELMS, OAKS, MONTEREY

265 Old Sale Road GARFIELD NORTH, Cardinia Shire

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Cardinia Shire

Mikado Park House

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • Physical Description 1

    MIKADO PARK, ELMS, OAKS, MONTEREY - Physical Description 1

    This property includes three rendered mud brick gabled buildings (former cottage, cottage and stable, packing shed) and an altered nineteenth-century weatherboard house.
    
    A stable is attached to the rear of the cottage and has an unusual split timber slab floor and a high degree of preservation.
    
    The former cottage which is thought to be the oldest on the site is gabled in form, has bark inserted as a ceiling lining (recent?), a corrugated iron roof, a pole ceiling frame, and a concrete floor provided for its later use as a lemon store. The red brick chimney has a dog-toothed frieze set between string moulds.
    
    The packing shed was reputedly a former house, moved to the site and used for the orchard activities of Pitt. Since it has been added to with a concrete block milking shed.
    
    The house was double-fronted and verandahed, facing east, with the typical four-rooms and a central passage of the era, plus a verandahed servants wing at the rear and a ballroom (since removed) attached to what may have been a kitchen. A gabled bay has been added at the rear on one side and, more recently, another extension made on the other (south) side of the house. Aluminium siding has been applied to most of the walls. The chimneys are cemented, with cornices in the typical 19th century manner, and the front verandah rebuilt and extended.
    
    There are remnants of pine rows along the old drive which entered the property from the Princes Highway near Towt's packing shed. Nearer the house there are mature Monterey cypress with elms and oaks. Among the farm structures is reinforced concrete insulage/grain storage tank near the former packing shed.
    
    Garden A distinctive feature of the property is the house and surrounding garden situated at the high point of a hill, and the extensive rows of trees planted along the former main drive which led from the property boundary on Old Sale Road to the house. The boundaries were planted with Monterey pine and cypress, many of which remain as particularly large and mature specimens today. Apparently, many were cut down during the Depression, presumably as firewood or for timber.
    
    The property had a lemon orchard in William Pitt's ownership; lemons ripened in mud building still on property. Mature ornamental trees include a large Waterhousea sp. and lillypilly. An old laurel tree was planted by Jill Salter's grandmother. (? date) A very large Cupressus macrocarpa had a buggy shed underneath it (now removed). Near the main house there is a row of elms and oak and, next to the apple packing shed, a peppercorn and Araucaria cunninghamii. As well as the Monterey pine and cypress, there are two mature (Eucalyptus ficifolia) flowering gums, and an old apple tree and lemon outside of the new kitchen. A very old pear tree may be the only remnant of the original orchard. A later layer of plantings, post 1900, include a liquidamber and Prunus serrulata from the 1940-50s.
    
    Photographs of 1919 and others show the orchard and the cypress just growing over the top of the orchard trees. This would indicate a planting date of c1870s for the cypress.
    
    

    Physical Conditions

    MIKADO PARK, ELMS, OAKS, MONTEREY - Physical Conditions

    The second cottage verandah has been enclosed but otherwise is well preserved, if in need of stabilisation. Openings to the first mud brick cottage have been altered and some of the render spalled from the walls. A concrete block milking shed has been added to the former packing shed.
    
    The house walls have been aluminium clad, the ballroom demolished, the front verandah altered and extended and other rear additions have been made.
    
    

    Historical Australian Themes

    MIKADO PARK, ELMS, OAKS, MONTEREY - Historical Australian Themes

    Historical Themes

    3.4Orchardists and market gardeners, cool stores, packing sheds, etc

    7.1 Gentlemen's rural retreats

    11.0 Evidence of: Life style, housing and landscape choice of notable figures residing in the district

    Physical Description 2

    MIKADO PARK, ELMS, OAKS, MONTEREY - Physical Description 2

    Associations - Pitt, Sir William; Parish, Bill

    Heritage Study and Grading

    Heritage Study and Grading

    Cardinia - Cardinia Shire Heritage Study 1996

    Author: Graeme Butler & Associates
    Year: 1996
    Grading: Local

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