Back to search results

Queensville Estate Heritage Area
Chatfield, Chirnside, Coronation, Dickson, Empress, Geelong, Queensville, Shackell, Wales, Webb and Williamstown Streets or Roads KINGSVILLE, MARIBYRNONG CITY

All information on this page is maintained by Maribyrnong City. Click below for their website and contact details.
Maribyrnong City
HO8(2) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(2) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(2) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(4) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(3) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(1) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(5) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
HO8(8) - Queensville Estate Area, Kingsville.JPG
On this page:

Statement of Significance

Statement of Significance

The Queensville Estate Precinct is significant historically and aesthetically to the City of Maribyrnong and the Western Region of Melbourne because:
- the precinct provides a distinctive physical expression of two important eras of residential speculation and growth in the area, the 1880s land boom and the post WW1 residential building surge, one overlaid on the other as expressed by:
- timber Edwardian and Post First War era single storey detached timber housing on small and consistent lot frontages,
- long narrow streets on a grid-iron layout,
- dominance of the gabled roof form,
- some surviving early asphalt footpaths and stone kerb and channel, and

- the pre-motor age, with no provision for on-site vehicle parking for most of the identified housing. (Criterion A4);
- the uniformity of building stock allows comprehension of the rapid rise of a community from paddocks in the post First War era (Criterion A4).
- the precinct growth period reflects the spread of tramways and the influence of new transport networks ( Criterion A4);
- the precinct has a strong visual cohesion arising from its relatively unaltered housing stock from the immediate post WW1 era, and the use of two basic house styles (Criterion E1); and
- of the visual effect of closely spaced mainly gabled Californian Bungalow forms on the narrow 19th century lots is unusual in the metropolitan area compared to other Bungalow-era estates (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:

A.4 demonstrates well the course and pattern of history, important historic events

B.2 rarity

E.1 aesthetic importance to the community or cultural group

Show more
Show less

    • Physical Description 1

      Queensville Estate Heritage Area - Physical Description 1

      The general character of the Queensville Estate Precinct is that of timber Edwardian and Post First War era single storey detached timber housing on small and consistent lot frontages with long narrow streets on a grid-iron layout. There is a dominance of the gabled roof form and houses originally with low simple square or round top timber picket or timber framed wire fabric front fences. The street originally had asphalt footpaths and stone kerb and channel, with some surviving and there was no provision for on-site vehicle parking for most of the identified housing. The surviving rear right-of-ways are valuable elements associated with the 19th century night soil collection. The resulting character is a visually cohesive blend of two major house styles derived from the Edwardian and Bungalow eras, and mainly built of timber. They share the gabled roof form but the Edwardian-era house types also have a hipped roof combined.

      A product of the large estates surveyed in the 1880s, the street arrangement is surprisingly regular for Footscray, providing a contrast to the other contemporary estates of the city while also possessing the narrow frontages of the late 19th century boom. Most of the estate has the basalt kerb and channel and asphalt footpaths which contributes to the period expression. Of the 830 places listed, 749 places are contributory.

      Wales Street: A major part of the north end of Wales Street has been taken up with a park which provides a gap in what is otherwise a repetitive streetscape based on the gabled roof form set on narrow frontages relatively close to the street. Nevertheless the park has some mature trees which are related to the precinct era. Otherwise there is a mixture of post World War One (number 3 Wales St) and Edwardian-era houses (number 7 Wales St).

      Coronation St: As with the other streets there is a large number of Edwardian-era (numbers 12, 9 Coronation St) and 1920s (number 7 Coronation St) weatherboard housing on narrow lots.

      Chirnside Street: Californian Bungalow (gabled type - see numbers 112, 151) and Edwardian era (hipped roof, verandahed type- see number 85) timber housing, with the best areas south of Shackell Street.

      Empress Avenue: The west side integrity to the area's period is better than the east side of Empress Avenue, particularly north of Shackell Street. The south end of Empress, below Chatfield, the east side has a lower integrity. The Empress Avenue and Somerville Road intersection has unrelated development at both corners.

      Queensville Street: Generally a Californian Bungalow street with some Edwardian intermixed, all timber. The western side has fairly high integrity to period of both Edwardian and Bungalow era, despite brick intrusions. The east side has less integrity.

      Physical Conditions

      Queensville Estate Heritage Area - Physical Conditions

      Physical Conditions:good (partially disturbed, well preserved)

      Integrity

      Queensville Estate Heritage Area - Integrity

      Integrity:substantially intact/some intrusions

      Historical Australian Themes

      Queensville Estate Heritage Area - Historical Australian Themes

      Thematic context
      Australian Principal Theme Making suburbs
      PAHT Subtheme Making suburbs
      Local Theme(s) Twentieth Century Residential Development

      Physical Description 2

      Queensville Estate Heritage Area - Physical Description 2

      Map (Melway) 41 J7
      Boundary description Shackell, Empress, Webb, Wales, Chirnside and Queensville Streets and the west side of Williamstown Road, with emphasis on all original Edwardian-era and inter-war built elements, including basalt pitched paving, asphalt footpaths, lot sizes and street patterns.
      Heritage Significance Regional
      Creation date(s) 1910s-20s
      Local Government Area City of Maribyrnong
      Ownership Type Private & Public

      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

Note: Developments may span multiple time periods
Timeline browser

< to 1849
< - 1849
1850 to 1879
1850 - 1879
1880 to 1909
1880 - 1909
1910 to 1939
1910 - 1939
1940 to 1969
1940 - 1969
1970 to 1999
1970 - 1999
2000 to >
2000 - >