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Somerville Road 20thCent Res Area
31-41 Somerville Road YARRAVILLE, Maribyrnong City

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Maribyrnong City
HO10(4) - Somerville Rd, 20th Century Residential Area.JPG
HO10(4) - Somerville Rd, 20th Century Residential Area.JPG
HO10(4) - Somerville Rd, 20th Century Residential Area.JPG
HO10(2) - Somerville Rd, 20th Century Residential Area.JPG
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Statement of Significance

Statement of Significance

The Somerville Road 20th Century Residential Precinct is significant to the City of Maribyrnong because:
- it is one of the best preserved of the City's middle class inter-war residential enclaves and thus highly expressive of this era in the City's development as expressed by:
- decorative masonry and stucco walling,
- tiled roofing, hipped and gabled roof forms,
- low masonry front fences,
- detached siting set back in landscaped blocks,
- typical inter-war planting such as clipped evergreen shrubs and conifers,
- styles ranging from Tudor revival to Mediterranean villa,
- single 3m maximum width crossovers to garaging set at the back of the block accessed by side drives,
- concrete footpaths, kerb and channel, and - varying lot frontages, identical lot depths (Criterion A4);
- it contains individually historically significant places such as the Church of England and the former Stephen Stephens residence, the grounds of which once held the precinct (Criterion A4).

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



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    • Physical Description 1

      Somerville Road 20thCent Res Area - Physical Description 1

      The general character of the Somerville Road 20th Century Residential Precinct comprises many elements such as masonry construction, tiled roofing, hipped and gabled roof forms, low masonry front fences, detached siting and deep set backs in landscaped blocks, and typical inter-war planting such as clipped evergreen shrubs and conifers. Housing styles range from Tudor revival (35) to Mediterranean villas (35A). There are single 3m maximum width crossovers to garaging set at the back of the block and accessed by side drives. There are concrete footpaths, kerb and channel, with varying lot frontages and identical lot depths.

      Set on the south side of Somerville Road, east of the railway, this is a group of detached, masonry (brick and stucco), largely single storey, inter-war period housing with an associated early 20th century Church of England and residence (St Lukes). It is isolated from the Yarraville area by the subdivision and faces the Seddon heritage residential precinct. The precinct is unrelated to the general character of the Seddon area which is Edwardian-era or the Yarraville area which is both Victorian & Edwardian. The masonry construction, simple stylistic treatment, hipped roof form, low masonry front fences and associated inter-war planting provide a distinctive character among the surrounding, generally earlier, development. Adjoining is the individually significant and early 31-33 Somerville Road which is set well back in a mature landscape ( a row of seven mature elms).

      Although not related in style or period, the former Stephen Stephens house and mature elms at 31-33 Somerville Rd is historically, physically and visually connected with the group. This is made more so by the vacant land and unrelated development to the east of the house and the group. The house is obscured from view but is of an early date and once fronted Stephen Street: it is a hipped roof stone house with a detached kitchen. The latter still possesses exposed stonework but the former has been stuccoed over.

      Extract from Maribyrnong Heritage Review, Volume 5, 2001.

      Physical Conditions

      Somerville Road 20thCent Res Area - Physical Conditions

      Physical Conditions: good (partially disturbed, well preserved)

      Integrity

      Somerville Road 20thCent Res Area - Integrity

      Integrity: substantially intact/some intrusions

      Historical Australian Themes

      Somerville Road 20thCent Res 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

      Somerville Road 20thCent Res Area - Physical Description 2

      Map (Melway) 42B8
      Boundary description Part of Somerville Road, with emphasis on all original inter-war and Edwardian-era elements, including basalt pitched paving, asphalt footpaths, lot sizes and street patterns, and the individually significant Victorian-era place, 31-33 Somerville Rd.
      Heritage Significance City
      Creation date(s) 1860s-1930s
      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
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