ARDEE
162-166 VICTORIA PARADE EAST MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
Ardee was built for Lawrence Benjamin in 1881 to the design of prominent architects Crouch and Wilson. It is a substantial two-storey stuccoed brick mansion with a symmetrical facade and verandah. It is set back from the street by a small front garden with a cast iron palisade fence and large hollow cast iron gate posts. The ground floor facade is composed of two flanking polygonal bay windows around a large doorcase with transom and sidelights. Above the bracketed cornice is a balustraded parapet with a central pediment flanked by two large urns complete with finials. The two-storey verandah is divided into three bays by paired fluted cast iron columns. The verandah is finished with delicate cast iron friezes, spandrels and balustrade frieze panels.
Why is it significant?
Ardee is of architectural and historical significance to the State of Victoria.
How is it significant?
Ardee is architecturally significanct as a substantial mansion house to the design of the distinguished architects Crouch and Wilson, a Melbourne firm who desinged many secular and non-secular buildings between 1858 and 1881. Ardee illustrates the Victorian-era housing tradition of the elite along the once fashionable Victoria Parade boulevard. The intact detail of the cast iron verandah and the finely executed parapet are particularly noteworthy in their contribution to the facade.
Ardee is historically significant for its associations with many prominent members of the East Melbourne community. The original owners of Ardee, the Benjamin family, were substantial property owners in the area and influential in the Jewish community. Ardee was later the residence of the Belgian Consul-General, Gustave Beckx, who played a prominent role in the colony?s trade relations. In 1889 Dr James Agnew, a physician, became occupier. Agnew helped the Slavation Army establish the Bethesda Hospital.
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ARDEE - History
Contextual History:
There was little development of East Melbourne before 1852 as the area remained reserved by the government long after Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond were made available for development. In 1848 Bishop Perry chose the area for his Anglican Bishop's Palace overlooking the Fitzroy Gardens. The first public land sales in East Melbourne took place in June 1852, when 20 allotments were sold off. Between 1852 and 1870 a total of 299 crown allotments were sold off.
Development took off in the late 1850s after the gold rush subsided. Many terraces were built for rental and lodging. The residential area known as Yarra Park was bounded by Wellington Parade, Vale Street and Punt Road. It was the site of the original police barracks but was subdivided in the 1880s.
(Ashton and Wilson, East Melbourne Conservation Study 1975)
Associated People: Gustave Beckx, Belgian Consul-General
James AgnewARDEE - Permit Exemptions
General Exemptions:General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions. Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.
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ROSAVILLEVictorian Heritage Register H0408
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MEDLEY HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0409
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ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING AND CARLTON GARDENS (WORLD HERITAGE PLACE)Victorian Heritage Register H1501
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"1890"Yarra City
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"AQUA PROFONDA" SIGN, FITZROY POOLVictorian Heritage Register H1687
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