Narre Warren Town Centre & Railway

Princes Highway and Shrives Road and Webb Street NARRE WARREN, Casey City

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Casey City

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • Physical Description 1

    Narre Warren Town Centre & Railway - Physical Description 1

    This precinct was originally identified by the 'Heritage of the City of Berwick Study' in 1993, which described it as follows:
    
    
    
    "The history of development of Narre Warren has resulted in the establishment of two areas which today have distinctive heritage characteristics. These two areas, the Narre Warren Railway Station and the Narre Warren Town Centre, are separated by a dense commercial shopping strip.
    
    
    
    The town centre today is a busy retail centre with mostly new development on the south side of the highway. However, evidence of the historic precinct is found in the remaining oak avenue plantings and a small number of older buildings to the north of the intersection.
    
    
    
    The row of oaks forms an impressive landmark along the entrance route to Narre Warren. Beginning at Magid Drive, some 800 metres west of Webb Street, these mature trees create a distinct sense of entry. The intersection is the focus addressed by the former blacksmith's shop (Mower World), and the Narre Warren Produce Store. The other buildings at the intersection do not contribute to the heritage character of the precinct.
    
    
    
    Immediately adjacent to Narre Warren Produce Store, the former bakery building faces Webb Street, contributing to the corner landmark buildings. On the opposite side of Webb Street, a little further north, are the early town's institutional buildings. The former Mechanics' Institute is a landmark in the street, with significant oak plantings to the rear of the property. The Primary School next door no longer contains its original building, however, the successive building, built in the 1920s, remains reasonably intact.
    
    
    
    All that remains today of Narre Warren Railway Station historically important precinct is the railway station, a timber structure with corrugated iron roof, its signal box and a gable-roofed store. Nearby at 1 and 3 Shrives Road, two modest timber houses remain. These houses are examples of the simple weatherboard homes once typical of the area around the railway, and may have been built as railway houses.
    
    
    
    The Webb Street landscape near the station is open in character. Views north towards the intersection, are cluttered with the advertising of the adjacent shopping centre. There are only sparse tree plantings in the vicinity, making no contribution to the heritage character of the area."
    
    
    
    Since the 1993 Study, the following buildings have been demolished and replaced with new development:
    
    
    
    - Mower World
    
    - Narre Warren Produce Store
    
    - Former Bakery, Webb Street
    
    - House, 3 Shrives Road
    
    - Narre Warren Railway Station & Signal Box.
    
    
    
    The replacement buildings, particularly at the corner of Webb Street and Princes Highway are unrelated in terms of their scale, siting and materials to the earlier buildings. Consequently, the precinct now has very low integrity and little visual cohesion.

    Intactness

    Narre Warren Town Centre & Railway - Intactness

    Low, due to demolition of contributory buildings originally identified in 1993.

    Historical Australian Themes

    Narre Warren Town Centre & Railway - Historical Australian Themes

    Developing settlements, towns and cities

    Heritage Study and Grading

    Heritage Study and Grading

    Casey - Casey Heritage Study

    Author: Context Pty Ltd
    Year: 2004
    Grading: Local

    Casey - Heritage of the City of Berwick

    Author: Context Pty Ltd
    Year: 1993
    Grading:

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  • Row of Oak Trees

    

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