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McKay Housing Estate - Durham Rd
Durham Road, SUNSHINE VIC 3020 - Property No B2

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Brimbank City

45831 McKay Housing Estate - Durham Rd

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Statement of Significance
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Statement of Significance

This McKay housing subdivision is of national historical and social significance as a part of a suburb created by Australia's leading industrialist and as a milestone in the development of the industrial suburb under the influence of the model worker's towns and Garden City movements. Sunshine became a yardstick for planning and housing reformers, with H.V. McKay being regarded as an expert on planned industrial housing. The McKay estate is ofarchitectural significance as it marks a crucial phase in the development of Sunshine, housing the resident work force which promoted further industrial development.

The group of houses in the precinct represent the type of houses built either by or for company employees and managers during the period of H V McKay's dominance of Sunshine's economy and development. Historically, the precinct has significant associations both with H.V. McKay, who planned and oversaw development of the precinct, and with the dozens of employees of the Harvester Factory who built and resided in the houses.While a number of original houses have been demolished, the remaining stock provides a representative sample of homes that are generally typical of the period with several distinctive architectural designs, some of which can be ascribed to J Raymond Robinson, who might be considered the de factho company architect for theMcKay Sunshine Harvester Works.

Characterised generally by steep gabled corrugated iron clad roofs (with hipped roofs on some of the earliest examples), weatherboard cladding and timber trimmed verandahs, the houses are also set on generous allotments, often with deep setbacks.

These elements contribute to the gardensuburb character that was intended in the original town planning designs, and perpetuated in the perceptions of Sunshine's character. It should be remembered that in the early 20th century, Sunshine's generous suburban estates were atypical of working class housing of the period.

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- Physical Description 1
  
  McKay Housing Estate - Durham Rd - Physical Description 1
  
  A group of several substantial timber houses and small shops, from the development of McKay's estate, mainly Edwardian, with cast-iron, bull-nose verandah, hipped and gabled roofs of corrugated iron. This was evidently once an almost complete pre-1920s streetscape, but now with gaps. The commercial area on Sun Crescent that supported the suburb is separately identified under HO22. Examples of characteristic surviving buildings include: in Anderson Road, numbers 83-91, 97-99 and in Durham Road numbers 133, 150. In Derby Road are several Edwardian houses, with cast-iron, bull-nose verandah, hipped and gabled roofs of corrugated iron. No. 140 has been redeveloped, as has much of the street frontage to the east. The south side of Derby Road contains the prominent school zone, while the Masonic Lodge, Corio Street Library and Church of Christ form another interesting group near the Hampshire Road - Corio Street corner. Opposite is the Sunshine Picture Theatre and the remains of Crittall's window frame factory. The Lions House of Sunshine is an unusual community building of the post-war period.
  
  Of the houses on the south side of Fraser Street and west side of Anderson Road, nearly all are double fronted with both bull nosed verandah types to symmetrical facades, and 'L' shaped plans with projecting gable roofed front rooms and small half verandah, sometimes returning around the side. Some garden plantings are contemporary and two houses retain woven wire front fences. An altered and extended corner shop formed a central element in the group and physically separated the Fraser Street and Anderson Road houses, but this was recently demolished. It appears that all the Fraser Street houses are original to the development with the westernmost being somewhat later (c. 1930) and consequentially stylistically different.
  
  St Marks Church on the corner or Anderson Road and Sun Crescent, is a 1960s building on the site of an earlier church. While it is not considered to be part of the precinct, the timber hall at the rear is contemporary with the significant period of the precinct and is a contributory place.
  
  Places considered to be contributory to the significance of the McKay Estate heritage precinct include the following:
  
  (The Site Number in the right hand column identifies places that are also individually listed in the Brimbank Heritage Study)
  
  ADDRESS, DESCRIPTION, DATE
  
  Anderson Road former church hall St. Mark's, c1915.
  
  70 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  72 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  82 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1920s
  
  83 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  84 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1920s
  
  85 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  86 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1920s
  
  87 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  88 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1915-20
  
  9 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  90 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1920s
  
  91 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  92 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1920s
  
  96 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow, 1910-15
  
  97 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow 1910-15
  
  99 Anderson Road, Weatherboard bungalow 1910-15
  
  1, Corio Street, Former Sunshine Mechanics Institute Library (existing HO9), 1912, Local, 065
  
  3 Corio Street, Queen Anne weatherboard house, 1910c
  
  5 Corio Street, Brick bungalow, 1930c
  
  7 Corio Street, Render and weatherboard Art Deco house,1930c
  
  110 Derby Road, Queen Anne weatherboard house & front shop (clad in fake brick), 1910c
  
  114 Derby Road, reclad California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  116 Derby Road, Weatherboard California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  124 Derby Road, Roughcast California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  126 Derby Road, Weatherboard California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  128 Derby Road, Weatherboard California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  130 Derby Road, brick California Bungalow style house, poor condition, 1920s, to be demolished.
  
  132 Derby Road, weatherboard California Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  142 Derby Road, Victorian Survival weatherboard house, 1910c
  
  144 Derby Road, Weatherboard Queen Anne style house, 1910c
  
  146 Derby Road, Victorian Survival weatherboard house, 1910c
  
  127, Durham Road, Presbyterian Manse - Kirby House, 1914, City, 119 (not included in HO)
  
  129 Durham Road, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  131 Durham Road, Two storey cream brick house, 1930s?
  
  133 Durham Road, TWeatherboard and roughcast, terracotta-tiled roof., 1920s
  
  135 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Anne house, 1910s
  
  137 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Anne house, 1910s
  
  139 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Anne house, 1910s
  
  140 Durham Road, California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  143 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Anne house, 1910s
  
  146 Durham Road,Brick and render California Bungalow with matching garage, 1920s
  
  147 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Anne house, 1910s
  
  148 Durham Road, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  149 Durham Road, weatherboard Queen Annehouse, 1910s
  
  150 Durham Road, William McKay house, 1920s, City, 120
  
  154 Durham Road, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  156 Durham Road, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  158 Durham Road, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  1 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1913
  
  3 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1918
  
  5 Fraser Street, Partly intact, recent obtrusive garage constructed and raised rear extension., 1913
  
  7 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1913
  
  9 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1913
  
  11 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1913
  
  13 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1913
  
  15 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1911
  
  17 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1920s
  
  19 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1918 c.
  
  23 Fraser Street, Weatherboard house with corrugated iron roof. front verandah, 1920s
  
  20 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  22 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  24 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  26 Graham Street, weatherboard Queen Anne, 1910s
  
  28 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  30 Graham Street, weatherboard Queen Anne, 1910s
  
  32 Graham Street, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  42 Graham Street, concrete block house - unusual style Californian Bungalow, 1920s-30s
  
  69 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  71 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  73 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1915-20
  
  75 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1915-20
  
  81 Graham Street, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  85 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  87 Graham Street, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  89 Graham Street, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  91 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  93 Graham Street, weatherboard house, 1920s
  
  69 Hampshire Road, Sunshine State Primary School 3113, 1931, Local, 109 (not included in HO)
  
  81 Hampshire Road, Church of Christ, 1936, City, 124 (not included in HO)
  
  93 Hampshire Road, Masonic Lodge No. 226, 1926 c., City, 125 (not included in HO)
  
  128 Hampshire Road, Sunshine Picture Theatre, 1925, altered 1936, City, 126 (not included in HO)
  
  77 Hampshire Road, Brick corner shop with attached residence, 1915c
  
  33 Sun Crescent, Robinson House, 1923, Metropolitan, 059 (not included in HO)
  
  37 Sun Crescent, Unusual large house with attic room, gables, 1920s
  
  41 Sun Crescent, weatherboard California Bungalow, 1920s
  
  43 Sun Crescent, Large interwar style weatherboard house, brick verandah supports and fence, 1930-40
  
  47 Sun Crescent, 1920s
  
  1/1 Watt Street, Timber Californian Bungalow style house, Unit development at rear., 1930s
  
  1/2 Watt Street, Weatherboard Queen Anne house. Unit development at rear., 1910c
  
  3 Watt Street, Timber (rendered) Californian Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  6 Watt Street, Weaterboard California Bungalow,1920s
  
  7 Watt Street, Timber Queen Anne style house, 1910c
  
  10 Watt Street, Interwar style timber house now burnt out shell, 1910c (not included in HO)
  
  11 Watt Street, Weatherboard Queen Anee house, 1910c
  
  13 Watt Street, Timber Californian Bungalow style house, 1920s
  
  1/19 Watt Street, Timber Californian Bungalow style house, Unit development at rear, 1910-20 (not included in HO) ( only modern houses on this site, should it be 17 Watt Street?)
  
  A number of later buildings within the precinct, which are either significant in their own right or typical of later developments in the area have not been considered to contribute to the significance of the precinct. These are as follows:
  
  ADDRESS, PLACE NAME, DATE, SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL
  
  21 Fraser Street, House, 1930c, Typical
  
  25 Fraser Street, House, 1930c, Typical
  
  45 Sun Crescent, House, 1940s, Typical (since demolished and replaced)
  
  49 Sun Crescent, St. Mark's Anglican Church, 1959, Metropolitan, 058
  
  8 Watt Street, Lions House of Sunshine, 1958-, Local, 074
  
  There have also been a number of places demolished in the last decade or so, which were once contributory to the significance of the precinct. These include the following:
  
  ADDRESS, PLACE NAME, DATE
  
  78 Anderson Road, modern brick veneer units , 1980s+
  
  101 Anderson Road, house, 1910-15 demolished
  
  105 Anderson Road, Shop, altered, 1914
  
  Corio Street, Fence - Windmill brand iron, no longer evident
  
  134 Derby Road, House, 1910c demolished
  
  136 Derby Road, Corner Shop, altered, 1914
  
  120 Derby Road, House, original demolished 2000c
  
  40 Graham Street, Brick veneer house, original demolished 1970s
  
  100 Hampshire Road, Crittall's Window Frame Factory, 1924, part demolished
  
  122 Hampshire Road, Sunshine Timber Yard, 1922
  
  Sun Crescent, Court house, police complex, 1950-, demolished
  
  15 Watt Street, House, 1990s
  
  Physical Conditions
  
  McKay Housing Estate - Durham Rd - Physical Conditions
  
  While a number of the houses have survived, the large blocks and proximity to central Sunshine and the railway station have attracted flat development in the 1960s and 70s. Some blocks such as those between Anderson Road and Watt Street, retain the majority of the original houses, while other areas, closer to the shops, more houses have been demolished.
  
  Historical Australian Themes
  
  McKay Housing Estate - Durham Rd - Historical Australian Themes
  
  4 Building settlement, towns and cities
  4.1 Planning urban settlements
  
  Heritage Study and Grading
  
  Heritage Study and Grading
  
  Brimbank - Brimbank City Council Post-contact Cultural Heritage Study
  
  Author: G. Vines
  Year: 2000
  Grading: State
- Show:
- MASSEY FERGUSON COMPLEX
  
  Victorian Heritage Register H0667
- HV MCKAY MEMORIAL GARDENS AND CHURCH
  
  Victorian Heritage Register H1953
- HV MCKAY OFFICES
  
  Victorian Heritage Register H1966
- 'NORWAY'
  
  Boroondara City
- 1 Mitchell Street
  
  Yarra City
- 1) WEATHERBOARD SHOP, 2) CORRUGATED IRON BUILDING AND 3) WEATHERBOARD HOUSE BEHIND, 960 HEIDELBERG-KINGLAKE RD
  
  Nillumbik Shire