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Nichol House
49 Kangaroo Ground -Warrandyte Road NORTH WARRANDYTE, NILLUMBIK SHIRE

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Nillumbik Shire

Nichol House

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Statement of Significance
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Statement of Significance

REVISED STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE, CONTEXT, 2010

What is significant?
The 1949 house and the surrounding site to the title boundaries.

How is it significant?
The house is architecturally and historically significant to the Shire of Nillumbik.

Why is it significant?
The house is historically and architecturally significant as one of six notable houses in the Warrandyte-Eltham area designed by the prominent architect Robin Boyd between the 1940s and 1960s and as a rare, early and notable example of Australian Modernist domestic architecture. It is also are relatively rare early example of Boyd's work (Criteria B, F & H). The house is historically significant for its association with the active artistic community of the Eltham-Warrandyte area (Criterion H).

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- Physical Description 1
  
  Nichol House - Physical Description 1
  
  (obscured) .
  
  When built, soon after World War Two, this house could boast its space efficiency with only 8 squares but plenty of 'freedom' for its 'young artist' occupants. It had two bedrooms, kitchen, dressing, dining, living and, of course, room for a 'future studio' on the south side. Another distinctive aspect was its sloping timber-framed window walls (300mm at the top) which .countered the tapered freestone rubble chimney angles as well as trapping low-angle sun while still dodging the mid-day sun. Typically louvre windows were used, alternating with fixed panes, and the roof was a combination of skill ions which reflected the two 'levels inside. These levels followed the slope of the land.
  
  Internally there were no passages, much pine lining and exposed waxed hardwood flooring but the more unusual aspects included a mezzanine bedroom which was isolated from the rest of the house by only a low screen wall. Most of these design aspects were only beginning to become popular by the mid 1950s and were innovatory for the time.
  
  Historical Australian Themes
  
  Nichol House - Historical Australian Themes
  
  Community growth-local government
  
  8.10.4 Designing and building fine buildings
  
  8,12 Living in and around Australian homes
  
  8.14 Living in the country and rural settlements
  
  Heritage Study and Grading
  
  Heritage Study and Grading
  
  Nillumbik - Nillumbik Shire Heritage Study
  
  Author: Graeme Butler & Assoc
  Year: 1997
  Grading:
- Show:
- FORMER WARRANDYTE WINE HALL
  
  Victorian Heritage Register H1150
- WARRANDYTE MINER'S COTTAGE
  
  Victorian Heritage Inventory
- 'THE ISLAND' DIVERSION CUTTING
  
  Victorian Heritage Inventory