eumana retreat road, flora hill heritage …...australian architecture in the federation period of...

EUMANA RETREAT ROAD, FLORA HILL

HERITAGE ASSESSMENT NOVEMBER, 2016

Ray Tonkin 179 Spensley St Clifton Hill 3068 ph 03 9029 3687

mob 0408 313 721

[email protected]

EUMANA, FLORA HILL; HERITAGE ASSESSMENT

1 RAY TONKIN APRIL, 2017

1. INTRODUCTION AND BRIEF This piece of advice is provided to the La Trobe University to assist in its strategic response to planning issues on the site of the former Bendigo Teacher’s College and in particular the former residence known as Eumana located on the site.

This heritage assessment has been prepared as a background document to inform the preparation of a draft planning scheme amendment C228 that is proposing the future rezoning of the land

The assessment was requested by La Trobe University who has consulted with the City of Greater Bendigo during its preparation.

2. THE SITE Eumana is shown by the aerial photo at Illustration 1. Other buildings previously associated with the university (the former Bendigo Teacher’s College) have now been removed.

ILLUST. 1 AERIAL VIEW OF FORMER LA TROBE SITE



The site is located on the corner of Retreat Road and Osborne Street on an elevated site looking to the north. It is now the only building remaining on the La Trobe University site with all the other buildings having been removed. The sports field to the south remains. The following image (Illust 2) taken from Retreat Road emphasises the current open nature of the site.

ILLUST 2: SITE LOOKING EASTWARDS FROM RETREAT ROAD An article in the Bendigo Advertiser of 3 August, 1904 described its siting in the following terms:

People traversing the south-eastern portions of the city will notice it situated on the rising ground towards the One Tree Hill ranges, with its roof of red Marseilles tiles outlined against the dark green mass of eucalypts on the ranges. Prettily situated in spacious grounds, which have been set out as a park, it occupies a large area. (p2)

The 1973 plan at Illustration 3 would seem to confirm that the original approach to the house was from the intersection of Retreat Road and Osborne Street. There continues to be a set of gates in this location (now closed), but there is no remaining evidence of the original drive/carriageway.



ILLUST. 3: PART OF 1973 SITE PLAN (PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT)

3. PLACE DESCRIPTION

ILLUST. 4: MAIN (NORTH) ELEVATION ILLUST. 5: FRONT DOOR

ILLUST. 6: DINING ROOM BAY WINDOW ILLUST. 7 WEST ELEVATION



ILLUST. 8: NE VIEW ILLUST. 9: SOUTH ELEVATION.

ILLUST. 10: ENTRANCE HALL ILLUST. 11 PRINCIPAL BEDROOM

ILLUST. 12 DRAWING ROOM MARBLE FIREPLACE.



ILLUST. 13 1954 PLAN (PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT) The contemporary description of the recently completed house (Bendigo Advertiser; 1904, p2) described the house as a 12 room dwelling. The 1954 plan at Illustration 13 re-labels the rooms, but we know from the description that the original uses were: 1954 PLAN ORIGINAL PLAN Lounge Dining Room Lounge (part of flat) Breakfast Room Drawing Room Drawing Room Bed Room (to south of Drawing Rm) Study Bed Room (SW corner) Principal Bedroom. Kitchen Kitchen Bathroom and Laundry Bathroom The original configuration of other rooms in the SE corner of the house are difficult to ascertain because of changes to create the flat. The Advertiser went on to describe the house in the following way:

In design the house is somewhat of the style of the bungalow, now so popular in sunny lands. The- main, characteristics or this style are a large roof area extending

over the verandahs with the latter -wider than the verandah of the ordinary villa. The architect (Mr. W'm. Beebe), who is to be complimented on the design, has been successful in obtaining a well-arranged house, with large rooms and halls, together with a complete modern sanitary system, the most important part of which' is .the septic tank system, of sewerage. It is the first



constructed in this part of the State, and is quite new to Australia. The main verandah is over 120ft. in length, and has bay windows of the drawing room and best bedroom abutting on it. Above one portion of it is a gable, with half timbering and rough cast work springing out of the roof, whilst there are very large gables with half-timbered and rough cast panels, over the dining room and breakfast room, and also over smaller rooms on the eastern aspect. The main verandah has a bold balustrading and rails of white bricks and cement, with vertical perforations. It is approached by flights of bluestone steps. The verandah has heavy posts and simple brackets supporting the main cave, which shows the ends of the rafters exposed, and carrying the large ovolo-shaped gutter on curved metal brackets.. The appearance externally is striking, the cement dressings of the house being buff-colored, whilst the chimneys, with their buff-colored rough cast shafts and red caps, contrast well with the red roof. Internally, the house is finished throughout with plaster of paris setting. The main entrance is from the city side of the house, through a massive door, with wide splayed sidelights. The entrance hall is 8ft. wide, whilst the inner hall in the centre of the building is over 11ft, wide, and of a good length. The drawing room and best bedroom are each 21ft. long by 16ft. wide, and have bay windows with elliptical arches ever the recesses of the windows. The outlook of these rooms, and also the comfortable study, is towards the west.

The sanitation of the house and surroundings is carried out on the most modern scientific lines. The septic tank system, for dealing with the drainage from all departments is now in working order. Bendigo Advertiser, 1904, p2).

In 2016 the plan configuration of the house is unchanged from the 1954 plan (Illustration 13). It is a large house constructed of red brick with cream brick dressings. The expansive roof is clad with red terra-cotta tiles and the wide verandah traverses three sides of the house and sits under the main roof. A distinctive feature of the verandah is the decorative cream brick balustrading. The bay window to the Dining Room is covered by a decorative canopy (Illustration 6) with decorative timber brackets. The gable ends are finished with stucco and half timbering as was popular in houses of this period. The coloured glass surrounding the front door and in the highlights of the bay windows to the Drawing Room and Principal Bedroom are an unusual design. The decorative plasterwork is extensive and largely intact with heavy cornices, ceiling roses and a highly decorated ceiling to the Dining Room. Fireplace surrounds are more modest with simple timber surrounds and mantels to the Dining Room and Principal Bedroom (Illustration 11). The most elaborate fireplace and surround is the white marble in the Drawing Room (Illustration 12). This is an avant-garde and unusual design for a house of this period. As reported by the Bendigo Advertiser (BA, 1904) the house is best described as a ‘bungalow’. This is in the face of the more popular Federation style houses that were being built elsewhere in Australia at that time. As reported in the Advertiser one of the most innovative aspects of the design of this house was the installation of a septic tank system. The 1954 plan (Illustration 13) indicates that this system was still in place and continued to be used once the house became part of the Teacher’s College. It is clear that this was a well-designed and substantial house created by the popular Bendigo architect, William Beebe for the prominent J H Curnow (at the time Mayor of the City)



Landscape and Plantings As indicated the house sits on a rise above Retreat Road in what is now essentially an open grassed area. The demolition of the former Teacher’s College buildings has left this open landscape with some remnant plantings. The drive/carriageway was probably from the corner of Retreat Road and Osborne Street, but no evidence of that remains. Two oak trees (Quercus Robur) are located to the east and south of the house and are likely to be plantings dating from the construction of the house. A row of mature eucalypts located to the NW of the house are unlikely to be original to the house and probably date from the establishment of the Teacher’s College on the site in the early 1950s.

4. THE ARCHITECT William Beebe was the son of William Beebe, Snr., a stonemason who constructed the family home ‘Rocky Vale’ at Maiden Gully (BHS, site notes). He was a prominent and popular architect in Bendigo at the turn of the century and is best known for his design work at Coolock House and Fortuna Villa (both commissions from the prominent Lansell family). He was also responsible for Park Terrace 140-144 Barnard Street, Bendigo; the former Fire Station, View Street; the former Royal Bank, View Point and various other houses around the city. His designs are highly decorative and in the styles popular at the time use red face brick, cement dressings and terra-cotta roofs. It is somewhat surprising that there is little in the way of comprehensive material on this important Bendigo architect. He was a favoured architect for prominent members of the Bendigo community and served as a member of the City Council and as Mayor of the City. In fact it is known that during 1916 and 1917 Beebe and J H Curnow, the client for Eumana were both members of the Council, with Beebe as Mayor (Leader, 1916, p6 and BA, 1917, p6).

5. J H CURNOW Cr J H Curnow died on 26 April, 1932 (Argus, 1932, p6). He had been a councillor for nearly 30 years and Mayor on five occasions. He had also occupied significant state-wide positions. His obituary indicated that he had begun the movement to sewer Bendigo and was a member of the sewerage authority from its inception. This is particularly significant given the innovative treatment of sewerage at Eumana. Curnow was the founder and principal of Messrs J. H. Curnow and Co., auctioneers and general estate agents and was an active member of numerous organisations in Bendigo over a period of 50 years. As indicated above he and Beebe were councillors together and at the time of his death the Mayor of the City was G D Garvin, a later partner of Beebe’s.

6. COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT . Eumana is a large and prominent villa and for the purposes of comparison it is important to consider other houses from this time and other works by William Beebe. The Greater Bendigo Thematic History (Lovell, Chen, 2103) provides a useful insight into Bendigo’s domestic architecture of the federation period.



Federation architecture (national), Bendigo style (local) Australian architecture in the Federation period of 1890-1920 developed a distinctive national style. It began with house designs and flowed into institutional buildings, drawing on the reforming ideas of the international Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, and modern materials and planning. The Queen Anne mode was also influential, including the palette of details such as fretwork, sunburst motifs, and tall triangular pediments like those seen on Emil Mauermann’s Scott house in Bancroft Street, Kangaroo Flat (1891). The local variation of the Federation architectural style has been termed ‘Bendigo style’ or sometimes ‘Bendigo Boom style’, due to its associations with new gold finds and wealth in the 1890s. Bendigo Style was the confluence in style around 1900 by two of Bendigo’s most well-known architects, William Vahland and William Beebe, who until this time had worked in quite distinct architectural traditions. Where the rest of Australia experienced a depression in the 1890s, Bendigo by contrast saw an upsurge in design by these two noted architects in this period, influenced by the emergent Federation styles.501 William Beebe explored a more fully fledged Bendigo style in Greater Bendigo, taking the Federation genre further, in domestic architecture. Examples include Arran on Barkly and View Streets (1895), Malmo on View and Valentine Streets (1898), Linetta on Bramble and Chapel Streets (1899), Commersdale in Panton Street, Golden Square (1898) and Langley Hall in Napier Street, White Hills (1904). Beebe preferred a strongly diagonal composition centred on a turned corner component, such as a verandah facet. His gables were close grained and richly sculpted, like at Kelvin in View Street (1899), a combined house and surgery with a corner tower. This building also displays other Beebe signature elements: a strong verticality, half timbered detail at upper levels, stilted and then flattened arches and contrasting bold expanses of red face brick with a beautifully integrated verandah frieze. Other well known examples of Bendigo Boom architecture include Vahland and Son’s Penwinnick in Harkness Street, Quarry Hill (1895), their attributed Caradon in Victoria Street, Eaglehawk (1899), and W H Chandler’s The Eyrie in Reginald Street, Quarry Hill (1896-97), a timber design with four stepped frontages. While Federation architecture is often seen as a domestic mode, Vahland and Beebe both worked on many institutional and public buildings in their careers; consequently, they influenced the transition of many elements from the residential mode into civic architecture at this time. Philip Kennedy’s new Shamrock Hotel in Pall Mall (1897) shows several emerging Federation ideas in its composition, particularly of the Williamson Street frontage. These include the asymmetrical and irregularly spaced quartet of pavilions linked by the solid round arches associated with America’s new free Romanesque revival, upper level pilasters, large lunette arches, steep-pitched triangular pediments, the interwoven horizontal and vertical layers and the relationship between the pavilions and long first floor arcade. William Beebe displays the gamut of his interest in the then contemporary Federation detailing in his Bendigo Boom style Fire Station on View Street (1899). This included a hipped slate roof with terracotta ridge capping and horn finials, wide flattened arches, round Romanesque arches in smaller windows, floating gables, pediments set in a surrounding ‘frame’ of strap work and glazing bars. (Lovell Chen, 2013; p123)

Following is a series of domestic designs by Beebe.



6 Brodie Street, Quarry Hill

(Graeme Butler and Associates) This house was built in 1894-95.

Architecturally, it is both a distinct Bendigo and Beebe design with its decorated gable and highly ornamental verandah and eaves details. . (Hermes)

6 Brougham Street, Bendigo

(Graeme Butler and Associates) This house was also built in 1894-5 for John Joseph Ryan

It is a substantial villa demonstrating Beebe’s use of extensive decorative detailing and features a high pitched hipped roof with a substantial Dutch gable and highly decorated gable ends. . (Hermes)

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Coolock House

Coolock House, formerly known as 'Dendirah' is an exotic and eclectic grand mansion built in 1910 for George Victor Lansell, MLC, the son of Bendigo mining magnate Sir George Lansell. It is a two storey house constructed of rule rendered brick with the upper floor enclosed within an elaborate series of mansard roofs clad with red diamond pattern iron tiles. The house is an extensive alteration and addition of a single storey house built in 1880 by Mr D White. In this case Beebe’s approach to the design was influenced by the Picturesque Art Nouveau style. It is asymmetrical in plan and massing and each face is treated in diverse fashions borrowing from the second empire, French Baroque, Edwardian and European Art Nouveau styles. Of particular interest are the side entrance which has irregular massing, keyhole stained windows and sinuous mouldings. The front verandah has a very deep diaper patterned frieze and brackets and the fence is elaborate wrought iron in the Art Nouveau style. The interior is substantially intact and features ornate plaster ceilings and cornices in art nouveau patterns on the ground floor, a finely balustraded stair with balconette and a carved oak mantelpiece in the dining room in the 'Francois Premier' style. (Hermes)

Lanselltowe, 60 Barkly Street, Bendigo

(Graeme Butler and Associates)

This house was built in 1913 for 'Leonard Vere Lansell, third son of George Lansell, It appears that Beebe and his partner G D Garvin were commissioned to design a fitting house for Leonard Lansell. Of special interest internally are the fine staircases and the large bow- windowed rooms. . (Hermes)

This is a much later style of house and doesn’t demonstrate Beebe’s exuberant approach to Federation architecture.

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Following are two examples of houses designed in or around 1904 by prominent architects Harold Desbrowe Annear and Ussher and Kemp which display a different approach to the domestic architecture of the period. Chadwick House, 30-34 The Eyrie, Eaglemont

(Victorian Heritage Database) Chadwick House, 32-34 The Eyrie, was designed in 1904 by the architect Harold Desbrowe Annear for his father-in-law, James Chadwick. The house is a two-storey, medieval inspired Arts and Crafts style building with half-timbered roughcast walls, a hipped and gabled Marseilles-patterned tile roof, arcaded chimney stacks and cantilevered gables. Internally the house has extensive timber panelling with built-in furniture and storage space. Annear was one of Australia’s most avant-garde architects from this period. Napier Club, 34 Thompson Street, Hamilton

(Victorian Heritage Database) One of the finest smaller designs in red brick with Marseilles tiles from the notable firm of Ussher and Kemp, the house displays typical craftsmanship and decoration. It is particularly noteworthy for the clarity and boldness of its form and details, especially the external representation of the internal spaces as axial gables forms, the strong, vertical half-timbering and the striking chimneys with wedge caps an brick straps Comparison All of these houses are different to Eumana. 6 Brougham Street was built ten years earlier and relates more closely to late Victorian houses built elsewhere and the much later. Coolock House was built six years later, but is an extraordinary departure from the architectural norm of the period. Lanselltowe,



some nine years later takes the design firmly into what would elsewhere be seen as an Inter-War style. Comparing Eumana with the work of Annear and Ussher and Kemp points out even more, the uniqueness of this design. This isn’t a design predicated on any sort of mediaeval revival and whilst it relies on some usual features such as the stucco and half timbering of the gable ends, other aspects, such as the all-embracing roof, the simple stucco and brick chimneys and the verandah balustrading are typical of an Inter-War Bungalow” and would seem to have been influenced by designs emanating from the US. Eumana could probably best be described as a Federation Bungalow. To some the Federation Bungalow style can be regarded as a transition between the Federation Queen Anne and the California Bungalow styles, having departed from the picturesque complexities of the Queen Anne style and not displaying thee structural carpentry as much as the Californian Bungalow. This style normally appears late in the Federation period and flows on into the Inter-War period as the Californian Bungalow. Definitive features of the Federation Bungalow style are: • single story buildings • wide verandahs • casement front windows, • homely simplicity, robust honesty. • minimal timber detailing Eumana, of course was an early to mid-Federation period construction making it somewhat avant-garde for its time.

7. ASSESSMENT AGAINST HERITAGE CRITERIA. Following is an assessment of the significance of Eumana made against the Heritage Council, Victoria criteria adjusted to reflect importance to Bendigo.

Criterion A: Importance to the course, or pattern, of Bendigo’s cultural history. The construction of Eumana in 1904 saw the opening up of a relatively new part of Bendigo for residential accommodation. As described at the time of construction it was something of a landmark in the southern outskirts of the city. The continued use of the house as the principal’s residence for the Bendigo Teacher’s College from 1954 and subsequently as accommodation for La Trobe University makes it of additional importance to the development of education in Bendigo. Criterion B: Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Bendigo’s cultural history. Criterion C: Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Bendigo’s cultural history. Criterion D: Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects. Criterion E: Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics. Eumana is something of a ground breaking piece of residential design in Bendigo. Designed by the prominent local architect William Beebe, it breaks from the more traditional forms of Federation architecture of the time and adopts what could be called a Federation Bungalow



style. This architectural style became more common in the later Federation or Inter-War periods and as a consequence this must be seen as something of a unique and innovative design for its time. Whilst it possesses some details from the more common Federation styles, its expansive terra-cotta roof, broad verandahs and heavy balustrading along with unusual coloured glass designs are a forerunner for the later popular Californian Bungalow style. Criterion F: Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. As indicated above the design of this house was a ground breaker, not only for Bendigo, but possibly for Victoria. The architect, William Beebe was clearly familiar with architectural trends from overseas and in this instance was happy to adopt them, regardless of the more popular architectural trends of the time. The introduction of a septic tank sewerage system for this house was obviously an innovative technical achievement for Bendigo and is indicative of J H Curnow, the owner’s, interest in sewerage disposal. He was to become a champion of the sewering of Bendigo and for many years a member of the local sewerage authority. Criterion G: Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. This includes the significance of a place to Indigenous peoples as part of their continuing and developing cultural traditions. Criterion H: Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in Bendigo’s history This house is particularly significant for its association with its designer, William Beebe and its owner Cr J. H. Curnow. Beebe was a leading architect in the city at the time and became well known for his innovative designs, of which this is one. His association with prominent families as clients (in particular, the Lansells) was carried through to his association with the Curnows in this commission. Beebe was not only an innovative architect, but a prominent member of the Bendigo community. He was a Bendigo City Councillor and sometime Mayor. J. H Curnow, a local auctioneer and general agent was a councillor of the City of Bendigo for approximately 30 years, served as mayor on five occasions and was an active participant in many local organisations. He was also well known throughout Victoria and was known to represent Bendigo in many state-wide forums. It is probably no coincidence that Curnow and Beebe served on the Council together and were known to share political beliefs and interests.

8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE What is Significant? The residence known as Eumana, as constructed to the design of William Beebe for J. H. Curnow in 1904 to the extent of the whole building along with an area of land defined by a curtilage drawn 10M from the external walls of the house, and the two oak (Quercus Robur) trees located on the eastern and southern sides of the house. The significant curtilage is defined by the following plan of the site (Illust: 14).



ILLUST: 14, PROPOSED HERITAGE CURTILAGE (10M BUFFER) How is it Significant Eumana is historically, architecturally, technically and socially significant to the City of Greater Bendigo Why is it Significant? Eumana is historically significant. Its construction in 1904 created something of a landmark in the southern outskirts of the city. Its use of the house as the Principal’s residence for the Bendigo Teacher’s College from 1954 and subsequently as accommodation for La Trobe University makes it of importance to the development of education facilities in Bendigo. Designed by the prominent local architect William Beebe, Eumana is architecturally significant, not only as the work of this prominent Bendigo architect, but it breaks from the more traditional forms of Federation architecture of the time and adopts what could be called a Federation Bungalow style. This architectural style became more common in the later Federation or Inter-War periods and as a consequence this must be seen as a unique and innovative design for its time. Whilst it possesses some details from the more common Federation styles, its expansive terra-cotta roof, broad verandahs and heavy balustrading along with unusual coloured glass designs are a forerunner for the later popular Californian Bungalow style. The introduction of a septic tank sewerage system for this house was an innovative technical achievement for Bendigo and is indicative of J H Curnow, the owner’s, interest in sewerage disposal. He was to become a champion of the sewering of Bendigo and for many years a member of the local sewerage authority. This house is significant for its association with its designer, William Beebe and its owner Cr J. H. Curnow. Beebe was a leading architect in the city at the time and became well known for his innovative designs, of which this is one. His association with prominent families as clients (in



particular, the Lansells) was carried through to his association with the Curnows in this commission. Beebe was not only an innovative architect, but a prominent member of the Bendigo community. He was a Bendigo City Councillor and sometime Mayor. J. H Curnow, a local auctioneer and general agent was a councillor of the City of Bendigo for approximately 30 years, served as mayor on five occasions and was an active participant in many local organisations. He was also well known throughout Victoria and was known to represent Bendigo in many state-wide forums. It is probably no coincidence that Curnow and Beebe served on the Council together and were known to share political beliefs and interests. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the assistance of Megan McDougall and Danielle Orr of the City of Greater Bendigo, Mr Mike Butcher, Mr Timothy Hall from LaTrobe University and the librarians at the Central Goldfields Library in Bendigo in preparing this assessment. REFERENCES. Argus (Melbourne); 26 April, 1932, p6 Bendigo Advertiser; 3 August, 1904, p2 Bendigo Advertiser; 10 January, 1917, p6 Bendigo Historical Society; notes on site visit to “Rocky Vale”, Maiden Gully; undated. Jessie Carnegie Burnett; History of Bendigo Teachers’ College, 1926-1973; Cambridge Press, Bendigo, 1973. Mike Butcher, Yolande Collins & Richard Gibbs; Bendigo through Time; Bendigo Trust; 2014 Graeme Butler and Associates; Eaglehawk and Bendigo Heritage Study; 1993. Hermes Database; Heritage Victoria Leader (Melbourne); 2 December 1916, p6 Lovell, Chen, Architects and Heritage Consultants; Thematic Environmental History, prepared for City of Greater Bendigo; 2103 Public Works Department; Plan of Drainage, Conversion of Residence into Two Flats, “Pleasant Vale”, Bendigo Teachers College; 22.6.1954 Public Works Department; Bendigo Teacher’s College Extensions; 4.4.1973 Victorian Heritage Database; Heritage Victoria website (http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/heritage?redirect=heritage.vic.gov.au)

http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/heritage?redirect=heritage.vic.gov.au

eumana retreat road, flora hill heritage …...australian architecture in the federation period of...

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