The Mont Albert District - a Pictorial History 1830 to 2013

1924 - Black's Estate

Home
Demographics
Prologue
Indigenous Heritage
Geology and Topography
Vegetation and Fauna
Climate and Hydrology
1830s
1840s to 1870s
1850s - Parish of Nunawading
1852 - Whitehorse Inn
1861 - Postal Services
1880s - Electricity Supply
1880s to 1920s
1882 - Phantom Railways to Doncaster
1883 - Residential Heritage Precinct
1884 - Broughton Park subdivsion
1884 - Brickworks
1885 - Surrey Hills district - map
1888 - Football Clubs
1889 - Gas Supply and Gasworks
1889 - Doncaster Electric Tramway and Tower
1890 - Mont Albert Railway Station
1892 - Surrey Hills Golf Club
1892 - Water Supply, Reservoirs and Sewerage
1899 - Telephone Services
1905 - The Surrey Dive
1907 - Scouts and Guides
1912 - Mont Albert Village Shopping Precinct
1914 - Mont Albert Progress Association
1916 - Californian Bungalows
1917 - Schools
1917 - Wattle Park
1924 - Early Shortwave Broadcasting from the Surrey Hills district
1924 - Black's Estate
1925 - Bus Services
1929 - Tramways
1930 - Cricket Clubs in Mont Albert
1930s - Balwyn - Beckett Park Bonfires and Wildlife Sanctuary
1948 - Grange Tennis Courts
1957 - Pioneer Park
1961 - Surrey Hills Communications Tower
1981 - Box Hill Miniature Railway
Koonung Creek Parklands
Heritage Notes
Mont Albert Road - Early History
Mont Albert Rd - the East End
Elgar Rd - north and south of Mont Albert Rd
Mont Albert Rd - View St to Elgar Rd
Bushland Reserves
Service Associations
Sporting Clubs
Box Hill Institute of TAFE
Walking Trails
Epilogue
Timeline
The Author's Websites
References and Acknowledgements

OVERVIEW


The Black’s Estate Heritage Precinct

This precinct is of aesthetic and historical significance to the City of Whitehorse as it contains the best and most intact collection of inter-war and 1940s substantially masonry buildings covering a number of styles, but retaining a consistency in materials, scale, setback.
 

The precinct is rare in the Whitehorse area as an estate that was subdivided and substantially developed in the 1920s and 30s. While there are many examples of these housing types throughout the municipality, they are generally scattered. Often these types of buildings are infill in earlier subdivisions or were constructed in a 1920s subdivision that only developed partially in the 1920s and 30s and then developed after the war.

 

The precinct has aesthetic significance as it contains some excellent examples of 1920s and 30s housing in the range of styles prevalent at the time including Bungalow, Tudor (or English Cottage) Revival, Spanish Mission, Georgian Revival and Streamline Moderne. Of particular note are elements such as masonry porches, distinctive chimneys, curved walls and decorative brickwork

 

Characteristics of the precinct

  • 1920s, 1930s and 40s buildings
  • Substantially single storey
  • Similar setbacks from the street
  • Driveways to one side of the house leading to a garage near or at the rear boundary, with single crossover
  • Commonly masonry construction
  • Render over the masonry is common
  • Hipped roofs with terracotta or other ceramic tiles
  • Defined entry porches
  • Different colour brick used for decorative detailing
  • Similar scale (height) and double fronted, detached
  • Dominant front porches usually in masonry
  • Timber framed windows, typically making up less than 50% of any associated wall surface
  • Dominant chimneys, suited to the particular style of house, and used as a decorative element

Early, low pier and panel masonry (face brick and/or rendered finish), some reconstructed timber framed wire fabric fences for the Californian Bungalow style houses, and originally some simple low picket fences.

The Land had been held by the owner Mr Neil Black since the 1870s, and was auctioned on November 29, 1924.

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1920s - Black's Estate subdivision auction

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2013 - Black's Estate Heritage Precinct

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