Review of Heritage Overlay 1 Port Melbourne ... - City of Port Phillip

Port Phillip Heritage Review, Version 14, 2009 60
Prepared for the City of Port Phillip by Andrew Ward, Architectural Historian
6.2 Port Melbourne - H01
Existing Designations:
Heritage Council Register:
National Estate Register:
National Trust Register:
nil
nil
nil
Description: This Area is bounded on its north side by Ross Street and on the east by Ingles Street
and Boundary Streets. Pickles Street marks the southern boundary which links directly with the
South Melbourne, Albert Park, Middle Park and part St. Kilda Area. The western boundary is
fragmented as a result of widespread recent residential redevelopment along the waterfront and
inland. This redevelopment has in the past been undertaken by the public sector but in more recent
times by the private sector. The fragmented nature of the western end is exaggerated by the Lagoon
Reserve and associated recent residential developments. Also forming part of the Port Melbourne
Area are the residential areas physically linked with the Garden City estates but historically and in
terms of their appearance more properly associated with this Area. These areas are generally located
to the south-east of the earliest Garden City estates.
The route of the former Port Melbourne railway line with its associated reserves and the Bay Street
commercial thoroughfare divide Port Melbourne into discrete neighbourhoods. Their alignments
relative to each other have resulted in the creation of a triangular shaped area bounded by Princes
and Nott Streets that is in itself subdivided somewhat irregularly into street blocks and triangular
reserves. The reserves are known as the Crichton reserve and the Sangster reserve and Port
Melbourne Bowling Club.
The former railway route and gardens are overlooked by comparatively opulent houses in Evans and
Station Streets. Verandahs are invariably built to the property line and there are some two storeyed
Italianate residences at nos. 73 and 75 Evans Street and nos. 164 (“Ulster House”), 163 (“Derwent
Coffey House”), 160-162 (“Alfred Terrace”) and elsewhere in Station Street. Although masonry
construction predominates, there are also important timber cottages such as no. (63?) Station Street
and 99-100 Evans Street. The house of the slaughterman, Caleb Kennett, at no.64 Evans Street is
exceptional on account of its spacious garden, high bi-chromatic brick fence and palisade cast iron
fence with cast iron pillars. These houses are more characteristic of the “better” streets of South
Melbourne than of “Port” yet it might equally be argued that they constitute the “better” streets of
Port Melbourne as does the St. Vincent Place area, for example, constitute a “better” part of South
Melbourne. Importantly, they represent a dimension to the fabric of the area often overlooked by
persons unfamiliar with the place. They also demonstrate the importance of the railway gardens as a
catalyst for substantial villa development last century. These gardens are noteworthy on account of
their exotic plantings. Some of the trees in the Turner and Walter reserves on Station Street and
Evans Street respectively may have been planted as early as the turn of the century and are
predominantly exotics. They include Cedrus deodara, Schinus molle var. areira, Ficus macrocarpa,
Cupressus sempervirens, elms and a very large Ficus macrophylla in a fenced off reserve in the
centre of Raglan Street. The Gill, Howe and Smith reserves also include mature Schinus molle
var.areira and Ficus macrophylla that collectively establish the highly distinguished ambience of the