Camberwell Conservation Study 1991 Vol 3 - City of Boroondara

ages, for the views and to allow for motor traffic). These
specially formed corner blocks added two blocks per
corner and allowed a diagonal siting axis for each house.
Percentages of identified house construction dates in the
period 1916-30 are as follows:
Highgate Grove 57%
Lexia Street 59%
Munro Avenue 49%
Ward Street 37%
Highgate and Lexia both have over 90% inter-war housing
representing of the street whileMunro and Ward are
49% and 80% respectively. Distribution of period is
predictably earlier housing (pre 1930) closer to High
Street tram line. In the Ashburton Shopping Centre itself
there is the same period distribution adjoining the estate,
with more emphasis on the late 1930s; i.e., 180-82
(c1937), 206-212High Street (c1939). Opposite there are
rows of 1920s shops, (243-259High Street): both periods
providing visually cohesive elevations.
Historic Themes:
(iii) transport links and modes and their impact on residential
and commercial development
(v) typical residential lifestyles and their physical expression
(iv) man-made and 'native' landscape, their evolution
Description
Munro Avenue
This street has late 1920s, 1930s houses. There are a
number of intrusions with new development but some
Moderne style houses, some Mediterranean villa style,
and some Old English style survive.
Highgate Street
The street has a concrete roadway with the name of the
street set into the roadway. Camphor Laurel trees help
create a distinct character of late 1920s, early 1930shousing
(Italian villaor Mediterranean villa,such as Numbers
19 and 21), with some Bungalow era housing like Numbers
23 and 26.
Lexia Street
The street has a concrete roadway, Bungalow style
houses, Old English and Mediterranean villa mixture,
mainly stuccoed and brick housing with some original
fences.
DentStreet
North face only in Precinct with mainly Mediterranean
villa style houses of masonry and stucco and some Old
English.
Ward Street
The street has a concrete roadway, with the name set into
the road. There is 1930shousing, brick and stucco using
the Moderne (Number 33) and Old English styles.
High Street
The commercial frontage isof a similarera, albeit altered.
Significance
A range of 1920s-30s house styles with high integrity to
the initiation date of the estate which is enhanced by
concrete roads, street trees and an adjoining contempo-
Camberwell Conservation Study 1991 - Significant Areas
rary shopping strip. Historically it represents the high
growth period in the 1920sand the influence oftransport
on itslocation also the effort takenbydevelopers to create
a distinct character with road surfacing, streettree selection
and street name identification.
The precinct is important in expressing the character of
subdivisionin the southern parts of the municipality in the
1920s and 19305. The area has a high proportion of
typical housing stylesof the period, supported by characteristic
street features. Of additional interest are the size
of corner blocks and diagonal building sitirlg (reflecting
by-law planning) and the relation of the houses to the
shopping centre. The shopping centre itself retains the
character of the subdivision period in several rows of
shops and is significant in reflecting the rolelink between
transport, home and shopping, the characteristic grouping
of land uses in the inter-War suburb.