taringa estate conservation area

TARINGA ESTATE CONSERVATION AREA
Two views of the Taringa Estate conservation area. Above, looking up the gentle slope of Taringa Street
from near John Street. The modified Victorian Italianate houses on the left were built by George Walker,
who bought from William Muir’s Taringa Estate in 1880. Below, the north-east end of Taringa Street,
looking towards the rear of the block of home units which face Church Street. On the right is the large
block of units which disturb the otherwise gentle scale of this area.
TARINGA ESTATE CONSERVATION AREA
1
Boundary
This Conservation Area is centred on the historic property ‘Taringa’ which in 1880 gave its
name to the Taringa Estate. It comprises the 17 properties addressing the two arms of
Taringa Street, 11 properties along John Street north-west from Alt Street, and five
properties along Alt Street north-east from John Street. The part of Taringa Street running
north-east from John Street was formerly known as Princes (sometimes Princess) Street.
The Alt Street end of Taringa Street is now closed by a small reserve. There are three
prominent corner sites, one occupied by the house ‘Taringa’ (No 4 Taringa Street), one by
the house ‘Amesbury’ (78 Alt Street) and the other by a block of home units (9-11 Taringa
Street).
2
Historical notes and description
This area is part of a grant of 280 acres of land made to Augustus Alt in 1810, which by
about 1820 had been acquired by Joseph Underwood and incorporated into his Ashfield
Park Estate.1
William Muir purchased about five acres of Underwood’s land in 1860 and had built the
first part of the house ‘Taringa’ by 1865. Muir became an alderman of Ashfield
Municipality.2 In 1880 he subdivided his land into building allotments surrounding the
house, which were offered for sale on behalf of ‘Mr Alderman Muir’ by Richardson &
Wrench and shown on a map by Ferdinand Reuss, architect and surveyor.3 The footprint of
the house is shown on that map and also on the Higinbotham & Robinson map of Ashfield
published in 1883.4 On these maps the east-west arm of Taringa Street, branching off John
Street, is shown as Princes Street and is shorter
than it now is. Six lots faced Alt Street, eight
faced John Street, four faced Princes Street and
six, including the one containing Taringa, faced
Taringa Street.
The land sold well, more than half being bought
by George Baker Walker, an accountant and
general manager of the Land Company of
Australasia Ltd. Walker also moved into
‘Taringa’, which was on Allotment 23.
Right, a reduced copy of the Taringa Estate
plan, as sketched in Journal No 1 of the Ashfield
& District Historical Society. The original was
prepared by Ferdinand Reuss, architect and
surveyor, for the auction sale held in 1880.
1
2
3
4
Ashfield Heritage Study 1993, vol 1, pp 32, 36.
Ashfield & District Historical Society Journal, No 1, p 12-17.
Taringa Estate Subdivision Plan, in the collection of Ashfield & District Historical Society.
Ashfield Heritage Study 1993, vol 2, reference No 258. The Higinbotham & Robinson map is at
Ashfield Council Archives.
Above: A detail of the Higinbotham & Robinson map of 1883, showing one of the the two arms of the
present Taringa Street called Princes Street. Below: An extract from the H E C Robinson map of about
1912, showing the area of William Muir’s estate as enlarged by George Baker Walker in about 1880.
Above, a detail of the planning scheme map, showing the Taringa Estate conservation area in its
present-day context.
Walker re-subdivided four of his lots into five, on which he built the Italianate houses at
Nos 21-29 Taringa Street, including two interesting though now compromised semidetached pairs. Three lots on the north-east side of Taringa Street were lengthened to the
north-east and re-subdivided into seven lots, on one of which, at the Alt Street corner, the
famous engineer Norman Selfe erected his fine house ‘Amesbury’ in 1887.5 Alt sold his
tennis court land in 1913 and on it was erected the house ‘Roselea’, 1 Taringa Street.
‘Warringulla’, the house standing at No 11 John street, at the corner of Alt Street, was built
by the surveyor Thomas Melrose, who bought this allotment at the 1880 auction. Alfred
Crane built his home ‘Wynella’ on the two Alt Street allotments which he also bought at the
auction; it is the house still standing at No 76 Alt Street. The Victorian Regency house at
No 23 John Street is most likely the one built by Elizabeth Lyttle on the lots she purchased
at the same auction.6 Its style suggests the possibility that it was designed by Ferdinand
Reuss, who was the architect-surveyor commissioned by William Muir to plan the Taringa
subdivision. Interestingly, this house is similar in style to the one at No 27 John Street,
leading to speculation that No 27 could also have been Ferdinand Reuss’s work.
Early in the 20th century Princes Street had been re-named as the return leg of Taringa
Street and was extended further to the north-east, towards Church Street, as it is now. More
allotments in the estate were changed and re-subdivided, so that there are now 31 properties.7
3
Statement of townscape character
Though this area is diverse and not the most beautiful in Ashfield, it bespeaks its history in
its street layouts and built form and has a compellingly interesting townscape variety.
The T-shaped Taringa Street, the ‘interior’ of the estate, now accessed from John Street, is
not quite a cul-de-sac, its north-east end flowing into the little lane at the back of Church
Street, and its south-east end being closed as a little reserve. The land slopes gently down
from that reserve towards John Street. The four existing heritage items provide visual foci,
‘Taringa’ by virtue of its spacious setting, ‘Amesbury’ on account of its impressive scale
and presence addressing two streets, ‘Roselea’ as a fine example of an unusual architectural
style, and No 17 Taringa Street as an attractive Federation dwelling with attractive Art
Nouveau detailing.
John and Alt Streets form the outer boundary of the estate and are the two streets which
Alderman Muir’s historic residence ‘Taringa’ originally addressed. After Muir’s land was
subdivided, the house was altered and enlarged, and its orientation was changed so that it
faced north-east as it does today.
The six buildings along the north-east side of Taringa Street provide much visual interest
and variety, from the commendable ‘Amesbury’ at the Alt Street corner to the assertive and
forbidding block of units at the other corner, with interesting houses between making
positive contributions to the streetscape.
Along the north-west side of Taringa Street the houses clearly display styles of two periods.
Nos 21 to 29 are Victorian Italianate, while Nos 13 to 19 are Federation Arts-&-Crafts and
California Bungalow composites. Despite the modifications that have been made to Nos 21
to 29, this is a most interesting juxtaposition and an illustration of the two stages in the
development of Taringa Street.
5
6
7
Ashfield Heritage Study 1993, vol 2, reference No 024.
Nora Peek, ‘William Muir’s “Taringa Estate”’, in Ashfield & District Historical Society Journal,
No 1, March 1982; Chris Pratten, ed, Ashfield at Federation, p 240.
Ashfield Heritage Study 1993, vol 2, reference No 259. The arrangement in about 1912 comprised 27
allotments, as shown on the H E C Robinson map of Ashfield North Ward, at Ashfield Council
Archives.
The street trees contribute less to the character of this area than in some others in Ashfield.
This is because of their smaller size and more disparate species. The larger trees growing
inside property boundaries, however, lend shade and dignity to the streetscape.
Above: A view from Alt Street, showing the little reserve that converts this end of Taringa Street into a
pleasing cul-de-sac. Note the importance of the tree foliage both public and private.
4
Planning issues
As in almost all of Ashfield’s conservation areas, the main longer-term objective is to
maximise the harmony and visual compatibility of the properties, which means encouraging
a return to the state where every house is worthy of a ranking of ‘1’. Just as important
should be the endeavour to protect and, as possible, improve the townscape character of the
are as summarised in the above observations.
All of this conservation area is zoned 2(a). The block of home units at 9-11 Taringa Street,
which imposes itself upon this moderately-scaled precinct, is, despite the tree cover, quite
overscaled and forbidding. The four-storey block at 74 Alt Street, though narrower and
addressing a streetscape of a scale different from that of Taringa Street, is also inappropriate
in streetscape terms. In contrast, the Late 20th-Century Late Modern house at 72 Alt Street,
though different and untraditional in style, makes an acceptably positive contribution to the
character of the area.
5
Conservation Area ranking
Key to ranking:-
*
A building already included as an item of the heritage of Ashfield
**
A building now recommended for listing as an individual item of the heritage of Ashfield. See
separate inventory forms for details
1
A building with a high degree of intactness which contributes importantly to the character of the
area in the terms given in the definition of a Conservation Area.
2
A building which contributes to the character of the area but whose significance has been reduced
by the loss of original material or detail, unsympathetic additions or inappropriate decorative
treatment. An item so ranked is considered to possess the potential to achieve a higher ranking
3
A building whose impact on the heritage character of the area is neutral.
4
A building which has an adverse impact upon the character of the area because of its scale, design,
assertiveness, materials or the like, or because its original qualities have been mutilated or
removed.
Schedule
House No
Architectural
Ranking
Comments
style
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Taringa Street, north-east side, from the reserve at the Alt Street end towards the northwest—
1, ‘Roselea’
3, ‘Sunnyside’
Federation Bungalow
California Bungalow
1*
1
5, ‘Albernie’ Queen Anne/Arts-&-Crafts
1
7
1
Queen Anne/Arts-&-Crafts
9-11, at corner
Post-War International
Existing heritage item
4
)
)
)
A matching pair of detached
houses
Substantial and assertive block
of home units
South-west side—
2
Arts-&-Crafts
1
4, ‘Taringa’,
at corner
Victorian Free Classical/
Filigree
1*
Existing heritage item.
Notable metal gates
North-west side, from rear of properties facing Church Street—
13
Queen Anne/Arts-&-Crafts
1
13A
Garage block at rear of
property facing Church
Street
3
15
Queen Anne/Arts-&-Crafts,
modified
2
17
Inter-War Arts-&-Crafts
1*
Existing heritage item
19
Arts-&-Crafts/California
Bungalow
1
Has garage added at side
21, ‘Grarjhen’ Victorian Italianate,
modified
2
23-25
Victorian Italianate,
2
modified semi-detached pair
27-29
Victorian Italianate,
2
modified semi-detached pair
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Originally a suite
of five houses of
similar style, four
small and one larger
Here rear of properties in John Street
John Street, north-west from Alt Street —
11
(a) Victorian Rustic Gothic,
modified
(b) Late 20th-Century Late
Modern
2
Corner of Alt Street
1
Interestingly appropriate
scale and form
11A
Victorian Free Classical
1* *
See separate inventory sheet
15
Victorian Free Classical
1* *
See separate inventory sheet
17
Victorian Filigree, modified
2
19
Late 20th-Century Bungalow 3/4
21
Post-War Bungalow
1
21A
Post-War Bungalow
1
21B
Post-War Bungalow
1
Corner of Taringa Street
A clumsy streetscape element
Here Taringa Street
23
Victorian Regency,
modified
1**
See separate inventory sheet
25
Arts-&-Crafts
1* *
See separate inventory sheet
27
Victorian Regency, modified 2
Alt Street, north-east from rear boundaries of John Street properties —
74
Post-War International
4
Four-storey brick block of 12
home units
74A
Post-War Sydney Bungalow 1
Carport, 4
76
Victorian indeterminate,
modified
2
Erected by well-known
Ashfield identity Alfred Crane
(brother of Fred Crane, Mayor
in 1911-12)
1*
Existing heritage item
Here Taringa Street reserve
78, ‘Amesbury’
Federation eclectic
................................................................................................................................................
6
Statement of significance
The principal significance of this area is historic, reflecting associations with important
Ashfield personages including Alderman William Muir, George Baker Walker and Norman
Selfe, and their activities. Secondly, the area is diverse but harmonious in building style and
character and (with the exception of the places assessed ‘4’ in the ranking schedule) in
scale. The sense of containment in Taringa Street makes a contrast with the more open,
external character of Alt and John Streets. The area also contains several significant
individual heritage items. The diversity-with-harmony of areas such as this is an important
and typically Ashfield characteristic.
Above: The view to the north-west in Taringa Street shows the large block of units on the right which,
despite being screened by trees, is still an intrusive element. Below: The semi-detached pair of cottages
at 5-7 Taringa Street illustrate the architectural diversity of the conservation area.