Colac Residential Precinct HO307 General Information · Colac Residential Precinct HO307 General Information To determine whether your property is included in the Heritage Overlay

Heritage Guidelines Colac Residential Heritage Precinct HO307

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Colac Residential Precinct HO307 General Information To determine whether your property is included in the Heritage Overlay or whether you need a permit contact: Colac Otway Shire Council Planning & Building Services (03) 5232 9400 or visit the Shire Council Offices at 2 Rae Street, Colac – Gellibrand Street entry. Further technical information and advice specifically related to how your property can be altered while retaining its heritage significance can be obtained from the Heritage Advisor at the Shire. Speak to a planner at the Council to make an appointment. It is strongly encouraged that applicants talk to Council’s Heritage Advisor at pre-application stage to discuss appropriate options for change. Purpose of these Guidelines The purpose of these guidelines is to provide advice to ensure that new work to places in the Colac Residential Heritage Precinct retain the overall qualities which contribute to the precinct’s cultural heritage significance and do not detract from the significance of the precinct. The guidelines have been prepared to assist owners of heritage places in determining what may be acceptable in the development of their place. The key objective is to ensure that the historic places and their features are the dominant features of the streetscapes viewed by the local community and general public. Precincts In Colac Otway the precincts have been identified for protection in the Heritage Overlay because they demonstrate an important part of Colac Otway’s development history and typically because they: • Retain historically important street layouts and subdivisions; • Display consistency of scale, height and materials; • Display a stylistic consistency; and • Contain mainly historically or architecturally significant buildings, which are substantially

intact.


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Extent of HO307 – Contributory places shaded Statement of Significance What is significant? The Colac Residential Precinct located to the north of the town centre and including residential properties dating from the Victorian, Edwardian, Inter-War and mid 20th century on Manifold Street, Queen Street, Pollack Street, Calvert Street, Fyans Street and Gellibrand Street, Colac. How is it significant? The Colac Residential Precinct is of local historic and aesthetic significance to Colac Otway Shire. Why is it significant? The Colac Residential Precinct is historically significant in demonstrating the evolution of Colac as an important regional centre in the late nineteenth century and early to mid twentieth century. The residential development commenced initially in an area close to the churches in the town, then later fanning out in a north east direction from an apex at Queen and Manifold Streets, adjacent to the original creek crossing and the civic precinct. The contributory houses evidence the growth brought to Colac by the expansion of the timber and dairy industry at the close of the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth century. The contributory properties in the precinct are considered to be the most intact collection of houses demonstrating the main development period of Colac between the late nineteenth century and mid twentieth century. (Criteria A & B) The Colac Residential Precinct is aesthetically significant in demonstrating a continuum of residential styles incorporating modest Gothic; late Victorian Boom style; Federation, Inter-War and mid twentieth century dwellings that provide a 'map' in built form of Colac's residential development during its boom period. The precinct is aesthetically significant for containing substantially intact and good examples of housing styles from the late nineteenth century, early twentieth century, inter-war and mid twentieth century periods. The houses from each of these periods retain key original features of their eras including overall composition, opening types and decorative features. The significance of the precinct is enhanced by its illustration of the principle characteristics of nineteenth century town planning in the grid format and wide road reserves. Another notable feature of the precinct are the street trees planted on the edge of the roads, on the border of a deep grassy verges, which drain towards central open channels or culverts. A particular aesthetic feature is the strong presence of impressive religious buildings amongst the residential buildings.


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West side of Queen Street Significant Characteristics and Features of the Precinct • The precinct includes a mixture of single storey and the occasional two storey late nineteenth

century, early twentieth century, inter-war and mid twentieth century houses • The houses are on consistently sized allotments with consistent set backs from the street

boundary. Houses are generally placed centrally on the allotment with setbacks on both sides.

• Most properties have a crossover and driveway contained in one of the side setbacks. • The Precinct is distinguished by its street plantings, wide roads, grassy verges and deep

culverts with bluestone lining. • A large number of the properties have no front fence and of the properties with fences, the

most common type is low timber picket. • Common features visible in views across the precinct streetscape include pitched roofs clad

in corrugated metal sheet, tall brick chimneys, front verandahs and front lawn and gardens. • Generally the houses are detached and double fronted with tall pitched roofs. • The roof forms are pitched and hipped or gable or more commonly, a combination of both. • Tall brick chimneys are generally features of the roofscapes. • Houses generally have verandahs to the front with either skillion or convex roof forms. • Most of the roofs are clad in corrugated metal sheet, but brick houses generally have tiled

roofs. • The precinct contains a mixture of face brick and weatherboard clad houses, but the houses

are predominantly weatherboard. • Windows are generally single or tripartite timber framed and double hung and doors are

generally timber with a timber frame. • The overall scale of the houses is substantially consistent. • The contributory properties have been selected as they are substantially intact and

demonstrate key features of their period of construction. • The late nineteenth century houses contain key features of their era such as front verandahs

with timber posts, hipped and gable roof forms, corbelled chimneys, symmetrical placement of timber framed openings to the front elevation and double hung windows. Central entry doors often have sidelights and highlights.

• The early twentieth century houses contain key features of their era including diagonal axis floor plans, dominant roof forms in a combination of hips and gables, gable end decoration, front and return verandahs with timber posts and fretwork friezes, timber framed openings, twin or tripartite windows and asymmetrical compositions.

• The inter-war houses contain key features of their era including dominant, predominantly hipped roof forms, front porches, curved walls and corner windows.

• The mid twentieth century houses contain key features of their era including cream brick walling, skillion roof forms, lower pitched roofs and larger window openings.


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Residential Building Style Guide Building Styles: Victorian Style 1850-1900

Mid Victorian weatherboard residence

Late Victorian brick residence

Victorian Style Key Characteristics § Symmetrical facades. § Hipped or gabled roofs, often of 30 degrees

pitch, usually slate or galvanised corrugated iron.

§ Guttering usually ogee or half round with circular down pipes.

§ Timber walls usually had square or beaded edged weatherboards.

§ Brick houses were generally red or Hawthorn brick (dark brown) and commonly had one or two different colour bricks used for decoration such as banding or to the quoins to openings and corners.

§ Verandah forms included skillion, ogee and concave.

§ Simple iron lacework or timber valences to timber verandah posts or cast iron columns.

§ Rectangular timber framed, double hung windows with later Victorian houses often having tripartite (three part) windows to the front elevation.

§ Four panelled front doors, commonly with highlight and side-lights.

§ Timber brackets and mouldings under the eaves and or brick decoration.

§ Face brick or rendered brick chimneys often with cornices.

§ Decorative timber joinery or render moulding to openings.

Paint colours The walls of Victorian dwellings were generally face brick to show off the different colour brickwork decoration but Victorian dwellings were also often painted or rendered to simulate stone with recessed lines to mimic ashlar stone joints. Therefore, if the walls were painted they were often sandstone or ochre colours or the natural render colour. Joinery was painted in creams, light stone, rich brown, Indian red, Brunswick green. (Indian red and Brunswick green were never used in the same scheme). Gutters and downpipes were often painted in dark shades employed on the doors and windows. A wood-grain finish was often used for doors and windows. Typical fence styles The typical fence styles for the Victorian residence was cast iron palisade fence with a bluestone base or a timber picket fence with shaped or pointed tops to the pickets and often undulating. The elaborate picket or cast iron fences were generally only on the grander, more decorative and larger villas.


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Building Styles: Edwardian/Federation Style 1890 - 1915

Edwardian style residence

Federation style residence

Federation style residence

Edwardian/Federation Style Key Characteristics § Asymmetrical facades § Roof often a combination of a hip and a

projecting gable, usually 30 degrees pitch, and galvanised corrugated iron.

§ Verandah forms included sloped or curved. § Timber fretwork to verandah, turned or plain

timber posts. § Rectangular timber framed, double hung or

casement windows, often paired or in threes. § Four panelled front doors, commonly with

highlights and sidelights. § Decorative timber joinery around openings. § Eaves brackets, decorative gable infill and

timber brackets to window canopies. § Chimneys – red brick, plain or with brick

string courses and/or strapping. Federation differences § Asymmetrical with the emphasis on the

overall form and three-dimensional qualities rather than the front facade.

§ Focus is often on the diagonal with a projecting gable or window bay.

§ Complex rooflines of intersecting hips and gables with tall chimneys.

§ As well as timber walls with corrugated iron roofs, masonry or render walls with terracotta Marseilles tiled roofs.

§ Leadlighting. Paint Colours Walls of Edwardian/Federation dwellings, if painted were yellow cream, ochre wash, cement render and a greater use of browns. The predominant colour for joinery and details was red with cream, yellow ochre, dark brown and softer green trims. The exterior details were often picked out in a combination of a light and dark tone. The two predominant colour schemes for this style were shades of green or shades of cream to buff. Typical fence styles Timber picket fences (less likely to be undulating), capped timber picket fences and woven wire fences.


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Building Styles: Bungalow Style 1910 - 1930

Red brick Bungalow style residence

Weatherboard Bungalow style residence

Weatherboard Bungalow style residence

Bungalow Style Key Characteristics § One or more gables, either perpendicular or

parallel to the street frontage, which dominate the overall form of the building, roof usually 25 degrees or steeper.

§ Emphasis on the weight of the roof, by brackets, detailing to the large gable ends, including roughcast, timber shingles and strapwork, also exposed rafter ends.

§ Roofs clad in galvanized corrugated iron or tiled with cement or ceramic tiles.

§ Walls often masonry and roughcast render, square edged or bull-nose weatherboards.

§ Deep porches with flat roofs giving a horizontal emphasis supported by masonry pillars or grouped sturdy timber posts.

§ Chimneys expressed externally as large masonry elements, face brick or roughcast with terracotta chimney pots.

§ Timber framed windows often small and rectangular in form, casement or double hung with fixed panes, grouped in wide bands.

§ Front doors often glazed in top section and timber below.

§ Leadlight common. Paint Colours Exterior colour schemes of California Bungalows usually consisted of no more than two colours. Common colours for woodwork were brown, cream and green. Rendered walls had a natural slurry unpainted finish or were painted an off-white, beige or pale cream. There was often dark staining of timber rather than painting. Elaborate timberwork was not used on the exterior of these dwellings. Shingles, posts and trim were painted in the darker shade of the chosen scheme and rafters, fascia boards, bargeboards and panels were all painted in a lighter colour. Typical Fence styles Low cyclone wire fences with timber or steel framing, low brick walls matching the style of the house, woven wire fences with timber posts and framing or timber picket fences with a top rail and simple posts.


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Building Styles: Inter-War Style 1918 - 1939

Brick Inter-War style residence

Rough-cast Inter-War style residence

Inter–War Style Key Characteristics § Grouped windows, double hung timber or

metal framed and often corner placement. § Corbelled bricks, brick arches, curved brick

walls. § Dominant decorative chimneys. § Walls often masonry and/or roughcast render.

Predominantly hip roofs clad in cement or ceramic tiles.

§ Decorative details in different colour bricks. § Double hung timber framed windows § Commonly low fences to match brickwork or

rendered surface and style of house. § Verandahs with parapet, scroll edge – arch

opening (often triple) with intermediate columns.

Paint Colours These buildings were often not painted as they were constructed of exposed brick. Different colour bricks were often used to provide a decorative affect. Painted decorative detail was minimal and trims and window frames were painted in creams or off white. Rendered walls were commonly painted off white. Typical Fence styles Low cyclone wire fences with timber or steel framing, low brick walls matching the style of the house, low stone walls or low wrought iron fence panels mounted on a low brick wall with low brick piers.


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Building Styles: Post-War Suburban 1945 - 1965

Double fronted Post-War Suburban style

Triple fronted Post-War Suburban style

Post-War Suburban Style Key Characteristics § Double or triple fronted with front porches

with concrete or ceramic tile roofs. § Large timber framed windows often with

corner windows. § Commonly cream brick. Emergence of brick-

veneer replacing double brick. § Roofs most often a series of hips clad in

tiles. § Dominant plain chimneys. § Minimal use of decorative flourishes. § Decoration was often expressed in mass-

produced elements such as brick/stone feature walls or chimneys

§ Wrought iron porch posts, railing and wire mesh doors.

§ Low brick fences often matching the residence walls.

§ Wrought iron panels to brick base and wrought iron gates

§ Neat ordered gardens with garden beds with brick, concrete or stone edging.

Paint Colours Timber weatherboards often painted in pale creams and ivory. Bold uses of colour often eclectically applied. Typical Fence styles Low cyclone wire fences with timber or steel framing, low brick walls matching the style of the house, or low wrought iron fence panels mounted on a low brick wall with low brick piers.


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Building Styles: Post-War Modern 1945 - 1970

Early Post-War Modern style residence

Late Post-War Modern style residence

Post-War Modern Style Key Characteristics § Simple geometric form, often square or

rectangular § Commonly bands or blocks of modular

windows either timber or metal framed. § Often architect designed. § Entire walls of modular glass windows

common § Roofs often flat or skillion with metal deck

cladding § Columns, balustrades and other necessary

but incidental elements made as thin as possible

§ Walls - river-stone wall panels, panel walls, vertical timber cladding, and concrete block work

§ Wide eaves and flat roofed car ports § Native gardens. Paint Colours Timber or metal framing or detailing, white or grey. Browns common for any detailing. Typical Fence styles Often no fence, rock edging common. Other fence styles usually relate to the construction type of the house with a brick fence for a brick house, a concrete block fence for a concrete block house.


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East side of Queen Street – Victorian style residences Guidelines Initial steps Not all properties in the precinct contribute to the significance of the precinct but changes to both contributory and non-contributory places can impact on the precinct’s significance. The first step in commencing the design process is to determine whether your property is contributory or non-contributory to the Heritage Overlay Precinct. If your building is contributory you will initially need to gain an understanding of the significance of your individual property, the elements that contribute to this significance and its contribution to the streetscape value of the area. Understanding the significance of the heritage place will also assist in identifying areas of the site and building that can undergo change. If your building is non-contributory and you want to demolish the existing building and replace it with new development you will need to gain an understanding of the significant places in the precinct to ensure that the design of any new development will be sympathetic to this and will be recessive in streetscape views. Demolition Demolition of a contributory heritage building will not be supported unless it can be demonstrated that: • the building is structurally unsound and cannot be safely repaired, and • the original fabric of the building has deteriorated to such an extent that a substantial

reconstruction would be required to make the building habitable, and • the proposed replacement building will make an equal or greater contribution to the

streetscape than the building to be demolished. Partial demolition of contributory heritage buildings is allowable where the fabric to be demolished does not contribute to the significance of the precinct. There are often rear sections of a residence that cannot be seen from the street and therefore do not contribute to the significance of the precinct. Demolition of such sections to make way for a new addition is generally supported if the new addition is also sympathetic to the residence and streetscape. Demolition of non contributory buildings is allowable. Subdivision Subdivision should complement and be consistent with the existing rhythm and pattern of subdivision in the heritage precinct. Subdivision should retain a sufficient setting around the significant building to maintain vistas to contributory heritage buildings and their significant features. Restoration Reinstatement of original features such as the original verandah form or original windows is encouraged. Reinstatement should be based on accurate information about the original appearance of the place. The same proportions of elements and quality of materials should be used as the original.


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Unpainted surfaces should not be painted. Removal of paint from masonry should not involve sandblasting. Alterations and Additions Alterations and additions to contributory heritage buildings should retain significant characteristics and features and as much of the original fabric, appearance and layout as possible. Alterations to the front appearance of the building and significant roofline (visible from the street) should be avoided, unless returning the building to a significant earlier or original appearance. Alterations and additions to significant heritage buildings should be recessive in design and not overwhelm or dominate the existing contributory heritage building or its significant features. Ground floor alterations and additions to contributory heritage buildings should be well setback from the street elevation of the building. The allowable setback will be dependent on the individual building and the side and oblique views obtainable to the property. A side addition should be recessive in these views. Upper storey additions should have minimum visibility from the street and should be set back behind the main roofline and so the substantially single (or two) storey appearance of the building is retained as viewed from the street. The original front form and features of the contributory building should remain the dominant element as viewed from the street.

Bad example of an addition that Good example of an addition that is overwhelms the existing residence recessive to the existing residence Alterations and additions to contributory buildings should be in keeping with the context of the heritage precinct in relation to setbacks, scale, form, pattern of openings, materials and detailing. The replication of historic detail in alterations and additions should be avoided. They obscure the understanding of the history and age of the place. Design that reinterprets historic features in a contemporary or simplified manner is encouraged.

A row of Edwardian style residences in the precinct


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New buildings in the Precinct New buildings are allowable on existing empty sites or where a non-contributory building has been demolished. Maintain the existing scale, massing, form and siting of contributory buildings in heritage precincts when designing new buildings. The replication of historic detail in new buildings should be avoided. They obscure the understanding of the history and age of the place. Design that reinterprets historic features in a contemporary or simplified manner is encouraged. The design of new buildings should reflect their period of construction and be distinguishable as new, so the history of development in the precinct can continue to be understood. New buildings should not visually dominate adjacent contributory buildings or the heritage precinct in terms of size, height or bulk. The design of new buildings should relate to and use as reference points the materials, colour and level of detail of adjacent buildings and the surrounding precinct. New materials may be introduced provided that they are complementary to the significance of the heritage place. Buildings should not be taller than adjacent contributory buildings unless in a heritage precinct where a pronounced variation in building height already exists. New buildings should be oriented to relate positively to contributory buildings and subdivision patterns and spatial qualities throughout the heritage precinct. New buildings should be setback the same distance from the front boundary as adjacent contributory buildings. Where there are two adjacent contributory buildings with different setbacks, the new building should be setback the average distance of those adjacent. Where one adjacent building is contributory and the other adjacent building is non-contributory, a setback consistent with the contributory building should be applied. The side setbacks of new buildings should be consistent with the rhythm of the precinct. New buildings should not obscure views to contributory buildings or their features. Individual architectural elements such as roof forms and openings must complement existing styles. The proportions and spacing of door and window openings should relate to those of adjoining contributory buildings and the surrounding precinct.

Mid 20th Century and Edwardian residences


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Painting Colour schemes for heritage dwellings should relate to the period and style of construction and the character of the streetscape and heritage area. It is often not the colours that is the most important consideration, but the placement of the different light and dark tones. For example generally walls are a light colour and mid to dark tones are used to highlight particular features such as windows and eaves details. Previously unpainted surfaces should not be painted. Front Fences Ensure that new fences are constructed in a manner that is sympathetic to the significance of the heritage place. Fences should not obscure views to the front façade and significant features of contributory heritage places from the street. The materials and scale of new fences should be consistent with the architectural period of the significant or contributory heritage building, or in the case of non-contributory buildings, the precinct. Generally, fences should not exceed 1200 mm in height and should only be constructed in solid materials if this is consistent with the architectural period of the building or precinct. Where the design details and materials of an original fence are known, reconstruction is encouraged. Where such details are not known cues may be taken from original fences within the precinct (where relevant) or on properties from heritage places from the same architectural period (refer to the style guide at the beginning of these guidelines). Heritage style fences are not suitable for properties containing new buildings. Street features Retain street trees and deep culverts with bluestone lining. Where street trees are dead or dying, they can be removed subject to a permit but should be replaced with the same or similar species in the same location as that being removed. Retention of as much original bluestone lined channel in its original location and to its original detailing should be the aim of any works to the culverts. Where there is original detailing, repair works should involve relaying of the original bluestone, matching the original external appearance. Where concrete inverts already exist, these can be replaced with a new concrete invert to improve the operation of the culvert.

Wide streets, street trees and deep culverts Car parking Each property should be limited to one crossover and driveway. Garages should be set back from the front of the building. This set back should be at least 2 metres from the front building line (not the verandah).


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Avoid attaching the carport/garage to the dwelling and ensure that it appears as a separate visual entity with a separate roof form. The design of garages should be simple and should not contain replicated historical detailing.

Documents

Colac Residential Precinct HO307 General Information · Colac Residential Precinct HO307 General Information To determine whether your property is included in the Heritage Overlay