Photo by Michael Gardner. All rights reserved. Used with permission

Terrace Houses: 51-65 Station Street, Newtown. Sydney, NSW

This row of eight single storey Italianate style Sydney terraced houses marching up a slight include displays some fairly unique attributes.  Their most interesting feature is the prominent arched Italianate style doorways with their elaborate acanthus mouldings and the prominent party walls and chimneys.

While the main corrugated iron roof is gabled for the length of the row, the hallways pf each house protrude with dramatic effect with small hipped roofs establishing the separateness of each of the the homes.  These small pavillion style entryways have the effect when viewed from the front of a sillhouette of small pyramid roof topped Italianate bell towers.  Between them are bullnosed verandahs which provide a contrast with the angular roof.  The solid looking verandahs feature heavy iron lacework including a prominent frieze with iron lace in triple panels as well as a a columnless frilly fringe with corner brackets.

The facade features two windows joined by a single prominent ledge.  A small courtyard is framed by prominent gates which also bullnose out from the party walls.  There are two rows of cast iron palisade with terracotta steps and parquetry tiling.

Given the style I’d imagine that these terraces were built in the mid to late 1880s.

Replica Terrace Houses: 23-25 Webster Street, Ballarat. Victoria

Such is the effort that has gone into this replica that I almost did not recognise it as being one. This is one of the best efforts I found, so thought it worth mentioning. Presumably built around the 1990s no expense has been spared in creating the illusion of a pair of Victorian terraces. If not for a few giveways such as use of clean modern bricks, a lack of render on the party walls, pastiche lacework, fence, garden and lighting and overall new look the average punter would unlikely know any different.

The terrace takes many of its design keys from local Ballarat terraces built in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The lower facade bears a strong resemblance to Ballarat Terrace with its heavy polychrmatic detail and the verandah decoration takes cues from Lascelles Terrace but has the uniform hipped roof profile of the shorter terraces of nearby Loch Street. The roof is large and corrugated, possibly using contemporary zinc alloy. Wooden eaves brackets are used for additional detail. The party walls project probably a little too harshly, obscuring the verandah roof and are plain brick with stepped profiles to indicate the floors.

The polychromatic brickwork on the facade of this terrace is simply stunning and highly detailed, perhaps to distract attention from the less authentic aspects. The upper storey has three windows each with lighter bricks emulating quoins. The lower storey has a large Palladian window composition surrounded by a flat arched polychrome bricks complete with darker bricks resembling a keystone. It is the doorway, however that makes a massive impact with its large arched opening and wooden windows surrounds complete with glass panels and Victorian replica door.

While less effort has gone into the verandah, it does have subtle features that definitely trick the eye. The verandah is dressed in replica iron lacework, most probably in aluminium, with fringe and brackets around a plain square wooden post all of which are in heritage colours. The post frames the doorway with good proportions. However the composition makes the upper storey look particularly squat which gives the impression of a lower modern ceiling height inside. The balustrade is separate panels spaced with vertical struts, a pattern which is similar to but still different from many other terraces. An elegant plain horizontal patterned wooden frieze which adds significant sophistication and detail to the design probably does more than any other feature to distract and fool the viewer.

Presumably the interiors are contemporary fittings to meet the latest building regulations. Though it will certainly be interesting to see this row in a hundred years time to compare its aging process to those that inspired it and other houses from this recent decade.

Former Terrace Houses: 40 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. Melbourne, Victoria

This row of three Queen Anne style Edwardian terraces now has the same street address and have been divided into several units.

It consists of two symmetrical terraces built right up to the street and a third set back concertina style with a variation in decoration.

The main feature of each house, constructed of “blood and bone” red brick and render is the central half timbered gable projecting from the hipped terracotta tile capped roof. The gable with its finial,combined with the tall chimneys creates a picturesque sillhouette albeit with the backdrop of modern hospital towers. The form of the gable cascades through the verandah divided into three bays on each house by very tall turned wood verandah posts spaced in between by fringe and brackets in cast iron lace and the palisade fence at ground level. Long pendants mark the midpoint of each bay Each party wall has vermiculation in render to mark each floor adding to the picturesque appearance. The balustrade is detailed with a repetition of patterned panels. The third terrace differs in design, with an open wooden frieze and brackets letting in more light. A large rectangular wooden panel complete with square and diamond patterns provides an unusual focal point adding interest along with the taller carved fretwork brackets and bolder frieze below. This may have originally been a pair given the alignment of the hallways, side by side along the middle party wall. Edwardian hallmarks of this third terrace may indicate that it was constructed as a later addition, possibly around the turn of the century while the neighbouring terraces, given the cast iron, possibly mid 1890s.

This row has heritage protection under City of Yarra’s heritage overlay HO361 and has recently been acquired by the adjacent St Vincent’s Hospital.

Terrace Houses: 37 Wentworth Street, Glebe. Sydney, New South Wales

This row of five terraced homes in Sydney’s Glebe shares the same address and appears tall due to the basement level, making them triple storey houses.

The terraces are typical of Sydney terraces from the 1870s and 1880s with party walls projecting on the slate tiled roof with tall rendered chimneys at their apex.  The mouldings and details are Italianate in style with a prominent feature being the bullnosed verandah with its alternating coloured bands of corrugated iron.  Iron lacework appears as a delicate fringe with a pendant at the midpoint and brackets on either side as well as a balcony balustrade with repeated panels of cast iron pattern.  The party walls also bullnose and undulate to follow the form of the terrace and feature decorative corbels.  The windows feature Italianate styled flat arched decorative mouldings and the party walls feature blind arches unfortunately obscured by excessive use of sun shades on the verandahs.

This row is part of the Glebe Estate and provided with heritage protection.

Terrace Houses: 166-168 Old Inglis Road, Ballan. Victoria

This pair of  timber terraced houses (or cottages) in Ballan particularly interests me. Not only is it a pretty good but rare example of terraced housing in a small Victorian town, but it appears to also be an early example as well.

Ballan was an important stopover on the goldfields route in the 1850s and this terrace is situated directly facing this main thoroughfare.   The appearance of the terraces appears to put them before the 1860s which would make it very rare and historic for both Ballan and Victoria.   However there has been an alarming lack of heritage studies in Moorabool Shire and therefore I haven’t been able to find much information on the terraces except that they are currently part of the local health system being some sort of aged care accomodation.  The simple design of this terrace gives it rustic charm with its long uniform gable corrugated roof  with a separate verandah roof with timber posts and arches and wood picket balcony rail built up to the property line.  Some asymmetry with one of the houses being double fronted with a central entrance and solid fireplace and the other with more modest fitout and hallway along the party wall may indicate it was either extended or remodelled shortly after its construction or a converted hotel.

Sadly the lack of heritage controls has been highlighted by unsympathetic renovations undertaken between 2009 and 2010 which has seen much of the timberwork removed from one of the terraces with a new blue colorbond roof and verandah rail installed in stark contrast to the green painted iron and the original Victorian door removed and replaced by an aluminium one.

"Jersey" (5), "Clio" (7) and "Greta" (9) Mc Donald Street. Potts Point, New South Wales

This row of three terraces (Greta, Clio and Jersey) is tucked away in a side street in Sydney’s Potts Point. At three storeys this is a large impressive stand of terraces set amongst interwar and modern apartment buildings.

On the whole Clio and Jersey are better preserved. Greta with missing its bay window with arched openings, one of its downpipes and closed verandah (possibly modified in the 1920s) and operating as a backpackers. However the others are missing the large grand boom style urn which sits atop the verandah on Greta.  Perhaps it is just waiting to someday be restored to bring integrity back to this row.  The composition of the terraces is interesting.  Window openings penetrate the otherwise blank wall facing McDonalds Lane which forms a gable subtly expressing the roof structure.  The ballustrade and urns dominate the parapet and the small pediments are used only for the names of each terrace which are marked by shell style ornaments. The top windows are marked with small tent like canopies with very fine iron cresting matched by a finely dressed window ledge (missing on some of the terraces), echoing some Parisian sensibilities. The top of  the verandah has an interesting wave effect of the corrugated iron expressed also on the party wall.  Like many Sydney terraces, the party walls extend to the street to form a solid fence and the original cast iron fence and gate remains intact.

I’m not exactly sure of the date, architect or origins of the names of the houses, but the style and size would suggest it was built around 1887-1888.

Ballarat Terrace: 227-231 Lydiard Street. Soldiers Hill, Victoria

Ballarat Terrace, built in 1889, is about as close to the Melbourne boom style of terrace that you can find outside of Melbourne. The terrace is fully restored and operates as a bed and breakfast.

Architecturally it features a large parapet central to all three of the houses. The large round pediment features the name of the terrace and is adorned by urns, flanked by scrolls above a cornice with a deep modillion. The terraces themselves are richly decorated with polychrome brick, primarily red including patterns emulating voussoir and quoins.  The two storey verandahs are supported by two cast iron columns each, between them are framed cast iron balcony decorations.  The double hung windows have additional window surrounds split by cast iron columns.  The doors have large wooden surrounds with detailed etched glass panels. The mid terrace bears the name “Amberfield” in 1940s style plaque, of the origins of this naming I’m not quite sure.

Ballarat Terrace is afforded special heritage protection under its own City of Ballarat heritage overlay HO86. Although it is of state significance, it is not listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

470-502 Lonsdale Street Melbourne

This rare pair of three storey terraces is one of a handful of original terraces remaining in the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) and has had an interesting life.  It was originally designed by prominent architect Lloyd Tayler.  Shortly after its constuction in 1886 the terraces were converted into a private hospital known as Lonsdale House.  It was used for a brief time by the navy during World War I, served as a music academy, nurses hostel and again a hospital during World War II.   After the war it became the offices of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) before being absorbed into the construction of the County Court complex in the 1990s.

The terrace itself is composed of two symmetrical houses each with a central restrained square classical parapet to conceal a gable roof. The facade features circular balustrades and patterned bracketed frieze over a three storey cast iron dressed verandah and the levels get more detail on the windows toward the base. Fine filigree fretwork is wood framed with corner brackets supported by heavy cast iron columns.

The terrace gained heritage status when it was included in the Melbourne City heritage study in 1984 and has some local protection through a City of Melbourne heritage overlay.

Traralgon: 212-216 Williams Road. Toorak. Melbourne, Victoria

Part of the 1890s Bush Inn Estate, this row of three brown bricked terraces is rich in Mannerist style high victorian decoration with the mid terrace featuring a high parapet comprised of triangular and round shell patterned pediments and patterned corbels.  The verandahs feature thick round and flat arched windows and leadlights rich in cast iron filigree with rounded corner brackets and central pendants as well as a richly detailed fence.  Even the blind arches have keystones for added effect.

Traralgon is included in the City of Stonnington’s heritage overlay (HO155).

I’m not certain of the date of Traralgon, but given the style I’d hazard a guess of somewhere around 1889-1892.

Terrace Houses: 92-95 Howard Street, North Melbourne. Victoria

I find this short row of five unnamed Edwardian terraced houses very interesting.   Firstly because Edwardian terraces are rare in Melbourne and this is an intriguing example as it has some pretty unusual design elements for a  Melbourne terrace.    The way that the end terrace sports a variation in design and faces in a different direction adds significant asymmetry, interest and intrigue to an otherwise symmetrical row of houses.   The row marches up the slight incline of Howard Street not unlike a row of Sydney terraces, but so discretely you almost wouldn’t notice.  The fins of the roof are exposed are also much more akin to Sydney Victorian era terraces than Melbourne.  The striking red brick form of the walls, terracotta tiled gable roofs with their row of ridge capping and picturesque chimneys dotted with rows of squat pots set it apart from the majority Victorian Italianate terraces in the area.

Above the windows at the first floor of each house are stucco flat wedge mouldings, adding some interest, however most of these have been removed and some windows have shutters added.  The party wall steps back down into the wall and then emerges again to frame single storey verandahs which have exposed high pitch corrugated iron roofs.  The most interesting aspect of the verandahs, however is the frieze of wood fretwork pattern which has art noveau influences.  On either side there is a turned wood post, with one also in the middle.  The green, cream and red scheme appears to be original although the paint is fading on some of the iron roofs.

The end terrace has a fully timbered verandah including a variation of the fretwork design, possibly a deliberate move to make it the more grand house in the row.

Although the City of Melbourne has heritage listed them (barely with the lowest grading possible), information on is scant.  The style places their construction date somewhere between 1900-15, but an exact date and architect could be almost impossible to ascertain.