Note: Some of this document has been redacted to protect the privacy of individual households. HERITAGE ASSESSMENT OAKS ESTATE, ACT for ACT Environment & Sustainable Development Directorate by PHILIP LEESON ARCHITECTS PTY LTD Final Report, 4th September 2013 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – OAKS ESTATE, ACT 1 Final 4/9/13 Cover image • Masonry structure and mature landscaping located at Robertson House on blocks 11 & 12 Section 7 Oaks Estate, 2013 • Source: Philip Leeson Architects. HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – OAKS ESTATE, ACT 2 Final 4/9/13 Table of Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 5 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 8 2.1 PROJECT BRIEF ...................................................................................................... 8 2.2 STUDY BOUNDARY AND HERITAGE STATUS ................................................................ 8 2.3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 10 2.4 LIMITATIONS........................................................................................................10 2.5 CONVENTIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................... 11 2.6 AUTHORSHIP .......................................................................................................11 2.7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................11 3 HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT ................................................................................ 12 3.1 HISTORICAL CONTEXT ..........................................................................................12 3.1.1 Geography and pre-European landscape ................................................... 12 3.1.2 European rural estates, 1820 – 1877 ................................................................ 13 3.1.3 Industry and subdivision, 1877 – 1901 .............................................................. 22 3.1.4 Federal Territory and Canberra, 1901 – 1920s ................................................ 27 3.1.5 Surplus to Canberra, 1930s – 1960s .................................................................. 39 3.1.6 Freehold land resumed, 1970s ......................................................................... 52 3.1.7 The 1980s to the present ................................................................................... 52 3.2 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ..................................................................................... 54 3.2.1 Brief History of Tharwa Village .......................................................................... 54 3.2.2 Brief History of Hall Village ................................................................................. 54 3.2.3 Comparative Analysis ....................................................................................... 55 4 PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 57 4.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................57 4.2 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................... 57 4.2.1 Places of individual heritage significance ...................................................... 57 4.2.2 Places of potential individual heritage significance ..................................... 69 4.2.3 Places examined and dismissed as having individual significance ............ 71 4.2.4 Places contributing to the early 20th Century urban village character ...... 72 4.2.5 Non residential places ...................................................................................... 78 4.2.6 Light Industrial Area ........................................................................................... 79 4.2.7 Gillespie Park ...................................................................................................... 81 4.2.8 Chinese Market Garden ................................................................................... 82 4.2.9 Water Tanks ........................................................................................................ 82 4.2.10 Non-contributory places ................................................................................... 82 4.3 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 85 4.3.1 The River Corridor ............................................................................................... 85 4.3.2 Elm Grove ........................................................................................................... 88 4.3.3 Street Plantings ................................................................................................... 89 4.3.4 Individual Block Plantings.................................................................................. 89 4.3.5 Significant vistas ................................................................................................. 89 4.4 SOCIAL VALUES ASSESSMENT ............................................................................... 91 4.4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 91 4.4.2 Community consultation .................................................................................. 91 4.4.3 Consultation findings ......................................................................................... 92 5 ASSESSMENT OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE ..................................................... 93 5.1 ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA ............................................................................ 93 5.2 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................. 100 5.3 SIGNIFICANT FEATURES.......................................................................................100 6 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................... 102 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – OAKS ESTATE, ACT 3 Final 4/9/13 6.1 PRECINCT LISTING .............................................................................................102 6.2 DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES ................................................................................ 107 6.3 ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS .......................................................... 108 6.4 FURTHER RESEARCH ...........................................................................................108 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 109 8 APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 116 8.1 APPENDIX A – NATIONAL TRUST DRAFT CITATION, OAKS ESTATE ............................ 117 8.2 APPENDIX B – NGH HERITAGE, ASSESSMENT OF 9 HAZEL STREET .......................... 118 8.3 APPENDIX C - DETAILED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT, OAKS ESTATE.............................. 119 HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – OAKS ESTATE, ACT 4 Final 4/9/13 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project brief This heritage assessment has been prepared by Philip Leeson Architects Pty. Ltd. for the ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate (ESDD) to inform development of a Master Plan for Oaks Estate. The study area is based on the area presently nominated for listing on the ACT Heritage Places Register. This heritage assessment should be read in conjunction with the Indigenous Heritage Study and Cultural Landscape Assessment prepared by Navin Officer Heritage Consultants Pty Ltd. Heritage status Places in Oaks Estate are nominated or listed on three heritage registers as follows: • Oaks Estate, The Oaks, and Robertson House are nominated for listing on the ACT Heritage Places Register. • Oaks Estate and The Oaks are listed by the National Trust (ACT Chapter). • The Oaks and the Slab Hut at 7 George St are listed on the Register of the National Estate. Heritage assessment Following historical, physical and social values assessment, detailed heritage assessment found significance under five of the ACT heritage significance criteria set out in the ACT Heritage Act 2004, Section 10 as follows: (b) it exhibits outstanding design or aesthetic qualities valued by the community or a cultural group (c) it is important as evidence of a distinctive way of life, taste, tradition, religion, land use, custom, process, design or function that is no longer practiced, is in danger of being lost or is of exceptional interest (e) it is significant to the ACT because of its importance as part of local Aboriginal tradition. (f) it is a rare or unique example of its kind, or is rare or unique in its comparative intactness (h) it has strong or special associations with a person, group, event, development or cultural phase in local or national history (j) it has provided, or is likely to provide, information that will contribute significantly to a wider understanding of the natural or cultural history of the ACT because of its use or potential use as a research site or object, teaching site or object, type locality or benchmark site Statement of significance Oaks Estate is a highly intact early twentieth century urban village in a picturesque rural setting with a unique history, which illustrates several themes in the development