Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria Name: Stonington Address: 336 Glenferrie Road, 3-5 Somers Avenue and 7 Somers Avenue, Malvern Local Government Authority: City of Stonnington Executive Director recommendation I recommend to the Heritage Council of Victoria that the existing registration of VHR H1608, Stonington, at 336 Glenferrie Road, 3-5 Somers Avenue and 7 Somers Avenue, Malvern in the Victorian Heritage Register (‘VHR’) be amended under section 62 of the Heritage Act 2017 (‘the Act’). STEVEN AVERY Executive Director, Heritage Victoria DATE OF RECOMMENDATION: 20 May 2021 OFFICIAL Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria Executive Director Recommendation to the Heritage Council of Victoria The Executive Director, Heritage Victoria (‘Executive Director’), recommends that the Heritage Council amends the existing registration of VHR H1608, Stonington, at 336 Glenferrie Road, 3-5 Somers Avenue and 7 Somers Avenue, Malvern in the VHR by: • Including additional land • Determining categories of works or activities which may be carried out in relation to the place for which a permit is not required (permit exemptions) • Adding objects integral to a registered place • Changing the heritage category from ‘Registered place’ to ‘Registered place’ and ‘Registered object integral to a registered place’. Stonington 2 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria The process from here 1. The Heritage Council publishes the Executive Director’s recommendation (section 41). The Heritage Council will publish the Executive Director’s recommendation on its website for a period of 60 days. Submissions must be received by Heritage Council on or before 19 July 2021. 2. Making a submission to the Heritage Council (sections 44 and 45) Within the 60-day publication period, any person or body with a real and substantial interest in the place or object can make a submission to the Heritage Council. This submission can support the recommendation, or object to the recommendation and a hearing can be requested in relation to the submission. Information about making a submission and submission forms are available on the Heritage Council’s website: https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/registrations-reviews/executive-director-recommendations/ 3. Heritage Council determination (sections 46 and 49) The Heritage Council is an independent statutory body. It is responsible for making the final determination to include or not include the place or object in the VHR, or amend a place or object already in the VHR. If no submissions are received the Heritage Council must make a determination within 40 days of the publication closing date. If submissions are received, the Heritage Council may decide to hold a hearing in relation to the submission. If a hearing does take place, the Heritage Council must make a determination within 90 days after the completion of the hearing. 4. Obligations of owners of places and objects (sections 42 and 43) The owner of a place or object which is the subject of a recommendation to the Heritage Council has certain obligations under the Act. These relate to advising the Executive Director in writing of any works or activities that are being carried out, proposed or planned for the place. The owner also has an obligation to provide a copy of this statement of recommendation to any potential purchasers of the place or object before entering into a contract. 5. Further information The relevant sections of the Act are provided at Appendix 1. Stonington 3 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria Description The following is a description of Stonington at the time of the site inspection by Heritage Victoria in May 2021. Stonington is a Boom-style mansion with associated buildings and landscape features located in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern. Stonington is situated on the eastern side of Glenferrie Road on a site that slopes steeply towards the Gardiners Creek valley, providing the site with views across to the Dandenong Ranges. The Glenferrie Road frontage is fenced with iron palisades set on a brick base. An elaborate gatehouse and gates define the main entrance to the mansion. The gatehouse is a single-storey stuccoed brick building with features including a curved projecting bay to the north and decorative pediment and pilasters to the Glenferrie Road elevation. The main driveway curves through landscaped grounds which feature broad areas of lawn and a range of mature tree specimens. A new three-storey freestanding residence lies to the east of the driveway. The driveway terminates at the prominent porte cochere of the mansion which is situated on a levelled section at the centre of the site. Designed in a late Boom-style, the mansion is a large two-storey brick and stucco building that demonstrates an eclectic range of late-Victorian stylistic influences including Germanic overtones, steep French Second Empire roof forms and Baroque detailing. It has an asymmetrical composition with colonnaded verandahs and balconies along the west, north and east elevations. Verandahs, balconies and the main entrance feature mosaic tiling. To the south, the mansion has an adjoining two-storey servants and service wing which adds to the bulk of the building. Internally, the formal entrance opens onto a large double height hall. Formal rooms including the Drawing Room, Dining Room and Library which are arranged around the hall. These spaces are embellished with elaborately carved timber joinery, highly detailed parquetry and fine plaster work. Early decorative schemes likely remain below the later overpainting. The Dining Room contains a red-marble topped side table and a large sideboard that have a historic association with the mansion. A lavatory, with historic WC pan, mosaic floor, stained glass and timber lining is situated beneath the elaborately carved main stair. Two large stained glass windows designed by Lyon, Cottier and Wells frame the landing of the main staircase. On the first floor, principal bedrooms open onto the Gallery which contains a large and highly detailed stained glass lantern and decorative coved ceiling. Further stained glass windows are found in the main bedrooms, some of which also contain elaborate timber fireplaces and door surrounds. Secondary bedrooms and a modern bathroom are clustered around the servants stairs to the south end of the building. On the ground level, the southern end of the building contains both a modern commercial and domestic kitchen as well as a bathroom. A basement can be accessed internally from the south end of the building. A large original stables building is located to the south of the mansion. It is U-shaped in plan with wings facing on to a paved courtyard accessed via a gated arched entrance. It is a brick structure with stuccoed walls on a bluestone plinth. The east wing is single-storey and likely served as the coach house while the double-storey south wing likely provided accommodation. A swimming pool and cabana have been added to the stable grounds in recent years. Stonington 4 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria 2021, Glenferrie Road frontage of Stonington. 2021, gatehouse and ornamental gate. 2021, grounds of Stonington 2021, Stonington and neighbouring residence, still under construction Stonington 5 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria 2021, north elevation of Stonington mansion 2018, entrance and hall of Stonington mansion Source: realestate.com 2018, main stair with stained glass windows in background 2018, Drawing room Source: realestate.com Source: realestate.com Stonington 6 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria 2021, gallery and coved ceiling with lantern 2021, mosaic to entrance porch Source: advisor.travel 2021, gated entry to stables courtyard 2021, view of stables from Somers Avenue Stonington 7 VHR number: VHR H1608 Hermes No: 679 Statement of recommendation from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria, to the Heritage Council of Victoria History John Wagner and the establishment of Stonington The land on which Stonington is located was purchased by Cobb and Co coachline proprietor John Wagner in 1888. Wagner was a prominent Melbourne businessman with economic interests including real estate and mining. He was a founding partner of the Victorian branch of Cobb and Co which virtually monopolised the coach and mail business in northern and central Victoria in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Wagner purchased additional parcels of land to the south of the main allotment in 1890 and commenced development of his estate. Wagner named the estate Stonington after the town in Connecticut – his wife’s birthplace (the name of the place has also been spelt ‘Stonnington’ at times in its history). The mansion, stables and gatehouse were built to the designs of noted Melbourne architect, Charles D'Ebro and constructed by Stephen Armstrong, who was also responsible for the Cliveden mansion, East Melbourne. The original decorative scheme and the stained glass were designed by the firm Lyon Cottier and Wells, who undertook work in both Melbourne and Sydney. D’Ebro was well known for his involvement in large commercial and engineering projects, including the Princes Bridge (VHR H1447), and he employed unconventional engineering solutions in his design of Stonington. These included the use of metal beams in the sub-floor structure for the large floor spans of the hall and drawing room, concrete barrel vaults to support the verandahs, and trussed frame hanging beams for the large ceiling spans over two first floor bedrooms, which have marks indicating off-site cutting for on-site assembly.