Recognising the Heritage of Conservation Management Plan for the Ranelagh Estate, Mt Eliza July, 2009 Prepared for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council ¤ Context Pty Ltd Project Team: Dr Sandy Blair, Senior Consultant David Helms, Senior Consultant Christina Dyson, Consultant Report Register This report register documents the development and issue of the report entitled Recognising the Heritage of Ranelagh: Draft Conservation Management Plan for the Ranelagh Estate, Mt Eliza undertaken by Context Pty Ltd in accordance with our internal quality management system. Project Issue Notes/description Issue date Issued to No. No. 1175 1 Draft report June 2008 Simon Lloyd 1175 2 Draft for public exhibition November Simon Lloyd 2008 1175 3 Final report July 2009 Simon Lloyd Context Pty Ltd 22 Merri Street, Brunswick 3056 Phone 03 9380 6933 Facsimile 03 9380 4066 Email [email protected] Web www.context-pl.com.au ii CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IX Purpose ix Approach and methodology ix Scope ix Key findings and outcomes x History and significance (Chs 2,3 & 4) x Context for policy formulation (Ch. 5) xi Key outcomes xi Recommendations xi Recognising and conserving heritage values xi Managing vegetation internal reserves and the road reserves xii Enhancing access and use xii Presenting and interpreting the Estate xii Individual heritage items xii Communicating and consulting xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Project objectives 1 1.3 Scope 1 1.4 Study Area 2 1.5 Project Methodology 3 1.5.1 Method 3 1.5.2 Terminology 5 1.5.3 Limitations 5 1.6 Sources consulted 5 1.7 Acknowledgements 5 1.8 Project management and project team 6 Steering Committee 6 Ranelagh Advisory Group (RAG) 6 Project Team 6 CHAPTER 2 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Traces of Aboriginal connection 7 2.3 A natural landscape setting 8 2.4 A settled landscape with layers of history 9 2.4.1 Early European settlement 9 2.4.2 Development of a seaside resort 10 2.4.3 Origins of Ranelagh Estate 11 2.4.4 The Griffins, Tuxen and Ranelagh 14 iii 2.4.5 ‘A summer base’ - Seaside living at Ranelagh (1920s-1950s) 16 2.4.6 Suburban development (1960s onwards) 18 2.5 A place of leisure 19 2.6 A place with strong links to early twentieth century planning ideals and the Melbourne modern movement 21 2.6.1 The emergence of the garden suburb movement in Australia 21 2.6.2 Ranelagh as an exemplar of the garden suburb movement 24 2.6.3 Melbourne modern movement at Ranelagh 26 2.7 A place enriched by community connections 27 2.7.1 Ranelagh as an ideal of community living 28 2.7.2 Lobbying for community facilities 29 2.7.3 Growth of the commercial centre 30 2.8 A place of environmentalism and community activism 31 CHAPTER 3 PHYSICAL CONTEXT 34 3.1 Gathering information 34 3.2 Landscape and vegetation 34 3.2.2 Remnant indigenous vegetation 34 3.2.2 Modified bushland 35 3.2.3 Introduced vegetation in the public realm 35 3.2.4 Private gardens 35 3.3 The subdivision pattern - Estate layout 36 3.4 The public realm as a whole 46 3.4.1 Estate entrance 46 3.4.2 The reserves and recreational spaces 46 3.4.3 Pathways and easements 47 3.4.4 Road reserve system 48 3.5 Views and land-water relationship 51 3.6 The private realm – Houses and their setting 52 3.6.1 Pattern of development 52 3. 6.2 Housing styles 54 3.7 The private realm - Mt Eliza village commercial centre 55 3.8 The estate’s communities and social connections 56 3.9 The surviving legacy of Garden City planning 56 CHAPTER 4 SIGNIFICANCE 58 4.1 Introduction 58 Cultural significance 58 4.2 Existing heritage listings 58 4.2.1 Introduction 58 4.2.2 Victorian Heritage Register 58 4.2.3 National Trust of Australia (Victoria) 59 4.2.4 Shire of Mornington Heritage Study 1994 60 4.2.5 Register of the National Estate 60 4.2.6 Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay 61 iv Other registers 62 4.3 Discussion of heritage values 62 4.4 Comparative analysis 65 4.4.1 Griffin designed estates 65 4.4.2 Country Club estates 67 4.5 Analysis of significance against criteria 69 Historic 69 Aesthetic 71 Social 72 4.6 Statement of significance 74 What is significant? 74 How is it significant? 75 Why is it significant? 76 4.7 Items of potential individual heritage significance 77 4.7.1 Methodology 78 4.7.2 Findings 78 CHAPTER 5 CONTEXT FOR POLICY FORMULATION 82 5.1 Introduction 82 5.2 Stakeholders and associated communities 82 5.3 Obligations to conserve heritage significance 83 5.4 Victorian Heritage Register 83 5.4.1 Permit requirements 84 5.4.2 Mapping in Heritage Overlay 84 5.4.3 Amendments to registration 84 5.5 Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme 85 5.5.1 State Planning Policy Framework 85 5.5.2 Local Planning Policy Framework 85 5.5.3 Land use zoning 87 5.5.4 Overlay controls 89 5.5.5 Heritage guidelines 90 5.6 Management of the public realm 91 5.6.1 Management responsibility 93 5.6.2 Management issues 94 5.7 Condition and threats 97 5.8 Logistics and resources for effective management 97 CHAPTER 6 VISION 98 CHAPTER 7 POLICY 100 7.1 Introduction 100 7.2 Policy structure 100 7.3 Subdivision pattern and estate layout 100 7.3.1 Objectives 100 7.3.2 Rationale 101 v 7.3.3 Policy for subdivision pattern and estate layout 101 7.4 Reserves, pathways and easements 101 7.4.1 Objectives 101 7.4.2 Rationale 102 7.4.3 Policy for reserves, pathways and easements 102 7.5 Vegetation and landscape character 103 7.5.1 Objectives 103 7.5.2 Rationale 103 7.5.3 Policy for vegetation and landscape character 103 7.6 Roads, road verges and traffic islands 104 7.6.1 Objectives 104 7.6.2 Rationale 105 7.6.3 Policy for roads, road verges and traffic islands 105 7.7 Estate entrance and commercial centre 107 7.7.1 Objective 107 7.7.2 Rationale 107 7.7.3 Policy 107 7.8 Houses and their setting 107 7.8.1 Objectives 107 7.8.2 Rationale 108 7.8.3 Policy for houses and their setting 108 7.9 Views 108 7.9.1 Objectives 108 7.9.2 Rationale 108 7.9.3 Policy for views 109 7.10 Consultation and participation 109 7.10.1 Objectives 109 7.10.2 Rationale 109 7.10.3 Policy for consultation and participation 109 7.11 Presentation and interpretation of the estate 110 7.11.1 Objectives 110 7.11.2 Rationale 110 7.11.3 Policy for presentation and interpretation of the estate 110 CHAPTER 8 IMPLEMENTATION 113 8.1 Introduction 113 8.2 Implementation strategies 113 8.2.1 Recognising and conserving heritage values 113 8.2.2 Managing vegetation of internal reserves and the road reserves 114 8.2.3 Enhancing access and use 115 8.2.4 Presenting and interpreting the Estate 116 8.2.5 Individual heritage items 117 8.2.6 Communicating and consulting 118 8.3 Priority actions, budget estimate and timeline 118 vi APPENDICES APPENDIX A REPORT ON FEBRUARY COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS 120 APPENDIX A REPORT ON FEBRUARY COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS 121 1 Introduction 121 2 What is social significance? 122 Heritage criteria 122 Community Workshops 122 3 Evidence of social values 123 4 Analysis of evidence 127 Criteria 127 Analysis against thresholds 127 5 Draft Statement of significance: social values 128 6 Notes on community-based aesthetic values 129 Table 1: Thresholds for social significance 130 APPENDIX B REPORT ON APRIL COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS 131 1 Introduction 131 2 Issues 131 Condition and management of reserves and vegetation 131 Impacts of new development and subdivision 132 Maintaining the integrity of the Griffin plan 132 Management by MPSC 132 Improving access and connectivity 132 Supporting community involvement and activism 132 3 Vision 133 4 Policies and actions 134 Subdivision and estate layout 134 Reserves and vegetation 134 Pathways and easements 135 Roads, road reserves and traffic islands 135 Estate entrance and commercial centre 136 Houses and their setting 136 Communication and consultation 137 Presentation and interpretation 137 APPENDIX C RESERVE INVENTORIES 138 Introduction 138 Lot A Inventory 139 Lot B Inventory (and adjoining foreshore) 143 Lot C Inventory 148 Lot D Inventory 153 Lot E Inventory 157 Lot F Inventory 161 Lot G Inventory 165 vii Lot H Inventory 169 Lot J Inventory 173 Lot K Inventory 177 Lot L Inventory 181 Lot M Inventory 185 J.T. Smith Reserve Inventory, and Village Green 189 Lot N Inventory 193 APPENDIX D POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL HERITAGE PLACES 197 APPENDIX E LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE CMP FOR THE RANELAGH ESTATE 199 Relevant publications (not exhaustive) 199 Background material on the Griffins in Australia 199 Other council projects 200 Other Griffin estates heritage plans and guidelines 200 Banyule (Mt Eagle and Glenard Estates) 200 Planning controls and associated documents 200 APPENDIX F OVERLAY CONTROLS WITHIN RANELAGH 201 viii RANELAGH ESTATE—CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose The purpose of the Ranelagh Estate CMP is to: x Prepare a historical and physical analysis of the 1924 Griffin/Tuxen designed estate. x Assess the cultural significance of the Ranelagh Estate and the relative contribution of its components to its significance at state and local levels.