RECOMMENDATION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE UNDER PART 3, DIVISION 3 OF THE HERITAGE ACT 2017 Name Esme Johnston House Location 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton, City of Bayside Hermes Number 202765 Heritage Overlay Number N/A Esme Johnston House (July 2019) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL: That the Esme Johnston House NOT be included in the Victorian Heritage Register under Section 37(1)(b) of the Heritage Act 2017. The Heritage Council may wish to consider exercising its powers under s.49(1)(c) of the Heritage Act 2017 to refer the recommendation to the Bayside City Council for consideration for an amendment to the Heritage Overlay of the Bayside Planning Scheme. STEVEN AVERY Executive Director Recommendation Date: 9 August 2019 Advertising Period: 16 August 2019 – 14 October 2019 This recommendation report has been issued by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria under s.37 of the Heritage Act 2017. It has not been considered or endorsed by the Heritage Council of Victoria. Name: Esme Johnston House, 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton Hermes Number: 202765 Page | 1 NOMINATED EXTENT OF REGISTRATION Two nominations were received for the Esme Johnston House at 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton. Nomination 1: Date that the nomination was accepted by the Executive Director 23 May 2019 Written extent of nomination The whole of the property within the title boundaries (TP: 248542Q) Nomination extent diagram Name: Esme Johnston House, 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton Hermes Number: 202765 Page | 2 Nomination 2: Date that the nomination was accepted by the Executive Director 7 June 2019 Written extent of nomination The total area within the title boundaries. Nomination extent diagram Name: Esme Johnston House, 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton Hermes Number: 202765 Page | 3 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESPONSE SUMMARY It is the view of the Executive Director that this place should not be included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) for the reasons outlined in this report. The information presented in this report and the attached documents demonstrates that the Esme Johnston House may be of potential local significance, rather than State level significance. The Heritage Council may wish to refer the recommendation and submissions to the relevant planning authority for consideration for an amendment to include the place in the Heritage Overlay of the planning scheme. BACKGROUND WHAT IS AT THE PLACE? The Esme Johnston House is a three-storey dwelling situated towards the rear of a rectangular block at 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton. The dwelling comprises a tall but otherwise simple, volume distinguished by an unusually steeply-pitched roof creating tall gables to either end. The dwelling adopts a, broadly, Tudor Revival expression with half-timbering to external walls. The front garden largely comprises lawn, with specimen planting around the edges. Rock walls line the driveway with a front brick fence. A number of outbuildings are located in the rear yard. An original flagstone paving treatment to a rear service area partially survives. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE? Actress, writer and radio announcer, Esme Johnston designed the dwelling at 38 Grosvenor Street in 1928. From its design and approval in 1929 to its completion in 1930, Johnston appears to have acted as project manager for the works, procuring materials, engaging and supervising the various builders and tradesmen while undertaking some of the work herself. The house was sold by Johnston in c.1939 and has remained a private dwelling in various ownerships since that time. Name: Esme Johnston House, 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton Hermes Number: 202765 Page | 4 RECOMMENDATION REASONS REASONS FOR RECOMMENDING INCLUSION IN THE VICTORIAN HERITAGE REGISTER [s.40] Following is the Executive Director's assessment of the place against the tests set out in The Victorian Heritage Register Criteria and Thresholds Guidelines (2019). CRITERION A Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history. STEP 1: A TEST FOR SATISFYING CRITERION A The place/object has a CLEAR ASSOCIATION with an event, phase, period, process, function, movement, custom or way of life in Victoria’s cultural history. Plus The association of the place/object to the event, phase, etc IS EVIDENT in the physical fabric of the place/object and/or in documentary resources or oral history. Plus The EVENT, PHASE, etc is of HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE, having made a strong or influential contribution to Victoria. Executive Director’s Response The Esme Johnston House has a clear association with the following phases, processes or customs in Victoria’s history: The rise of Tudor Revival and related architectural styles. The emergence of women in the architecture and building professions. The construction of designers’ own homes. These phases are of historical importance, having made a strong contribution to Victoria’s development. 1. The rise of the Tudor Revival and related architectural styles. The Esme Johnston House is an example of an interwar suburban home drawing inspiration from Tudor Revival sources. In the 1920s, the Tudor Revival expression was one of the leading architectural styles for suburban dwellings. The Esme Johnston House illustrates the development of the style in Melbourne’s suburbs through the interwar period. 2. The emergence of women in the architecture and related professions After World War I, women began to pursue new and different professions. Changes in architectural education in the first part of the twentieth century contributed to women training and practising in architecture and other design professions. Esme Johnston was not formally trained as an architect or designer, but appears to have undertaken the roles of designer, project manager and part-builder for her own house. As a consequence of the legibility of its provenance and publicised authorship, the Esme Johnston house has a clear association with this historical phase and illustrates the rise of female involvement in the design of the built environment during the Interwar period. Esme Johnston acted as designer and project manager for her project and also undertook procurement of both trades and materials. However, it appears that she undertook only limited building work and no role as an early owner-builder has been established. Name: Esme Johnston House, 38 Grosvenor Street, Brighton Hermes Number: 202765 Page | 5 3. Designers’ own homes Architects’ and designers’ homes often serve as the vanguard of popular tastes. There are numerous noted examples throughout Victoria of designers and architects who have designed their own homes. Esme Johnston’s House is an example of this aspect of Victoria’s history. This is partially evident in the fabric of the dwelling and has been reported in documentary sources. Criterion A is likely to be satisfied. STEP 2: STATE LEVEL SIGNIFICANCE TEST FOR CRITERION A The place/object allows the clear association with the event, phase etc. of historical importance to be UNDERSTOOD BETTER THAN MOST OTHER PLACES OR OBJECTS IN VICTORIA WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME ASSOCIATION. Executive Director’s Response 1. The rise of the Tudor Revival and related architectural styles. A very large number of free-standing homes in various English Revival styles exist in the suburbs of Melbourne. The most significant of these are included in the VHR and many other examples are included in Heritage Overlays. These important individual buildings allow the development of the style to be understood. The Esme Johnston House does not allow this phase to be understood better than most other places in Victoria with substantially the same association. 2. The emergence of women in the architecture and related professions During the interwar years, formal female representation in the design professions increased. There are a number of examples of women who were training and practicing as architects, landscapers and designers in this period. These include architects such as Muriel Stott, Edith Ingpen and Ellison Harvie and landscape designers such as Edna Walling. Esme Johnston differs from these women in that she was not a trained architect or designer and the somewhat ad hoc nature of her own home, reveals this lack of training. Johnston was a journalist by trade who wrote on a number of topics, including design and building. Following the construction of her house, Johnston was not involved in any further architectural projects as designer or builder. This is in contrast to figures such as Walling or Ingpen, who were responsible for, or played a significant role in, the construction of many important buildings (and landscapes in the case of Walling) throughout their careers. There are currently only two places in the VHR which are attributed to female designers working alone. These are Muriel Stott’s, Little Milton (VHR H1738) and Edna Walling’s, Sonning (part Bickleigh Vale, VHR H2053). However, this largely reflects the unacknowledged, but often substantial, role of female designers within firms or partnerships during this period rather than a lack of female involvement. As a consequence of its well- publicised authorship, the Esme Johnston house allows this historical phase to be understood. However, the built work of other female architects notably, Edna Walling, Edith Ingpen and Muriel Stott were better- publicised and acknowledged than Johnston’s single design. Consequently, their work is better known and understood than the Johnston House. These buildings, rather than Johnston’s, are more readily understood than most other similar places in Victoria with substantially the same associations. A similar example to the Esme Johnston House is the house at 300-302 Yarra Street, Warrandyte included in the Schedule to the Heritage Overlay of the City of Manningham (HO200), which is attributed to Alexa Goyder, another untrained female designer who designed and built her own home in the 1920s. This illustrates the emergence of women in the architecture and design fields. However, it has been assessed as a place of local, rather than State significance.