Photographic recording of Fashoda Homestead at 330 Bridge Inn Road, Mernda, Victoria, Australia.
Background
Fashoda Homestead and the surrounding structures were photographically documented on the 25 March 2012 in accordance with Heritage Victoria guidelines.
Heritage listings
Fashoda is included on the Heritage Overlay of the City of Whittlesea Planning Scheme as HO11. The citation on the schedule to the overlay cites the overlay as including the residence, freestanding kitchen, external fireplace, tank and bluestone paving, and states that the cypress (sic.) and peppercorn trees are also subject to planning controls.
Fashoda was inscribed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory in 1991 (VHI no. H7922-0052) as a result of the Victoria Archaeological Survey’s investigation of the Plenty Valley Corridor.
Heritage significance of Fashoda Homestead
What is significant? ‘Fashoda’ homestead complex at 330 Bridge Inn Road Mernda, including the house, detached kitchen, dairy and garden setting is significant. Trees in the garden include a Narrow-leaf Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), two lemon scented gums (Corymbia Citriodora), Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), three peppercorns (Schinus molle) poplar, River Red Gum (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis) and three Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata). Other outbuildings are of some interest in illustrating the development of the property.
How is it significant? Fashoda homestead complex is historically significant at a local level, and architecturally and technically significant at a state level.
Why is it significant? Fashoda is historically significant on a local level for its association with the themes of Peopling Victoria’s places and landscapes, specifically the sub-themes of Establishing initial settlements and Speculating in land, experiencing boom and bust. The physical and circumstantial historical evidence strongly supports the house dating from the Separation Estate Subdivision ca.1850s-60s, which is central to the theme of Selection and freehold sales, particularly land speculation (Thematic Environmental History 2.2).
Fashoda is historically significant on a local level for its association with the township of Separation, as one of the earliest surviving buildings in Whittlesea City and one of few remaining early properties that illustrate the former settlement. (HERCON Criterion A).
Fashoda has played a role in the area's two agricultural industries- pig breeding and dairying, albeit on a small scale, and retains a small surviving dairy associated with the strong theme of dairying common to the area (HERCON Criterion A).
Architecturally, the house is significant on a state level as a particularly intact and unusual early building form with the original design clearly evident. The detached kitchen is architecturally significant at a state level as a rare intact example of unusual high pitched roof form and vernacular construction using rustic posts and split palings, It is historically significant at the local level as a relatively rare example of a freestanding kitchen. (HERCON Criterion A, B, E)
Technically Fashoda homestead illustrates some rare vernacular construction techniques including external vertical boarding as external cladding. The house comprises a range of timber boarded linings that illustrate its early date of construction and the use of materials at hand. The sash windows are a particularly early and rare type. The house and detached kitchen display a wide range of early timber construction methods including split palings to roof and wall and later sawn boards and linings that illustrate the evolution of the buildings. (HERCON Criteria F)
The Fashoda complex is unusual for its high degree of integrity when compared with other early homesteads in the Whittlesea area.
The garden is of significance largely as a setting to the house and outbuildings and for the trees that provide definition to the site and scale to the garden. The trees are of aesthetic significance to the setting and include Narrow-leaf Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), two lemon scented gums (Corymbia Citriodora), Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), threepeppercorns (Schinus molle) poplar, River Red Gum (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis) and three Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata).
Background
Fashoda Homestead and the surrounding structures were photographically documented on the 25 March 2012 in accordance with Heritage Victoria guidelines.
Heritage listings
Fashoda is included on the Heritage Overlay of the City of Whittlesea Planning Scheme as HO11. The citation on the schedule to the overlay cites the overlay as including the residence, freestanding kitchen, external fireplace, tank and bluestone paving, and states that the cypress (sic.) and peppercorn trees are also subject to planning controls.
Fashoda was inscribed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory in 1991 (VHI no. H7922-0052) as a result of the Victoria Archaeological Survey’s investigation of the Plenty Valley Corridor.
Heritage significance of Fashoda Homestead
What is significant? ‘Fashoda’ homestead complex at 330 Bridge Inn Road Mernda, including the house, detached kitchen, dairy and garden setting is significant. Trees in the garden include a Narrow-leaf Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), two lemon scented gums (Corymbia Citriodora), Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), three peppercorns (Schinus molle) poplar, River Red Gum (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis) and three Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata). Other outbuildings are of some interest in illustrating the development of the property.
How is it significant? Fashoda homestead complex is historically significant at a local level, and architecturally and technically significant at a state level.
Why is it significant? Fashoda is historically significant on a local level for its association with the themes of Peopling Victoria’s places and landscapes, specifically the sub-themes of Establishing initial settlements and Speculating in land, experiencing boom and bust. The physical and circumstantial historical evidence strongly supports the house dating from the Separation Estate Subdivision ca.1850s-60s, which is central to the theme of Selection and freehold sales, particularly land speculation (Thematic Environmental History 2.2).
Fashoda is historically significant on a local level for its association with the township of Separation, as one of the earliest surviving buildings in Whittlesea City and one of few remaining early properties that illustrate the former settlement. (HERCON Criterion A).
Fashoda has played a role in the area's two agricultural industries- pig breeding and dairying, albeit on a small scale, and retains a small surviving dairy associated with the strong theme of dairying common to the area (HERCON Criterion A).
Architecturally, the house is significant on a state level as a particularly intact and unusual early building form with the original design clearly evident. The detached kitchen is architecturally significant at a state level as a rare intact example of unusual high pitched roof form and vernacular construction using rustic posts and split palings, It is historically significant at the local level as a relatively rare example of a freestanding kitchen. (HERCON Criterion A, B, E)
Technically Fashoda homestead illustrates some rare vernacular construction techniques including external vertical boarding as external cladding. The house comprises a range of timber boarded linings that illustrate its early date of construction and the use of materials at hand. The sash windows are a particularly early and rare type. The house and detached kitchen display a wide range of early timber construction methods including split palings to roof and wall and later sawn boards and linings that illustrate the evolution of the buildings. (HERCON Criteria F)
The Fashoda complex is unusual for its high degree of integrity when compared with other early homesteads in the Whittlesea area.
The garden is of significance largely as a setting to the house and outbuildings and for the trees that provide definition to the site and scale to the garden. The trees are of aesthetic significance to the setting and include Narrow-leaf Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), two lemon scented gums (Corymbia Citriodora), Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), threepeppercorns (Schinus molle) poplar, River Red Gum (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis) and three Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata).