EDHS_03095-338 | EDHS_08635-37 338 Main Road Lower Plenty | 37 Rangeview Road, Lower Plenty Original Mudbrick cottage and studio designed and built by Eltham artist, David Alan Newbury See also EDHS_06090 David Newbury (Artist) David Newbury was married to Clare Margaret Newbury. According to the 1954 Electoral Roll they were living at 36A Murphy Street, South Yarra however around 1953 they purchased Lots 3 and 4 of Main Road Lot Plan LP 23911 in Lower Plenty. A building permit, No. 71, was issued 8 December 1953 for a 5-room house of Vertical Board construction, cost £2,840, builder L. Williams, owner D. Newbury of 36 Murphy Cl., South Yarra. The large house was in fact mostly built of mudbrick, the construction method was only just becoming recognised as an acceptable form in the late 1940s for issuance of a building permit. The house was commenced in 1954, designed by David Newbury and built by David Newbury, Horrie Judd and others. Information from Newbury family friends suggests that a second mudbrick building was constructed in the late 1950s, early 1960s for use as an artist studio by Newbury. The building was connected directly to the water mains at the time and was made suitable for living accommodation during the period Newbury was teaching at Bendigo. Apparently he and Claire rented out the main house during their time in Bendigo and would reside in the studio when visiting Melbourne. No permit for this studio was found in the Building Permit Register, Shire of Eltham, 1949-1960. The last recorded entries in the register are dated May 1960. This would suggest that the studio was constructed post May 1960. It is believed the studio was constructed during the latter period of Newbury’s teaching post in Bendigo so possibly late 1960/1961. In 1963 the Newbury’s address in the Electoral Roll has the property recorded as 220 Main Road, Lower Plenty. Between 1967 to 1980 the Electoral Rolls record the property as 338 Main Road. Today the address is 37 Rangeview Road, Lower Plenty. Contents: 1. Extract from 1942 Shire of Eltham Rate Book. Muriel Gladys Reitsma listed as owner 2. Extract from 1984-85 Shire of Eltham Rate Book for Rangeview Road. (No mention of No. 37 so was probably still listed as 338 Main Road.) 3. Certificate of Title, Vol. 5601 Fol. 1120089 - Issued to David James Graham of Lower Plenty, Builder, Heidelberg for Lot 32 Block B on Plan of Subdivision No. 7606, part of Crown Portion Two, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn, 29 October 1929 4. Certificate of Title, Vol. 8008 Fol. 076 - Issued to David Alan Newbury of 36 Murphy Street, South Yarra, School Teacher for Lot 3 on Plan of Subdivision No. 23911, part of Crown Portion Two, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn, 29 October 1953. Amended 24 June 1963 to transfer portion for road widening scheme per Country Roads Board Plan 6889 - Cancelled 24 September 1984 5. Certificate of Title, Vol. 9581 Fol. 583 - Issued to Paul Robert Biber and Althea Constance Biber of 139 Lower Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe for Lot 3 on Plan of Subdivision No. 23911, part of Crown Portion Two, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn, 24 September 1984. Derived from Vol. 8008 Fol. 076 L276994V - Cancelled 20 Nov 1992 when subdivided from one to two lots in Vol 10092 Fol. 192 and Vol. 10092 Fol. 193; LP222467B 6. Certificate of Title, Vol. 10092 Fol. 192 - Transfer to Lawrie Mein of 20 Dewar Drive, Hurstbridge of Lot 1 on Plan of Subdivision No. 222467B, lodged 17 Feb 1993, Registered 29 March 1996. Parent Titles Vol 08008 Fol 077, Vol 09581 Fol 583 7. Survey Field Notes of Part of Crown Portion 2, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn - Portion of land bounded by New Eltham Road. Application 23911 dated 8 Sep 1952 with appended Surveyor Field notes per Application 7098; R.D. Steele, Licensed Surveyor, 18 August 1950 8. Survey Field Notes of Part of Crown Portion 2, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn - Portion of land bounded by Main Road and Rangeview Road; 2 Lot subdivisions, Vol. 9581 Fol. 583 Part Lot 3 on LP 23911 and Vol. 8008 Fol, 077 Lot 4 on LP 23911; Application 221805 dated 27 November 1989; W.J. Goodison, Licensed Surveyor, and attached Surveyor's Report dated 6 June 1990 (Withdrawn) 9. Survey Field Notes of Part of Crown Portion 2, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn - Portion of land bounded by Main Road and Rangeview Road; 2 Lot subdivisions, Vol. 9581 Fol. 583 Part Lot 3 on LP 23911 and Vol. 8008 Fol, 077 Lot 4 on LP 23911; Application 222467 dated 20 November 1992 (221805 resubmitted); W.J. Goodison, Licensed Surveyor, and attached Surveyor's Report dated 6 June 1990 Notes: Items 1 to 6 donated electronically Items 7 to 9 sourced from LASSI - SPEAR, Department of Transport and Planning, Victoria State Government, https://maps.land.vic.gov.au/lassi/SpearUI.jsp main road, property, mudbrick, david newbury, phoebe mason collection, rate books, shire of eltham, certificate of title, survey plan, 37 rangeview road, 338 main road, application 23911, lower plenty, map, surveyor field notes, application 221805, application 222467

Portion of land bounded by: Main Road, Henry Street, Bible Street Application 18650 W. Connolly, Licensed Surveyor, 18 October 1946map, neil webster collection, survey plan, surveyor field notes, 1946, application 18650, bible street, henry street, main road eltham, maria street, rose street

Newspaper article: Diamond Valley Leader, 27 April 2005, No to car wash. Letter 25 July 2005 from Minter Ellison Lawyers attaching VCAT notice of adjournment. Letter 5 September 2005 re Application for review of Application for Review P1036/2005. Letter 6 September 2005 from Apex Building Design Studio to Minter Ellison Lawyers re carwash development. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley Leader 20 February 2007, Gateway 'blob' bid fails test, Nillumbik Council rejected plan for 3 story building, 12 offices, ship, 8 homes. Notice of Decision to Refuse to Grant a Permit, Application 191/2023/02P, Nillumbik Shire Council, 4 Oct 2023 Newspaper advertisement: Leader Associated Newspapers, Eltham Centenary Supplement, March 30, 1971, Mobil Service Centremain road, eltham, property, businesses, carwash, apex design studio, eltham gateway, minter ellison lawyers, mobil service centre (eltham)

Plum Cottage is covered by Heritage Overelay HO256 in the Nillumbuk Planning Scheme This two-lot land holding was created as a subdivision and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May 1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The designer, John M. Harcourt was a pioneer builder in pise-de-terre and mudbrick in the Eltham Shire, Eltham being synonymous with alternative lifestyles and building practises until the onset of suburbia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This hipped-roof house is set high above Main Road on a V-shape plan characteristic of the Arts & Crafts style, with rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V shape plan was used by important English and Eltham Arts & Crafts designers. The use of natural materials such as stone and timber construction is an essential part of the Arts & Crafts style and Harcourt’s work. So too is the application of the style on both the exterior and interior of the house as a holistic concept. The house adjoins the Lim Joon adobe house built and designed by Alistair Knox in the same era (HO119), thus forming a distinctive pair, both using an uncommon plan form. This house was identified in the Shire of Shire of Eltham Heritage 1992 as contributory to the Eltham Gateway Conservation Area, then proposed as an urban conservation area (now Heritage Overlay Area). Land Ownership Emily Jane Smith of 12 Woodside Street Fitzroy owned Crown Allotments 1 & 2 Sections 14, 27 by August 1918, selling to William Henry Smith of 12 Woodside Street, Nth Fitzroy May 1921. (John) James Isherwood of Main Road, Eltham owned the property by 1928 (the year of his death) with the beneficiary of his estate and next owner of this site being his widow, Minnie Maria Isherwood of Cemetery Road, Eltham. His holding in Main Road included parts of what was described in rate records as allotments1 & 2 Section E6. In the late 1930s, early 1940s her son Alfred John Isherwood was also rated for the land around this site, with the rated nett annual value varying between £2 and £5. Alfred Isherwood also lived at Main Road, Eltham with his wife Ellen: her early death at the age of 24 was reported in the Argus of 1923. Part of the Isherwood land was divided off and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The house is visible on an aerial photograph from 1960s. Reputedly the house was called Plum Cottage and erected for Harcourt’s mother-in-law. A garage was added in 1959. Charles McNeil died in1971 aged 87: he was the son of Don McNeil and Margaret Arkell. Available rate records from the construction era start in the of the 1970s (1972-3) and list Mr H.C. & M/S A.V. Charity at 616 Main Road Eltham of this property with a nett annual value of $740. More recent valuer's data describes the property as lots 1 & 2 LP25668, located in the Central Riding of Eltham Shire, owned by Ann Valerie Charity and later, in 1990, by the Chincarini family. Building Description This hipped roof 11 .5 square house is set high above Main Road on a characteristic-shape plan and has rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V-shape plan was used by Important designers such as C.F.A. Voysey (UK) who interpreted medieval domestic architecture as part of the Arts & Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pise walls are covered with a textured render while the cement roofing tiles are also seen in the Harcourt Hill examples. Reputedly the ceiling joists are of a deep section and span long lengths with no need for hanging beams in the roof space. The ceilings are low and panelled in main rooms with apparently Caneite soft board infill panels between the exposed ceiling beams. These are painted white but may have been stained at one time. The focus of the house is the large living area with its vast random stone fireplace. Significance Plum Cottage is significant to the locality of Eltham because: Historically: • Plum Cottage is closely associated with the important historical theme of earth construction evident in Eltham and elsewhere in the Shire since theear1y Arts & Crafts inspired creations at Penleigh Boyd's The Robins (1912, HO101) and those at Montsalvat (1934-, HO82) but more prominent from the Second War period when earth building in Eltham was promoted in national periodicals as an alternative building method that avoided the building materials shortages of that era; • The choice of the earth building technique also expresses the theme of refuge or alternative living, synonymous with Eltham in the early to mid 20th century; • as a good example of domestic architecture from John Harcourt who was the first major post Second War figure in an important phase of Eltham’s earth building development, using his characteristic Old English or Arts& Crafts style that relies in this case on the pise wall construction, pitched roof forms, exposed ceiling joists, half timbering, random stonework, and panelled internal wall finishes. Architecturally: • Plum Cottage's pise wall construction is uncommon among the early earth-walled structures in the Shire, that are mainly of adobe or mud brick, and as a building material is uncommon among the Shire’s suburban dwellings generally which are clad typically with either fired clay bricks or timber boarding. Aesthetically: • Plum Cottage is a good and well preserved example of a modern Old English or Arts & Crafts style earth-walled building in the Shire • For the proximity of the significant Lim Joon adobe house designed by Alistair Knox adjoining to the north, providing a distinctive earth wall house pair, with uncommon plan forms. Reference Heritage Assessment of Plum Cottage, 616 Main Road, Eltham; Graeme Butler & Associates 2010main road, eltham, property, houses, (john) james isherwood, alfred john isherwood, ann valerie charity, arts and crafts style, charles stuart mcneil, chincarini family, eltham gateway zone, emily jane smith, h.c. charity, heritage assessment, john harcourt, john m. harcourt, lim joon house, main road eltham, minnie maria isherwood, pise construction, plum cottage

Plan of area applied for on lease No 10425, 10733 and 10734. Applied for by Mr. R.A. Rankin. Plan shows Marong Road, state school site ; leases held by H.E. Kronk, Francis Gramann; T. Wearne; C.E. Foggitt; A. Pitcher, Crown land and Aur. licences also marked. Lease numbers marked on plan. Map signed on bottom by Garnet G. Birch on 26.11.1934. On top Rh side in black pen " applications for the Minister of Mines Authority under section 5 (1) of the Mines Act 1928 to enter upon and occupy for mining purposes such portion of allotments lodged on 19/2/35'gold, mining, lease, mining, leases, kronk, garnet g. birch