Historical information

One of a group of slides taken by members of the Society of built heritage in Kew in 1979-80. The selection of subject matter reflects the priorities of the period. The colour of some slides has degraded. This particular slide is of 'Fairholme' on the corner of Barry and Fellows Street. The building is listed by the National Trust (Victoria). The citation on the Historic Buildings Register states:
'Fairholme is of State architectural significance as a distinctive free Romanesque Revival residence. Built in two stages, 1889 for solicitor Edward Smart and early this century for importer, J K Meritt, the singular architectural character of Fairholme is achieved by combining window bays and groups of windows with a two-storey gabled porch. The deliberate and distinctively asymmetrical composition is emphasised by Art Nouveau pressed cement detailing (coprosma) on a bowed balcony and the two-storey timber verandah, which is typical of the Edwardian period. The architects were Reed, Henderson & Smart (1889) and C Gordon McCrae (c 1900-1). Internally a grand entry hall with inglenook, staircase and gallery follow the Arts and Crafts quality of the exterior. Classified: 17/03/1993'

Significance

The slides represent a snapshot in time of built architecture in Kew, much of which has changed in the forty-plus period since they were created.

Physical description

35mm colour transparency (slide) of 'Fairholme' (1889) on the north-east corner of the intersection of Fellows and Barry Streets, Kew. The photo was developed in May 1979.