Heritage

 

Sherwood House in the centre of The Ridgeway campus of Ivanhoe Grammmar School - its square tower is a landmark for many views around the district being towrds the peak  of the Fairy Hills ridgeline that drops away steeply to the Yarra in the south and connects to the Ivanhoe ridgeline in the northwest across the junction of Upper and Lower Heidlberg Rds

HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Name Chelsworth Park

Address 18-28 Irvine Road IVANHOE Significance Level Local

Place Type Park or Garden Precinct

Citation Date 2009

Chelsworth Park

Recommended

Heritage Protection

VHR No HI No PS Yes

History and Historical Context

Chelsworth Park is located between Ivanhoe Golf Club and Wilson Reserve. The land which now comprises Chelsworth

Park was originally part of an expansive land selection named 'Chelsworth' purchased in the 1840s by Captain

Brunswick Smyth, formerly of Her Majesty's 50th Regiment. This was then purchased in 1846 by Patrick Stevenson and

operated as a dairy farm and orchards (Toomey, 1999; the Leader 12 May 1900). By 1900 the back rooms of the stone

and timber homestead, known as Chelsworth House, were rented by a farmer/grazier and his family, and the garden,

orchard trees and dairy structures were abandoned and unkempt (the Leader, 12 May 1900).

In the early twentieth century, spurred by the opening of the direct rail link between Heidelberg and Melbourne (1901), a

number of nineteenth century estates were subdivided as residential estates. Chelsworth Estate was amongst the earliest

of these. The northern section of the estate, comprising all of the streets south-east of Studley Road, east of Marshall

Street, north of Lower Heidelberg Road and west of Hopetoun Grove was subdivided in 1902 by surveyor Peter Wilhelm

Tuxen (Allom Lovell 1999, Vol. 1: 54). The southern area, including today's Chelsworth Park, remained largely rural.

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The early residence was retained as part of the club house for adjacent Ivanhoe Golf Club - also part of the original

Chelsworth Estate (Toomey, 1999). The Ivanhoe Golf Clubhouse has also been assessed for this study and is included

(see HERMES 124832).

In 1924 seven acres of the riverside section of the estate were purchased by the community and donated to Heidelberg

Shire Council for public parkland. This became Wilson Reserve (see Hermes No. 123884).

In 1931 Heidelberg Shire Council added to this the purchase of a further 50 acres of Chelsworth Estate immediately

adjacent to Wilson Reserve. This was in part initiated by the newly appointed Melbourne Town Planning Commission

which had, in 1924, urged council acquisition of land for recreation and open space purposes before subdivision and

residential development made it prohibitively expensive (Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Vol. 1). Over the

ensuing years the Council developed various sporting and recreational facilities on the site.

During the 1950s and 60s Chelsworth Park became the focus of many local efforts to conserve its natural beauty and

environment. Noted landscape designer Ellis Stones, as first president of the Ivanhoe River Parklands Protection League

formed in 1955, was active in its care, especially as the Park abutted his propert (Latreille, 1990).

In August 1954 Stones wrote to the Argus with a plea to 'Save our bushland', decrying the death of trees in a dry

Chelsworth Park billabong that was being used by Council as a tip, and alienation and destruction of bushland as an

addition to the golf course. Stones suggested that Chelsworth Park could be taken over as a 'national park', providing

sanctuary for platypuses and native birds. Opposition to such destruction was continued by Robin Boyd in an article in

the Herald the following year, regarding the ravage of a beauty spot such as Chelsworth Park (Latreille, 1990).

During this period, an attempt to drain and fill in the Horse shoe Billabong in Chelsworth Park to add to the adjoining

golf course was stopped by concerned individuals, referred to as 'night raiders' who, at night, would block up the

drainage channels which had been dug during the day (Toomey, 1999). Ellis Stones was actively involved in these acts of

civic disobedience, and after many battles between concerned community members and the Council, the natural habitat of

the Horse shoe Billabong was finally preserved. Today, as 'Bailey's Billabong', it bears the name of one of its staunchest

supporters, Chris Bailey (Toomey, 1999).

In the 1940s a miniature railway was constructed around the billabong and functioned as a weekend tourist attraction for

a number of years. It was removed because of flooding and vandalism around 1960 (Diamond Valley Railway, n.d.).

Vandalism was a continual problem in the Reserve, and an 'honorary vigilance officer' was appointed in 1963 (Latreille,

1990).

As part of his numerous works for Heidelberg Council, Ellis Stones prepared a cost estimate for a total landscape

treatment at Chelsworth Park (it is not known if this was implemented), and consulted on various Council pavilions,

including a changing pavilion at Chelsworth Park. On his suggestion, and with considerable Council resistance, architect

Graeme Gunn was commissioned to design this building. Gunn, together with Kevin Borland and Daryl Jackson, was one

of the most significant participants in the development of Melbourne Contemporary Architecture in the last 1960s and

1970s (Weston, n.d.). The Chelsworth Park Sports Pavilion received a citation award from the Royal Australian Institute

of Architects in 1976 (Weston, n.d.).

References

Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Banyule Heritage Places Study, Volume 1: An urban history [held by City of

Banyule]

Diamond Valley Railway - Chapter 1: In the beginning, at http://www.dvr.com.au/story1.htm

Page 106

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Latreille, Anne, 1990, The natural garden: Ellis Stones: his life and work, Ringwood, Victoria

Leader, 12 May 1900

Toomey, Carol, 1999, Beautiful Banyule: a register of our City's Natural Assets, Warringal Conservation Society Inc.,

Rosanna

Weston, H., n.d., Modern in Melbourne, List of winners of R.A.I.A.-R.V.I.A. Awards, at

http://users.tce.rmit.edu.au/E03159/ModMelb/mm2/lect/50_60_70/html/raiaaward.html

Weston, H., n.d., Modern in Melbourne - Melbourne Architecture 1950-1975: Many Strands, at

http://users.tce.rmit.edu.au/E03159/ModMelb/mm2/lect/50_60_70/50_60.html

AHC themes:

1.Shaping Victoria

8.1 Organizing recreation

8.1.3 Developing public parks and gardens

HV themes:

6.Building towns cities and the garden state

6.3 Shaping the suburbs

Local themes:

Early settlement

Farming the land

Establishing townships and villages

Rise of the environmental movement

Description

Physical Description

Chelsworth Park consists of gentle slopes running into a flood plain. Whilst there are some historic remnants from its

former use as part of the Chelsworth Estate, its dominant character is that of an active sports area. Chelsworth Park

consists of 22 hectares largely given over to sports. Facilities exist for active recreation such as cricket and tennis, and

seven separate sporting clubs use the facilities in the Park. Two sports pavilions are located in Chelsworth Park, one of

which was designed by architect Graeme Gunn and stands as an interesting example of this prominent architect's work. It

consists of a simple elevated geometric building with flat roof, and projecting portico supported by triangular metal roof

trusses and concrete pillars. The portico protects a broad, shallow-stepped 'forecourt' of bluestone and asphalt which

faces the sports oval. The building is clad in vertical timber of alternating widthsin a grey-green colour, and the whole

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

blends with the surrounding parkland. The second sports pavilion located nearby is a more traditional building of orange

brick with pitched roof and timber decking.

A rock-walled drainage channel (Irvine Creek) exists on the eastern side of Chelsworth Park. This is lined with mature

oaks of considerable age. A similar but unlined drainage channel (Locksley Creek) can also be found on the western side,

parallel with The Boulevard.

Mature trees and what may be orchard remnants are scattered throughout the Park. The embankment associated with the

miniature railway is also extant. Bailey's Billabong faces the Park and is the last remaining of a number of billabongs

which were once within the Wilson Reserve / Chelsworth Park area (Toomey, 1999).

Opposite Bailey's Billabong is a large 'rock garden' bearing a memorial plaque noting 'In memory of Ellis Andrew

Stones 1895-1975'.

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Chelsworth Park, comprising 22 acres of sporting facilities and including a stone-lined drainage channel, an avenue of

oaks, orchard remnants and a billabong, is significant. The sports pavilion, designed by architect Graeme Gunn is also

significant.

How is it significant?

Chelsworth Park is of local historical, social and scientific significance to to the City of Banyule. The sports pavilion is of

architectural significance to the City of Banyule.

Why is it significant?

Chelsworth Park is of local historical significance as part of the original Chelsworth Estate dating back to the 1840s and

developed from the 1930s for the increasing active recreational needs of the municipality.(Criterion A) Whilst

predominantly a landscape that is now devoted to sports, it contains remnants of previous uses including bluestone

drainage channel and an associated avenue of mature oaks.

It is of significance for its importance in the rise of conservation and environmental consciousness in the municipality

from the 1950s. Environmental destruction within Chelsworth Park sparked the formation of the Ivanhoe River Parklands

Protection League in 1955, with noted landscape designer and environmentalist Ellis Stones as its first president. A

plaque to his memory has been placed in a rock garden inthe Park. (Criteria A, H).

This growing appreciation of the natural environment is also exemplified by the simple geometric timber sports pavilion

in Chelsworth Park. Designed by prominent architect Graeme Gunn in the 1970s, the sports pavilion is significant and

was recognized by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects with a citation award in 1976. Gunn was highly influential

in the development of contemporary architecture in Melbourne in the late 1960s and 70s, and through his involvement

with the Project Housing company Merchant Builders, developed building designs, such as the sports pavilion,which

complemented the Australian landscape through their simple, functional design and use of natural materials. (Criterion

E)

Chelsworth Park is of local significance as the location of the last remaining of a number of billabongs once in the

Wilson Reserve / Chelsworth Park area. (Criteria B, F)

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Recommendations 2009

No

No

Yes Management of the remnants of orchard trees scattered throughout the

park, other exotic mature trees and the bushland associated with the

billabong is recommneded.

No

No

-

No

External Paint Controls

Internal Alteration Controls

Tree Controls

Fences & Outbuildings

Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted

Incorporated Plan

Aboriginal Heritage Place

Other Recommendations

It has not been investigated as part of the Banyule Heritage Review that Chelsworth Park is an Aboriginal place, however

its location on the Yarra River and the existence of the billabong suggests that it has that potential.

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Name

 

Wilson Reserve

Address

 

78-100 The Boulevard IVANHOE Significance Level

Local

Place Type

 

Reserve

Citation Date

 

2009

Wilson Reserve - playground

 

Recommended

Heritage Protection

VHR

 

No HI No PS

Yes

History and Historical Context

The land which now comprises Wilson Reserve was originally part of an expansive land selection named 'Chelsworth'

purchased in the 1840s by Captain Brunswick Smyth, formerly of Her Majesty's 50th Regiment. This was then purchased

in 1846 by Patrick Stevenson and operated as a dairy farm and orchards (Toomey, 1999; the

Leader

12 May 1900).

In the early twentieth century, spurred by the opening of the direct rail link between Heidelberg andMelbourne (1901), a

 

number ofnineteenth century estates were subdivided as residential estates. Chelsworth 'Estate' was amongst the earliest

 

of these. The northern section of the estate, comprising all of the streets south-east of Studley Road, east of Marshall

 

Street, north of Lower Heidelberg Road and west of Hopetoun Grove, was subdivided in 1902 by surveyor Peter Wilhelm

 

Tuxen (Allom Lovell1999: Vol.1,54). The southern area, including today's Wilson Reserve, remained largely rural. The

 

early Chelsworth residence, known as 'Chelsworth House' was retained as part of the club house for adjacent Ivanhoe

 

Golf Club - also part of the original Chelsworth Estate (Toomey, 1999).

 

 

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In the early decades of the twentieth century the area of today's Wilson Reserve adjacent to the Yarra River was a

popular swimming place, with sandy beaches along the river and a diving platform. It was also a popular spot for

recreational boating, especially canoeing (Toomey, 1999).

In 1910 the first training camp for Victoria's 25 scout leaders was held in Wilson Reserve, on the site of the 1945

concrete building extant today. A plaque to commemorate this event was unveiled in 1988 (Draper, 2008). The British

scout movement, initiated by Lord Baden-Powell in 1908, quickly gained a following in Australia. The 1st Ivanhoe Troop

was formed in October 1908 in Ivanhoe, and was one of the earliest scouting troops in Victoria (Draper, 2008).

An early development in British scouting was the formation of a Sea Scout branch in England in 1910, and in Victoria in

1912 at Albert Park Lake. As the 1st Ivanhoe Troop conducted most of its outdoor activities at what is now Wilson

Reserve, including boating, and swimming in the popular 'Sand Hole' of the Yarra River, the General Secretary of the

Boy Scout Association suggested around 1914 that the troop combine with the Sea Scouts, and this was realised in 1918

(Draper, 2008).

In 1924, when the land on which the 1st Ivanhoe Sea Scouts had built their boathouse (c. 1910) was to be sold by the

owner Mr A.H. Scott, the 'Sandbank Reserve Appeal', organised by H.D. 'Skipper' Wilson, was launched in order to

raise the 300 pounds needed to purchase the land. Financed by public subscription of 2/6 (approximately 25 cents) per

share by hundreds of contributors, parcels of this river-frontage land, amounting to about 7 acres, was purchased. It was

then given over to the Heidelberg Shire Council in 1924 for 'the Youth of Ivanhoe' (Draper, 2008).

In 1927 the Ivanhoe Swimming Pool Reserve, as it was then called, was renamed 'Wilson Reserve' to publicly recognise

the work of 'Skipper' Wilson, who was closely involved with the youth of Ivanhoe and was the inaugural scout leader of

the Troop from its inception in 1908-09. A plaque commemorates his contribution thus:

'Erected in memory of "Skipper" Harry Dawson Wilson, Scoutmaster of the 1st Ivanhoe Troop of Boy Scouts from 1908 -

1949. By his efforts this reserve was acquired for the youth and citizens of the district. Died 1949 aged 81 years. A friend

to youth - an example to all'.

This plaque was erected in 1952 after his death in 1949 (Draper, 2008).

In 1945 a 'Memorial Den' of hand-poured concrete was erected beside the c.1910 boat house to commemorate the 13

members of the Troop who were killed in the war, and in 1949 a plaque was unveiled on the wall of the Memorial Den

listing the 17 Troop members killed in both world wars. Noted local landscape designer Ellis Stones donated a 45 ft (13.5

metre) flagpole with 'swivelled crosstrees' to be erected at the site (Draper, 2008).

During 1948 the land between the Memorial Den and the Golf Links, known as Scouts Meadow, was levelled for 'minor

sports and games' (Draper, 2008).

Over the ensuing years the billabongs and the sandy beaches disappeared, a rubbish dump was created in the reserve, and

access to the river blocked (Toomey, 1999). Environmentalists, including prominent landscape designer and local

resident Ellis Stones, were active in Wilson Reserve from the 1950s (see entry on neighbouring Chelsworth Park,

Ivanhoe).

By mid 1967 the Ivanhoe Progress Association was petitioning the Council for improved park facilities at Wilson

Reserve. It requested that Ellis Stones 'be consulted about preservation of the natural bush setting and planting of native

trees and shrubs', and requested picnic tables and play equipment. Consequently, Ellis Stones prepared a playground

plan, and personally supervised its construction in 1968, charging no fee for this work. Stones was particularly interested

in playground design, and his surviving plan for the playground, based on the use of natural building materials, was in

many ways pioneering (Latreille, 1990).

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

In 1996 a Friends group was created, walking tracks constructed, and revegetation works undertaken (Friends of Wilson

Reserve, n.d.).

References

Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Banyule Heritage Places Study, Volume 1: An urban history [held by City of

Banyule]

Draper, Bruce (compiler), 2008, First Ivanhoe Sea Scouts: a centenary history 1908-2008, reproduced in The Heidelberg

Historian - newsletter of the Heidelberg Historical Society, December 2008, and at

http://wikinorthia.net.au/index.php/First_Ivanhoe_Sea_Scouts:_1908-2008

Friends of Wilson Reserve, n.d., at http://www.freshwater.net.au/community/friends-of-wilson-reserve.htm

Latreille, Anne, 1990,

The natural garden: Ellis Stones: his life and work

, Ringwood, Victoria

Toomey, Carol, 1999,

 

 

Beautiful Banyule: a register of our City's Natural Assets

, Warringal Conservation Society Inc.,

Rosanna

 

 

AHC themes:

8.1 Organizing recreation

8.1.3 Developing public parks and gardens

HV themes:

6.Building towns cities and the garden state

6.3 Shaping the suburbs

Local themes:

Early settlement

Establishing townships and villages

Rise of the environmental movement

Description

Physical Description

Wilson Reserve comprises 2.8 hectares of parkland of predominantly riparian and grassy woodland. It is bordered along

its southern edge by the Yarra River, and is accessed via a number of informal paths. It contains a recent children's

playground which largely replaces an earlier (1968) playground designed and implemented by noted landscape designer

and local resident Ellis Stones. The placement of a long slide set into the hillside, together with a number of eucalypts

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

including Spotted Gum (

Corymbia maculata

) in the playground / car park area, are remnants of his playground design.

The large infestation of Wandering Jew (

 

 

Tradescantia

sp.) in the Reserve is believed to have been introduced by

'Skipper' Wilson as an ornamental border planting around the c.1910 Sea Scout Hall (also known as the boathouse), and

 

fishermen digging for worms were responsible for its spread throughout the Reserve (Friends of Wilson Reserve, n.d.).

 

The approximate location of the now lost Sea Scout Hall is marked by another building - the extant 1945 'Memorial

 

Den'. This is a simple low concrete structure with a flat roof. It has a storage area attached to one side, accessed by a

 

cyclone wire gate.

 

In addition to its indigenous vegetation, Wilson Reserve also contains a number of mature exotic trees such as poplars

 

and oaks associated either with the Chelsworth Estate or the Sea Scouts' early use of the Reserve. A number of

 

memorials, in the form of plaques, cairns and obelisks aassociated with the Sea Scouts are located within the Reserve.

 

 

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Wilson Reserve, containing 2.8 hectares of riparian and grassy woodland, remnants of a 1968 Ellis Stones playground

(including plantings), 1945 Ivanhoe Sea Scouts Memorial Den, commemorative cairn,obelisk and plaques, and mature

exotic trees, is significant.

How is it significant?

Wilson Reserve is of local historical, aesthetic and social significance to the City of Banyule.

Why is it significant?

Wilson Reserve is of local signifcance as the site of the first training camp for scout leaders in Victoria, and for its long

association with one of Victoria's first scout troops - 1st Ivanhoe Troop (1908) - later becoming the Ivanhoe Sea Scouts

(1918). This signifcance is demonstrated by the concrete building constructed on the site of the camp in 1945 as a

memorial to the sea scouts who died in World War Two, and associated plaques and commemorative structures in the

reserve. (Criterion A)

Wilson Reserve is of historical significance for its exotic oak and poplar plantings dating back associated with the area's

early European history. (Criteria A & E)

Wilson Reserve is of social significance for its long association with early community and environmental groups from the

1920s until the present day. It is also significant for the close and enduring involvement of noted landscape designer and

environmentalist Ellis Stones in various construction works including memorial cairn (1940s), remnant rock works, slide

placement and plantings associated with his pioneering playground design from 1968. (Criteria G, H, E)

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Recommendations 2009

No

No

Yes

Yes Retention of the Sea Scout den of 1945 and the remnants of the Ellis

Stones playground are recommended.

No

-

-

External Paint Controls

Internal Alteration Controls

Tree Controls

Fences & Outbuildings

Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted

Incorporated Plan

Aboriginal Heritage Place

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HERITAGE CITATION REPORT

Name

 

Sparks Reserve

Address

 

10 The Boulevard IVANHOE Significance Level

State

Place Type

 

Reserve

Citation Date

 

2009

Sparks Reserve

 

Recommended

Heritage Protection

VHR

 

Yes HI No PS

Yes

History and Historical Context

Sparks Reserve was named after Councillor H.T. Sparks (1943-57) (Toomey, 1999).

Sparks Reserve forms part of the flood plain of Darebin Creek. Prior to European settlement, this area was occupied by

clans of the Woiwurrung language group.

Shortly after European settlement of the area, a road into the Ivanhoe area was established by the first occupants of sheep

stations in Heidelberg and beyond. This road, which was known as the 'Turnpike Road', crossed the Darebin Creek

through what is now Sparks Reserve, and then cut across toward the village reserve. The road and its bridge across the

Creek were funded through public subscription and were constructed by February 1840 (Garden, 1972).

The Turnpike Road continued to provide access to the Ivanhoe area until 1863, when the road was realigned to cross

Darebin Creek further downstream (Thompson Berrill Landscape Design P/L, 2008).

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The rich flood plain environment of Sparks Reserve made it productive, and Chinese market gardens were established

here for a time (Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Vol. 3).

The Turnpike Road continued to feature on an MMBW plan of the area as late as the 1960s (MMBW, Index Plan 11F).

The line of the road was eventually grassed, except for the small sealed section leading into the Reserve from The

Boulevard.

References

Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Banyule Heritage Places Study, Volume 1: An urban history [held by City of

Banyule]

Allom Lovell & Associates, 1999, Banyule Heritage Places Study, Volume 3: Landscape citations [held by City of

Banyule]

Banyule City Council Significant Trees Register, Environmental Significance Overlay - Schedule 4, August 2007

Garden, Don, 1972,

Heidelberg - the land and its people, 1838 -1900

,

MMBW, Melbourne Sewerage Plans 1890s-1950s, Index Plan 11F, Image No: bw0064 [held by State Library of

 

Victoria]

 

Thompson Berrill Landscape Design P/L, January 2008, Summary report: Lower Darebin Creek Trail Concept Design,

 

prepared by, for Parks Victoria

 

Toomey, Carol, 1999,

 

 

Beautiful Banyule: a register of our City's Natural Assets

, Warringal Conservation Society Inc.,

Rosanna

 

University of Melbourne, Centre for Urban Studies, 2000, City of Banyule Significant Tree and Vegetation Study, at

 

http://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/Assets/Files/Banyule%20Sig%20Tree%20Register_Part%201.pdf, p.57

 

 

AHC themes

3. Developing local, regional and national economies

3.5 Developing primary production

4. Planning urban settlements

HV themes

2. Peopling Victoria's places and landscapes

4. Building settlements towns and cities

Local themes:

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Sparks Reserve

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Public and private planting

Establishing townships and villages

Early settlement

Farming the land

Description

Physical Description

Sparks Reserve has an area of 2.6 hectares and consists of open areas of mown grass, mixed tree plantings and a small

children's playground. Darebin Creek forms its southern boundary.

An interrupted line of mature elms and osage orange trees (

Maclura pomifera

) delineate the line of the original Turnpike

Road, and strongly suggest that an elm-lined avenue, augmented by an osage orange hedge, once bordered the road.

 

Two osage orange trees in Sparks Reserve were identified in the City of Banyule Significant Tree and Vegetation Study

 

conducted by the University of Melbourne, Centre for Urban Studies (2000) and subsequently included on the Banyule

 

City Council Significant Trees Register, Environmental Significance Overlay - Schedule 4 (August 2007).

 

These trees are also recognised by Heritage Victoria on its Heritage Inventory listing under the name of Darebin Creek 12

 

VHI H7922-0112 (Thompson Berrill Landscape Design P/L, 2008)

 

However a number of additional trees (both elm and osage orange) of equal age and importance, have not been included

 

in these listings. These are located within a dense tangle of vegetation which runs from the listed trees at the north of the

 

Reserve towards the Creek, and demonstrate the continuation of the original Turnpike Road planting.

 

Osage Orange was imported into Victoria from North America in the mid 1800s for use as a tight, spiny hedge. With the

 

invention of barbed wire later in the century it fell from use. Very few mature specimens remain in Victoria today. Of

 

those which do, most are isolated specimen trees. Rows or avenues of osage orange are particularly rare, making the

 

Sparks Reserve interrupted line of osage orange of State significance.

 

Remnant vegetation possibly associated with the farming history of the Reserve include Monterey pines (

 

 

Pinus radiata

)

in the north-eastern section of the Reserve, bordering The Boulevard, and hawthorn hedge remnants on the flats near the

 

Creek edge. The age of the pines is not clear, however they were photographed in 1934 by local identity Chris Bailey and

 

so date to before this time (Toomey, 1999).

 

 

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Sparks Reserve consisting of 2.6 hectares of open parkland containing mature remnant elm, osage orange, hawthorn and

pine plantings is significant.

How is it significant?

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Sparks Reserve is of local historic and aesthetic significance to Banyule City. The plantings of osage orange are of

historic and scientific State significance.

Why is it significant?

Sparks Reserve is of local historic and aesthetic significance as the site of a section of the 1840 access road into the

Ivanhoe area - the earliest access road in the area's history. A small sealed length of this road, once known as Turnpike

Road, remains. The line taken by the remaining section of road, now lost, is evident soley because of an extant but

interrupted row of mature elms and osage orange specimens which once bordered it and which run down to Darebin

Creek. This makes a particularly evocative statement in the landscape.

Sparks Reserve is of historic and scientific State significance for its interrupted row of Osage Orange trees (

 

Maclura

pomifera)

 

 

 

, a species planted for hedging in the mid 19th century throughout Victoria and now highly uncommon. Rows

or avenues of this species are particularly rare today.

 

Sparks Reserve is also of local historic significance for its association with the Chinese as an early market garden, with

 

remnant vegetation, including hawthorns and pines, from this period.

 

 

Recommendations 2009

No

No

Yes The plantings of Osage Orange hedging is extremely rare. The elm

avenue is significant.

No

No

-

No

External Paint Controls

Internal Alteration Controls

Tree Controls

Fences & Outbuildings

Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted

Incorporated Plan

Aboriginal Heritage Place

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Sparks Reserve

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HERITAGE CITATION