7 Mangarra Road, Canterbury VIC 3126

I have spent Xmas at this beautiful residence before it was sold. New owner wants to put 2 new dwellings (demolishing the back). With the front of the house, which is stunning, the windows are left open so that the water gets in and creates additional damage. There is also a hole in the front section of the roof that is not being repaired that allows water to come into the front section of the house. Are these actions (& lack of action) allowable or right? Can someone in the council please investigate?

I am hopeful that any development of this site takes into account the significance of this heritage house as well as its129 year old gardens.

Below is an excerpt in regard to 7-9 Mangarra Rd from the Boroondara Heritage Review B Graded Buildings - Building Citation, Lovell Chen 2005 report.

Name: Shenley Croft
Reference No Address: 7-9 Mangarra Road, Canterbury
Survey Date: 21 June 2005
Building Type: Residence
Grading: B Date
Previous Grading: B
Extent of Overlay: To title boundaries.

History
Initially known as 5 Mangarra Road, Shenley Croft was built for Hans W H McNalty (or McNulty), manager of the Port Melbourne branch of the Melbourne Savings Bank, in 1905-6. The architect was John Edmund Burke and the house was built by O’Brien & Joyce. It apparently replaced a 7-roomed weatherboard house, which had been McNalty’s home since 1893 - before this date he had resided in Burwood Road, Hawthorn. Two rooms were added to the residence in 1908, the architect again being Burke.

The house was owned by Hans McNalty until c.1953, when the Sands & McDougall Directory of Victoria listed the house as being occupied by William Waterworth from this date. During 1960, the neighboring house was constructed, and the street was renumbered. Shenley Croft subsequently became 7-9 Mangarra Road.4 In 1963, R M James acquired the house. In 1965 he lodged an application for a permit to construct a two-storey brick addition comprising a full height recreation/music room and additional bathroom accommodation to the rear of the property. Approval was granted and the extension, by Blackburn Plan & Décor Service, was subsequently constructed.

Approval was granted in 1984 for the construction of the existing timber fence.

Architect John Edmund Burke was initially articled to Walter Butler and Beverley Ussher, who were noted for their work in the Queen Anne style, which was particularly favoured in the inner eastern suburbs. He then worked in the office of R C Gordon, Melbourne City Council architect before opening his own practice. Between c.1895 and 1901, Burke was in partnership with Robert M Schreiber. Burke initially designed church buildings in rural areas before undertaking commissions for private residences and commercial premises in Melbourne.

(G Butler, Camberwell Conservation Study 1991; additional research by Lovell Chen, 2005)

Boroondara Heritage Review B Graded Buildings Lovell Chen 2005 Building Citation

Description & Integrity
Shenley Croft, 7-9 Mangarra Road, Canterbury, is a single-storey timber Edwardian villa constructed in 1905-6 in the broadly Queen Anne style with Old English/medieval overtones, with early additions (1908) by the same architect. The steeply pitched slate roof rises to a hip around a prominent ribbed bichrome brick chimney while bracketed projecting gables and window bays feature terracotta ridge cresting and half-timbered gable ends. The house is clad with dark-stained shingled boards and the asymmetrical façade contains a deep verandah with timber posts and Tudor arch fretwork. Projecting bays contain bay windows and windows have timber-framed double-hung and casement sash windows with coloured glass fanlights. The entrance contains a pair of timber-framed multi-paned glazed doors with matching single doors elsewhere.
Assuming it was constructed, the music room addition of c. 1965 is set well behind the original house and is not visible from the street.

A tall non-original paling fence and gates screen the property, and the house is surrounded by mature native landscape which is supplemented by more recent exotic vegetation.

Historical Context
The subject property is located in an area of Canterbury that was developed and subdivided during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for large mansion houses, which were set in substantial grounds, and more modest residences, such as the subject property.

Comparative Analysis
As a fine and substantially intact example of an Edwardian house in the Queen Anne idiom, Shenley Croft, 7-9 Mangarra Road, Canterbury, can be compared in a general sense with numerous other residences in Boroondara. One example of more relevance than most is Banool, 26 Victoria Avenue, Camberwell (q.v, B-graded), designed by Burke & Schreiber in 1899-1900.

Assessment Against Criteria

Amended Heritage Victoria Criteria

CRITERION D: The importance of a place or object in exhibiting the principal characteristics or the representative nature of a place or object as a part of a class or type of places or objects. Shenley Croft, 7-9 Mangarra Rd, Canterbury, is a fine and substantially intact example of a large, detached timber Edwardian residence. It is representative of the type of house being constructed in the area in the first decade of the twentieth century.

CRITERION E: The importance of the place or object in exhibiting good design or aesthetic characteristics and/or in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration of features. Though broadly typical of the Queen Anne style, Shenley Croft, 7-9 Mangarra Rd, Canterbury is of architectural interest for its relatively simple form and incorporation of a number of Old English/medieval references.

Statement of Significance
Shenley Croft, 7-9 Mangarra Road, Canterbury, is of local historical and aesthetic (architectural) significance, as a fine and substantially intact example of a large timber Edwardian residence in the Queen Anne style and incorporating a number of Old English/medieval references. In particular, the dark stained cladding, steeply pitched roof and crowning chimney add to its distinctive and impressive character.

Grading Review:
Unchanged.

Recommendations:
Recommended for inclusion in the Schedule to the Heritage Overlay of the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

In summary:
This is a stunning residence currently suffering significant neglect from new owners, and is worthy of protection, restoration and minor updates.
Anything apart from this would be a poor outcome
Adding buildings would be a travesty.
Adding dwellings and subdivision would be an awful outcome in an area which has already lost too much heritage.

Further details:
1. The heritage value of the current building. It is an excellent example of heritage architecture. I feel any development should preserve all of the existing structure.
2. Traffic effects.The area is busy courtesy of the school. Cars of visitors and new residents of the additional dwelling/s will add to congestion as they seek parking. The proximity to public transport does nothing - the majority of Australians own cars and need car parking.
3. Inadequate green space
Boroondara has been inundated with ugly new multi dwelling developments
The gardens are significant and should be protected.
4. Effects on drainage/services requiring upgrades
5. Inappropriate density for Boroondara.

I just walked past this property.
It is a travesty of justice what the new owners have done to this house.
Not one, but three holes in the roof and this is just at the front. The verandah is on a slant. The garden is now weeds and dead plants. It is a very sad reflection of what a majestic home it was before sale.
Isn’t the point of a heritage overlay to ensure that these properties are preserved for the next generation?
The council definitely needs to intervene so the the new owners cannot claim a win by saying the home is beyond repair and dangerous and as a consequence needs to be demolished.
One can only imagine the French provincial home that could replace it.

I was shocked to see this beautiful house burnt out when I passed by late in December 2023. I have many happy memories of the house when it belonged to the family of a friend. How can a supposedly heritage listed building be allowed to degrade within a few years to the point where it can succumb to a house fire?

Matthew

Its sad to hear that a fire occured at this heritage house, I hope its not beyond repair. Good luck to the Police and the local CCTV footage in catching those responsible.

So disappointed to hear that firstly the building was deteriorating rapidly with no effort by the owner to preserve. Then horrified to hear that it had burnt down. Sounds like Council needs to make an order to rebuild as happened with the Corkman hotel to discourage the deliberate neglect of local heritage buildings.