"Parkdown" an Arts and Crafts Style Villa in White - Moonee Ponds
"Parkdown" is an impressive Reformist (Arts and Crafts) style villa built in a quiet, tree lined street in the most affluent area of Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds.
Standing well back from the street on a very large block behind its original fence, "Parkdown" would have been built just after Federation in 1901. The wonderful hipped roof is very Arts and Crafts inspired, as is the choice of a plain rough cast stuccoed rendering on the walls with minimal detailing. Red brick detailing fans out above the arched portico entrance and and unlike its more stylised Queen Anne neighbours, "Parkdown" has no stained glass in any of its windows, only leadlight panels. However "Parkdown's" most impressive feature is the wonderful open first floor balcony. Built near the crest of a hill, the views across the neighbouring suburbs to the Melbourne city skyline must be a sight to behold.
Arts and Crafts houses challenged the formality of the mid and high Victorian styles that preceded it, and were often designed with uniquely angular floor plans, yet "Parkdown" seems to have a more traditional floor plan with a main vestibule off which the rooms ran.
Moonee Ponds, like its neighbouring boroughs of Ascot Vale and Essendon, was etablished in the late 1880s and early 1890s. However, unlike its neighbours, it was an area of affluence and therefore only had middle-class, upper middle-class and some very wealthy citizens. Well proportioned villas like these would have suited a large affluent Edwardian family, and would have required a small retinue of servants to maintain.
"Parkdown" an Arts and Crafts Style Villa in White - Moonee Ponds
"Parkdown" is an impressive Reformist (Arts and Crafts) style villa built in a quiet, tree lined street in the most affluent area of Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds.
Standing well back from the street on a very large block behind its original fence, "Parkdown" would have been built just after Federation in 1901. The wonderful hipped roof is very Arts and Crafts inspired, as is the choice of a plain rough cast stuccoed rendering on the walls with minimal detailing. Red brick detailing fans out above the arched portico entrance and and unlike its more stylised Queen Anne neighbours, "Parkdown" has no stained glass in any of its windows, only leadlight panels. However "Parkdown's" most impressive feature is the wonderful open first floor balcony. Built near the crest of a hill, the views across the neighbouring suburbs to the Melbourne city skyline must be a sight to behold.
Arts and Crafts houses challenged the formality of the mid and high Victorian styles that preceded it, and were often designed with uniquely angular floor plans, yet "Parkdown" seems to have a more traditional floor plan with a main vestibule off which the rooms ran.
Moonee Ponds, like its neighbouring boroughs of Ascot Vale and Essendon, was etablished in the late 1880s and early 1890s. However, unlike its neighbours, it was an area of affluence and therefore only had middle-class, upper middle-class and some very wealthy citizens. Well proportioned villas like these would have suited a large affluent Edwardian family, and would have required a small retinue of servants to maintain.