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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION
TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL TO AMEND AN
EXISTING REGISTRATION
NAME:
DATE REGISTERED:
VHR NUMBER:
LOCATION:
CATEGORY:
FILE NO:
HERMES NUMBER:
RESIDENCE
OCTOBER 1974
VHR H352
26 FINCH STREET, BEECHWORTH
Heritage Place
15/5885
101
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL:
To amend the existing registration for VHR H301 in accordance with s.54 of the Heritage Act 1995 by:
 Clarifying the extent of registration
 Adding a permit policy and permit exemptions in accordance with s.42(4) of the Act
Reasons for the proposed amendment:
The registration of 26 Finch Street, Beechworth which was gazetted in 1974, requires updating because
no land is registered. Until 1982 no land was able to be registered under the Historic Buildings Act. For
places added before that time only the buildings are included in the registration, not the land on which
they sit or an appropriate curtilage. Places registered since 1982 include both buildings and land. Early
registrations are being updated to reflect this change.
The existing registration documentation is provided at Attachment 1 of this report.
TIM SMITH
Executive Director
Recommendation Date:
13 March 2015
PROPOSED EXTENT OF REGISTRATION
All of the place shown hatched on Diagram 352 encompassing all of Lot 1 on title Plan 809097.
The extent of registration of the Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth on the Victorian Heritage Register
affects the whole place shown on Diagram 352 including the land, all buildings (including the interiors and
exteriors), landscape elements and other features.
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
What is significant?
The Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth, which includes a complex of mainly timber buildings
constructed in the mid-nineteenth century. These include a two-storey cottage with what was originally a
single-storey kitchen at the rear and an adjacent single-storey building - all constructed by 1861 - and a
breezeway connecting the buildings which was added in 1870.
History Summary
The two-storey weatherboard cottage facing Finch Street and its kitchen at the rear were constructed c1860,
probably by the gold miner Joseph Hollows. The design of the house may have been based on one published
in an American pattern book, Calvert Vaux’s Villas and Cottages (1857). The adjacent brick and
weatherboard building was constructed at about the same time, on what was then an adjacent block of land,
and was extended in c1865. In 1870 another weatherboard structure was built to connect the two buildings.
The house has been used as a residence since it was built. During the early twentieth century it was owned
by the Zwar brothers, who owned the Beechworth Tannery, the largest country tannery in Australia and an
important local employer, who rented the house to an employee. In 2007 a single-storey extension was
added at the rear of the old house.
Description Summary
The Residence is a complex of mainly timber buildings. Facing Finch Street is a two-storey Picturesque
Gothic style timber building (c1860) with a steeply pitched gable roof, an attic window in the gable,
decorative bargeboards and a turned timber finial. It has a narrow modern verandah at the front. There are
two rooms on the ground floor and an attic above, reached by means of a steep narrow staircase. This
building displays several early features, including unusual timber framing, which appears to be an early
experimental example of stud framing, and a hessian ceiling in one room. At the rear of this is a singlestorey building, originally used as a kitchen (c1860), with walls of vertical timber slabs (now concealed, apart
from one section in the entrance vestibule) and clad externally with weatherboards. It has an unusual type
of sash window where the bottom pane is propped open rather than sliding. Parallel to these structures to
the north-east is another single-storey gabled weatherboard building with one end wall of brick. Some
remnant paint finishes and wallpaper survive on one interior wall. Connecting these two structures is a
gable-roofed timber breezeway open on one end, with the original shingles preserved beneath later
corrugated iron. The 2007 extension at the rear is an L-shaped structure adjoining one end of the former
kitchen building, which contains a bathroom, laundry, kitchen and living area.
How is it significant?
The Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth is of architectural and historical significance to the State of
Victoria. It satisfies the following criteria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:
Criterion A
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history
Criterion B
Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria’s cultural history
Criterion D
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and
objects
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
Why is it significant?
The Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth is significant at the state level for the following reasons:
The Residence at 26 Finch Street is historically significant as a largely intact example of the Picturesque
Gothic style houses built in country Victoria in the mid-nineteenth century. It is an outstanding example of
the modest houses built at this time in rural Victoria, and assists in an understanding of housing conditions in
rural Victoria during the gold rushes. [Criterion A]
The Residence at 26 Finch Street is architecturally significant as a surviving example of a residence dating
from the gold rush era. It contributes to an understanding of vernacular architecture in Victoria,
demonstrating early construction techniques and materials, as well as the difficulties of building during the
gold rushes, when there were shortages of both materials and skilled labour. These include the use of
vertical slabs, unseasoned weatherboards, timbers showing a variety of early milling techniques and unusual
timber sizes, and eclectic joinery techniques. The building exhibits what appears to be an early stage in the
development of stud framing. It is a rare example of a Picturesque design which was possibly sourced from
an American pattern book. The kitchen demonstrates the contemporary practice of constructing a kitchen
detached from the rest of the house. [Criteria B and D]
The Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth is also significant for the following reasons, but not at the
State level:
The Residence at 26 Finch Street is significant for its association with the early history of Beechworth and the
development of the Ovens goldfields. It is one of Beechworth’s oldest surviving houses and is a reminder of
the town’s gold rush prosperity and the success of many of the early gold miners. It is associated with the
owners in the early twentieth century, the Zwar brothers, who owned the Beechworth Tannery, the largest
country tannery in Australia, who made important contributions to the economic and social life of the town.
The house forms an essential element in the streetscape of this historic town.
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
PROPOSED PERMIT POLICY
DRAFT ONLY – NOT YET APPROVED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL
Preamble
The purpose of the Permit Policy is to assist when considering or making decisions regarding works to a
registered place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage
Victoria prior to making a permit application. Discussing proposed works will assist in answering questions
the owner may have and aid any decisions regarding works to the place.
The extent of registration of the Residence at 26 Finch Street, Beechworth on the Victorian Heritage
Register affects the whole place shown on Diagram 352 including the land, all buildings, landscape
elements and other features. Under the Heritage Act 1995 a person must not remove or demolish, damage
or despoil, develop or alter or excavate, relocate or disturb the position of any part of a registered place or
object without approval. It is acknowledged, however, that alterations and other works may be required to
keep places and objects in good repair and adapt them for use into the future.
If a person wishes to undertake works or activities in relation to a registered place or registered object, they
must apply to the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria for a permit. The purpose of a permit is to enable
appropriate change to a place and to effectively manage adverse impacts on the cultural heritage
significance of a place as a consequence of change. If an owner is uncertain whether a heritage permit is
required, it is recommended that Heritage Victoria be contacted.
Permits are required for anything which alters the place or object, unless a permit exemption is granted.
Permit exemptions usually cover routine maintenance and upkeep issues faced by owners as well as minor
works. They may include appropriate works that are specified in a conservation management plan. Permit
exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42 of the Heritage Act) or after registration
(under s.66 of the Heritage Act).
It should be noted that the addition of new buildings to the registered place, as well as alterations to the
interior and exterior of existing buildings requires a permit, unless a specific permit exemption is granted.
Cultural heritage management plans
The Conservation Management Plan for 26 Finch Street Beechworth prepared by Deborah Kemp in 2006
may provide guidance for the future management of the place.
Cultural heritage significance
Overview of significance
The cultural heritage significance of 26 Finch Street, Beechworth lies in its intactness as a mid-nineteenth
century residence, which demonstrates the modest form of early houses, and the contemporary custom of
constructing the kitchen separate from the rest of the house. It retains important examples of early
materials and construction techniques, many of which are now concealed beneath the wall cladding. These
are outlined in Deborah Kemp’s Conservation Management Plan (2006), though the 2007 works have
concealed many of the early features described by Kemp.
a) All of the buildings and features listed here are of primary cultural heritage significance in the context of
the place. A permit is required for most works or alterations. See Permit Exemptions section for specific
permit exempt activities:
 The c1860 two-storey timber house facing Finch Street
 The c1860 single-storey former kitchen building at the rear of the two-storey section
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101


The single storey brick and weatherboard building on the north-east side of the house
The single story timber structure connecting the above buildings.
b) The following buildings and features are of no cultural heritage significance. Specific permit exemptions
are provided for these items:
 The modern addition at the rear of the nineteenth century buildings
 The modern carport near the eastern corner of the block.
Archaeological: Ground disturbance may affect the archaeological significance of the place and, subject to
the exemptions stated in this document, requires a permit.
PROPOSED PERMIT EXEMPTIONS (under section 42 of the Heritage
Act)
DRAFT ONLY – NOT YET APPROVED BY THE HERITAGE COUNCIL – RECOMMENDED UNDER SECTION 33 OF
THE HERITAGE ACT
It should be noted that Permit Exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42(4) of the
Heritage Act). Permit Exemptions can also be applied for and granted after registration (under s.66 of the
Heritage Act)
General Condition: 1.
All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric
of the registered place or object.
General Condition: 2.
Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously
hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place
or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon
as possible.
General Condition: 3.
All works should be informed by Conservation Management Plans prepared for the place. The Executive
Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan, and permits still must be obtained for works
suggested in any Conservation Management Plan.
General Conditions: 4.
Nothing in this determination prevents the Heritage Council from amending or rescinding all or any of the
permit exemptions.
General Condition: 5.
Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant
planning or building permits from the relevant responsible authority, where applicable.
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
SPECIFIC PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
Exterior:
 Removal of non-original items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting, wiring, antennae, aerials etc,
and making good.
 Installation and repairing of damp proofing by either injection method or grout pocket method.
 Installation of external fixtures and fittings such as, hot water services and taps in a manner not
detrimental to the cultural heritage significance of the place.
 Removal of non-original fence.
Interior:
 Painting of previously painted walls and ceilings provided that preparation or painting does not remove
evidence of any original paint, wallpaper or other decorative scheme.
 Installation, removal or replacement of non-original carpets and/or flexible floor coverings.
 Installation, removal or replacement of non-original curtain tracks, rods and blinds.
 Installation, removal or replacement of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of mirrors,
paintings and other wall mounted art.
 Removal of non-original door and window furniture including, hinges, locks, knobsets and sash lifts.
 Refurbishment of existing bathrooms, toilets and kitchens including removal, installation or
replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors, wall and floor coverings.
 Removal of tiling or concrete slabs in wet areas provided there is no damage to or alteration of original
structure or fabric.
 Installation, removal or replacement of ducted, hydronic or concealed radiant type heating provided
that the installation does not damage existing skirtings and architraves and that the central plant is
concealed.
 Installation, removal or replacement of electrical wiring.
 Installation of new fire hydrant services including sprinklers, fire doors and elements affixed to nonoriginal plaster surfaces.
Modern addition to rear of the nineteenth century buildings and modern carport:
 All internal works
 Demolition (part or full)
 Replacement of all doors, windows, roofing and raingoods like for like.
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
RELEVANT INFORMATION
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
Indigo
HERITAGE LISTING INFORMATION
Heritage Overlay:
Yes
HO Number:
HO33
Other Listing:
Classified by the National Trust at a State level (as B2998).
HISTORY
Contextual history
Beechworth owes its existence to the discovery of gold in 1852. The Beechworth area was first settled by
squatters from 1837, but the discovery of gold resulted in a rush of miners to the area - about 8,000 arriving
by November that year. The British, Chinese and Americans were the largest immigtant groups on the
goldfields. The Ovens was an important river system in north-east Victoria and gave its name to the
goldfields in this area. The town developed around the Gold Commissioner’s Camp, established in 1852 on
the granite hill on the north bank of Spring Creek. The township was first known as Mayday Hills, but when
surveyed in 1853, it was named Beechworth. The main overland route between Melbourne and Sydney
passed through the town until the 1870s (when the railway was built further to the west), and until then
Beechworth was one of the richest towns in Victoria and the financial and administrative centre of the
north-east .
Most of the earliest shelters on the Ovens goldfields were canvas tents. For many years labour was scarce
and expensive and when the diggers decided to build a more permanent home they usually built it
themselves. It was usually a modest structure, using primitive building techniques and readily available
materials such as split slabs and logs, and gradually extended this as time and funds allowed. During the late
1850s and early 1860s in Beechworth architect-designed buildings tended to be confined to government
buildings and churches. There were few if any architect-designed houses. This changed with the increasing
prosperity of the miners, and especially after the election of a Council in 1856 and the introduction of
building regulations. Many of the town’s major buildings were erected during the following five years,
including the Ovens District Hospital (1856, VHR H358) and the Burke Museum (VHR H345, begun in 1857 by
the Young Men’s Association as a hall and library), and the first town hall was built in 1859. By the early
1860s a group of important administrative buildings, known as the Beechworth Justice Precinct (VHR
H1464), had been completed along the south side of Ford Street, and a large gaol (VHR H1549) was begun to
the north of this in 1858. The Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, later the Mayday Hills Hospital (VHR H1864-67)
was built in 1864-67, and the landmark post office (VHR H867) was completed in 1870.
The Ovens gold rushes peaked in 1857, and during the following two decades the population of Beechworth
decreased (though the last mining company in the district only closed in 1956). Despite the decline in the
gold industry, the town was sustained well into the twentieth century by the presence of the government
institutions founded in the 1850s and 1860s: the asylum and the gaol.
Tourism has now become a major industry in Beechworth. Tourism began in the 1880s with the town’s
reputation as a health resort and picturesque beauty spot. The declining prosperity of the town had the
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Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
advantage that the post-World War II development, that led to the destruction of so much of Victoria’s
nineteenth century fabric during the 1950s-70s, was avoided. At this time there was an increasing
awareness of the importance of Victoria’s early history and heritage. In the 1960s the National Trust was
active in classifying Beechworth’s early buildings, and efforts began to restore buildings which had fallen into
disrepair. The retention of much of the town’s historic character has now made it a popular tourist
destination.
Place history
26 Finch Street is located in a residential area that was part of the first surveyed subdivision of Beechworth.
The land now known as 26 Finch Street was originally two adjoining lots: Lot 17 and part of Lot 18. Buildings
were constructed on both lots by c1860. In 1861 Lot 18 was subdivided into two, and its western part (with
its timber building) was consolidated into Lot 17, so that 26 Finch Street was then made up of Lot 17 and
part of Lot 18.
The 2006 Conservation Management Plan by Deborah Kemp notes that there is little documentary evidence
for the date of construction of the various parts of the residence at 26 Finch Street. It notes that the chaotic
nature of the gold rushes meant that in the early days the legalities of home and land ownership were often
not observed, and rate books do not accurately record the early history of this site. However evidence for
the history of the buildings on the site has been obtained from physical evidence, such as construction
details and building materials. The sequence of construction is thought to be as follows (see p 12 for
diagram):
a) Buildings 1 and 3
The first building on the site was the two-storey timber cottage (Building 1), which documentary
evidence suggests was constructed in the late 1850s or early 1860s. The 1861 ratebooks note the land
(then only part of the present block) as being 22 feet x 165 feet, on which were located a two-storey
weatherboard house (24 feet x 16 feet) with a shingle roof, and a kitchen (18 feet 6 inches x 10 feet 9
inches) also with a shingle roof. The kitchen is likely to have been the vernacular vertical slab and timber
frame building on the site which is now part of Building 3. The same buildings were recorded on the site
in 1863.
b) Building 2
By 1865 the boundaries of 26 Finch Street had been extended to the north and consolidated with the
adjoining block of land, on which there was already a small house, constructed also in the late 1850s or
early 1860s. It was now noted in the ratebooks that on the subject site, as well as the two buildings
noted above (Buildings 1 and 3) there was now a brick and weatherboard structure (20 feet x 14 feet)
with a shingle roof (Building 2). Building 2 was extended in c1865 (and was modified in the 1920s or
1930s).
c) Building 4
In 1870 another weatherboard structure (14 feet x 10 feet) was constructed (Building 4), connecting the
earlier buildings.
The owner of the land is listed in 1856-57 as Mr Greeves, and from 1857-62 as Joseph Hollows, a miner, who
is likely to have built the original house. The owner from 1863-1866 was Mr Palmer, and Hollows was again
listed as the owner in 1866-67.
The cottage has been used as a residence since it was built. During the early twentieth century it was owned
by the Zwar Bros, who in 1888 had taken over the Beechworth tannery, which under their management
became the largest country tannery in Australia. It was an important source of local employment and a
9
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
major contributor to the Beechworth community, generating social activities such as annual picnics and
cricket matches. The Zwar family wielded tremendous influence in the town until the tannery closed in
1961. 26 Finch Street was rented to an employee. It was bought in 1958 by Mr Cliff Stone, who lived in the
house from 1939, and his son Ray lived there for more than thirty years from 1972.
In 2007 a single storey L-shaped extension, comprising a kitchen, living area, bathroom and laundry, was
added to the rear of Building 3.
VICTORIAN HISTORICAL THEMES
06
Building towns, cities and the garden state
6.5
Living in country towns
6.7
making homes for Victorians
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The land at 26 Finch Street is occupied by a residence which is made up of several structures built in stages
from c 1860-70.
1. Building 1: The most prominent section, facing Finch Street, is a two-storey Picturesque timber cottage
(c1860) with a narrow modern verandah at the front. It has a high-pitched gable roof with a window in
the gable, decorative bargeboards in the gable and a turned timber finial. The roof retains the original
shingles beneath later corrugated iron. Downstairs are two rooms (a lounge and bedroom), and upstairs
are two small attic bedrooms. The house design bears a strong resemblance to one published in the
American book by Calvert Vaux, Villas and Cottages: a series of designed prepared for execution in the
United States (1852 edition). Vaux’s publication was one of many such British and American books, which
contained a variety of designs for residential and non-residential buildings, and which are commonly
known as ‘pattern books’. Some early settlers in Victoria brought these books with them to the colony,
and the designs were often copied or adapted when they built their houses.
The timbers used in the construction of this building, which are now concealed, have been variously split,
pit sawn, some which appear to have been sawn by an early mechanised vertical saw, and circular sawn.
The timber framing of the house is unusual, and seems to be an early experimental example of stud
framing, lighter and using smaller timbers than the traditional British-type frame. This was probably due
both to timber and skilled labour shortages during the gold rushes and the availability of relatively cheap
nails, which made the lighter frames stronger. Most of the extant windows are of a primitive sash design
with the bottom pane propped open rather than sliding up. Internally most of the walls were lined with
crudely-sawn boards and hessian, and vestiges of early wallpaper, compatible with the early date of the
building, remain as well as the hessian lining of one ceiling.
2. Building 2: This is a single-storey gabled weatherboard building with two rooms, with similarities in
structure (especially the light timber framing) to the two-storey cottage. One end wall is of brick. The
French windows opening into the garden were added later. There is a fireplace between the two rooms
which has been partly filled in. Some remnant paint and wallpaper survive on an interior wall.
3. Building 3, a single-storey timber hut at the rear of the two-storey structure (Building 1), is probably the
c1860 kitchen. It has been altered since it was first built, including an extension in brick.
10
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
The walls are of vertical slabs clad externally with weatherboards, though these are now hidden behind
later wall finishes, except in the small vestibule adjacent to Building 1. The windows are sashes with
props to keep them open at the bottom. It has a pressed metal mansard profile ceiling, added in the late
nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. The originally external brick chimney is now internal and part of
a bathroom, added during the twentieth century.
4. Building 4 is the breezeway building between Buildings 2 and 3. It is a gabled timber structure with the
walls at the gable ends having combinations of timber lattice work and timber cladding. There is a
shingle roof beneath corrugated iron. The floor is paved with bricks.
An extension with a bathroom, laundry, living room and modern kitchen was added to the end of Building
3 in the early twenty-first century.
OBJECTS AND INTERIORS
The house retains vestiges of early wallpapers, a hessian ceiling in the two-storey building and original
window fittings, as well as an exposed slab wall in Building 3.
LANDSCAPES, TREES & GARDENS
The landscaping and garden is a typical country garden and little appears to date from the nineteenth
century. The fence is a not original.
INTEGRITY/INTACTNESS
The buildings have been subject to a number of alterations since the nineteenth century. The changes are
outlined above. (November 2014)
CONDITION
All of the buildings making up the residence have been restored and redecorated and are in very good
condition. (November 2014)
PROPOSED TEXT FOR BLUE HERITAGE PLAQUE
This Picturesque Gothic style two-storey house and detached kitchen was built c1860 and added to in 1865
and 1870. It is typical of the modest houses of the time and demonstrates early construction techniques and
materials.
KEY REFERENCES USED TO PREPARE ASSESSMENT
Deborah Kemp, ‘Conservation Management Plan for 26 Finch Street Beechworth’, 2006.
11
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
ADDITIONAL IMAGES
Aerial view of site
Sketch plan of site: 1 is the c1860 two-storey house; 2 is the c1860 building adjacent; 3 is the c1860 slab
kitchen; 4 is the small open structure connecting the earlier buildings.
12
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
Building 1, photographed from Finch Street
Building 2. The French window is a later addition.
Building 3 (centre). The end of Building 2 is on
the right and the modern addition is on the left.
Primitive form of sash window in Building 3, which
uses a metal fitting to prop the window open.
Building 4, linking Buildings 2 and 3
Shingles under roof of Building 4
13
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
Vertical slab wall of original kitchen left Hessian ceiling on ground floor of Building 1.
Exposed at west end of Building 1.
14
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
ATTACHMENT 1
EXISTING REGISTRATION DETAILS
TO BE SUPERSEDED BY THE FOREGOING RECOMMENDATION
EXISTING EXTENT OF REGISTRATION
United Shire of Beechworth. No.352. Building,26 Finch Street, Beechworth.
[Victoria Government Gazette No 100 Wednesday, October 9 1974 p.3650]
EXISTING STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
What is significant?
The house at 26 Finch Street was built c1861 and was owned in 1866 by the miner Joseph Hollow. In 1863 it
was recorded in rate books as a 24ft x 16ft two storey weatherboard and shingle roof dwelling with an 18ft
6in x 10ft 9in kitchen of slabs and shingle roof. The 20ft x 14ft brick and weatherboard kitchen was added in
1865. The house reflects the increasing prosperity of the miners in Beechworth during the gold rushes. Until
the mid 1850s most buildings in the town were of temporary materials, but this changed after the election of
a Council in 1856, and most of the major civic buildings in the town were built in the next five years.
Although Beechworth's importance as a gold town declined after this, it became the administrative and
service centre for north-east Victoria, and much of its early historic fabric was preserved.
The house at 26 Finch Street is a picturesque Gothic weatherboard building with a steeply pitched gable roof
and an attic in the gable. The street facade has a timber verandah and a gable inset with an attic window and
with decorative barge boards and finial. The verandah is not original: a 1955 photograph shows a verandah
with openwork cast iron columns and a decorative timber fringe. There are extensive outbuildings, including
the 1865 brick and weatherboard kitchen. The present timber fence is compatible with the building.
How is it significant?
The house at 26 Finch Street is of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The house at 26 Finch Street is architecturally significant as an important example of the picturesque Gothic
houses built in country areas of Victoria in the mid nineteenth century. The house forms an essential
element in the streetscape of this historic town.
The house at 26 Finch Street is historically significant as a reminder of the period of Beechworth’s gold rush
prosperity and the success of many of the early gold miners.
[Online Data Upgrade Project 2004]
EXISTING PERMIT POLICY
There is no existing permit policy.
15
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101
EXISTING PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which
prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that
original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the
significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria
shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant
sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the
Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface
component.
General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan all works shall be in accordance with it. Note:
A Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan provides guidance for the management of the
heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain
works specified in the management plan.
General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or
rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility
to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable.
Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect
the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A
person proposing to undertake minor works must submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the
Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the
site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is
uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be
contacted.
16
Name: Residence, 26 Finch Street, Beechworth
VHR number: VHR H352
Hermes number: 101