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The Golf Links Estate has been described by historian, Professor
Geoffrey Blainey, as " a remarkable period piece of the confident 20s and
there cannot be more than a couple of such suburbs in the entire nation".
In 1927 & 1932 the 5th of November was a Saturday
The Golf Links Estate was originally the Riversdale Golf Club but
under pressure from suburbia it was subdivided in 1927. The first houses were
built in 1928 with the majority occupied by 1938. Entertainer Barry Humphries'
father, Eric, was a builder and constructed 18 of the houses. When Barry was a
lad the family lived at 36 Christowel Street and later resided at two other
nearby properties. Local legend has it that a young Barry carved "Barry's
s@#t" in a cupboard where he stored his eclectic collection of vinyl records.
Styles
and Heritage Protection
Walking through the estate with its housing types and styles, it's
apparent why The National Trust describes it as particularly evocative of the
inter-war period. While classifying the estate in the late 1980s, the trust
went on to say: "The well preserved housing and streetscapes constitute an
outstanding portrayal of the middle class suburban ideal with which this period
is closely associated and which is an important theme in Australia's cultural
history".
The Golf Links Estate consists of more than 300 houses and is
remarkably intact. The housing styles include:
Old English,
Spanish Mission,
Mediterranean Revival and
Californian Bungalow
There are many houses with art deco
features while elsewhere a distinct Frank Lloyd Wright influence can be seen.
The charm of the estate is enhanced by narrow concrete roads, unusual traffic
islands with concrete lamps, setbacks, particularly on corner blocks and street
names embedded in footpaths and roads.
- Fairmont Avenue
- Christowel Street
- Lansell Crescent
- Marlborough Avenue
- Lyric Grove
- Maple Crescent
- Orrong Crescent
- Murdoch Street
- Finsbury Way
- Camberwell Road
(note: some are only part of streets)
Transport - Trains and Trams
Nestled within the Golf Links Estate is Willison train
station which used to serve the original Riversdale Golf Club that formally
stood on the site. Also only a few metres from the estate is Hartwell railway
station. The estate is also serviced by two tram lines. The Number 75 tram on
Camberwell Road and the Number 70 on Riversdale Road.
Heritage Listing - "The Story"
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To see this in another language use the translator below ⇓
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(Disclaimer: please verify any information on these pages - no guarantees are provided as to correctness for any information provided on this page or others on this site. Do not rely on any information provided as this website is done by a layman working from sketchy details)
