title: Ballarat Heritage Precincts Study (2006) council: ballarat state: vic category: heritage status: active last_compiled: 2026-04-14 source_docs:
- ballarat-heritage-precincts-study-part-a-2006-part-1-.txt
Ballarat Heritage Precincts Study (2006)
Prepared by Dr David Rowe (Authentic Heritage Services) and Wendy Jacobs (Architect & Heritage Consultant), with historical research by Susie Zada (Zades Pty Ltd), July 2006. Commissioned and funded by the City of Ballarat. Implemented through Amendment C107 to the Ballarat Planning Scheme.
Scope
- Purpose: Assess and recommend six new heritage precincts for Heritage Overlay inclusion, building on the 20 precincts identified in the heritage-study-2003
- Methodology: Burra Charter framework; AHC Assessment Criteria; fieldwork comprising historical research, physical survey, community consultation, comparative analysis, and preparation of Statements of Significance
- Significance classification: Three-tier system — individually significant, significant within a precinct, not significant
The Six Precincts
1. Barkly Street & Humffray Street Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Bounded by Barkly, Humffray, Porter and Steinfeld Streets; bisected by Eastwood Street; open channels in NE and SE portions |
| Total buildings | 47 |
| Significant within precinct | 31 (66%) |
| Potentially individually significant | 4 |
| Not significant | 12 (25%) |
Building era breakdown: Victorian 15 (31%), Early 20th century 6 (13%), Interwar 15 (31%), Postwar 4 (8%), Late 20th century/recent 8 (17%).
2. Colpin Avenue Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | All properties in Colpin Avenue, plus corner properties on Wendouree Parade, plus 1409 Gregory Street (north end) |
| Total dwellings | 19 |
| Significant within precinct | 18 (95%) |
| Individually significant | 3 |
| Not significant | 1 |
Key significance: Three nationally promoted model homes from the 1934 Ideal Homes Exhibition — the “All Electric House” (7 Colpin Ave), the “Gas Feature Home” (8 Colpin Ave), and “Lake House” (518 Wendouree Parade). Precinct demonstrates interwar suburban planning and domestic architecture.
3. Creswick Road & Macarthur Street Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Allotments fronting Macarthur Street (between Creswick Road and Beaufort Crescent), Baird Street, Ronald Street, Beaufort Crescent, east side of Creswick Road; includes memorial tree avenue on east side of Beaufort Crescent |
4. Dowling Street Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Properties fronting Dowling Street (between Wendouree Parade and railway line), seven properties on north side of Gregory Street, allotments fronting Wendouree Parade and Martin Avenue. Excludes dwellings at 7–15 Martin Avenue and 1205–1207 Gregory Street |
5. Old Showgrounds Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Allotments in Gregory Street, Martin Avenue, Wendouree Parade, Haddon and Burnbank Street, Brawn Avenue. Includes seven properties at SW corner of Gregory Street and Martin Avenue (7–15 Martin Avenue and 1205–1207 Gregory Street) |
6. St. Aidan’s Heritage Precinct
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Properties fronting St. Aidan’s Drive, Lindisfarne Crescent, The Boulevarde, plus 1411 and 1415 Gregory Street |
Quantitative Summary
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Precincts recommended for HO | 6 |
| Total places across all precincts with individual significance | 32 |
| Barkly St/Humffray St buildings | 47 |
| Colpin Avenue dwellings | 19 |
Place counts for Creswick Rd/Macarthur St, Dowling St, Old Showgrounds and St. Aidan’s precincts are in Volumes 2–7 (not in corpus).
Part B (Volume 8) — Additional Investigations
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Newington Estate | Design & Development Overlay (DDO) rather than Heritage Overlay |
| Yarrowee Creek Area | Heritage interpretation and archaeological assessment |
| Lexton Street | Investigated as a potential heritage area |
| Additional individual places | Inside and outside precincts — flagged for further investigation |
Development Constraints
Planning Scheme Controls
Amendment C107 implemented Heritage Overlay for all six precincts with the following permit triggers:
| Control | Barkly/Humffray | Colpin Ave | Creswick/Macarthur | Dowling St | Old Showgrounds | St Aidan’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New buildings/extensions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| External paint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Subdivision | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Permit Exemptions
Precinct-specific permit exemptions were developed for each precinct and incorporated into the planning scheme as Incorporated Documents (Volumes 2–7).
Implementation
- Part A, Volume 1: Reference Document in the Planning Scheme
- Part A, Volumes 2–7: Incorporated Documents (one per precinct)
- Clause 21.05 (MSS): Heritage terminology updated to align with the Burra Charter
- Clause 22: Local Heritage Policy prepared
- Preface note: Statements of Significance, precinct boundaries, and catalogues of “not significant” places were amended following adoption of Amendment C107
Significance Assessment Criteria
The study applied the AHC criteria with two levels of significance:
- State significance: Meeting criteria at a State level (none found in this study)
- Local significance: Meeting criteria at a municipal level (all six precincts meet this threshold)
Each precinct received a Statement of Significance addressing historical, architectural/aesthetic, and social values.
Current Status
Active. All six precincts implemented through the Ballarat Planning Scheme via Amendment C107.
Relationships
- Builds on: heritage-study-2003 (20 precincts → now 26 total)
- Related: heritage-overlay-guidelines (design guidelines for development in HO areas)
- Related: heritage-plan (Heritage Plan 2017–2030)
Gaps
- Only Volume 1 (Part A) is in the corpus; Volumes 2–8 not extracted
- Place counts for 4 of 6 precincts unavailable (in Volumes 3–7)
- Specific Statements of Significance text not extracted