Six pack flats as heritage in South Yarra

13 June 2024

So this 1960 block of flats ‘Motstone’ in Walsh Street Sth Yarra was in @theageaustralia the other day because the resident owners opposed heritage listing – and I admit it’s certainly a surprising inclusion ! It’s somewhat interesting, featuring timber framed window-walls and perhaps an early example of being perched above parking.

It was proposed to be Contributory in the @cityofmelbourne South Yarra heritage precinct review, which has identified everything important not already listed, especially postwar places like Boyd’s Domain Park Towers, and also noted that the area was quite mixed in periods, but hangs together as often high quality, right up to 1975. So there’s quite a lot of postwar flats proposed as Contributory, with an uncertain dividing line between ‘high quality’ or not, so I’ve made a sample from real estate pics. The first image is Motstone, the next 4 are I think yes high quality, interesting, then there’s two that are less so, and the last two were listed as Non-Contributory.

The Council voted on Tuesday to accept the whole review – except for Motstone, so one of the interesting ones is out, other less interesting ones are in, showing how heritage listings aren’t always consistent. Meanwhile, very few postwar flats are listed anywhere else in Melbourne.