17 July 2024

‘Welsh Terrace’ on Mary Street, West St Kilda, a very impressive and unusual Edwardian era landmark. Terraces were still built up to WW1 but not super common, and not many as grand as this row of 6, with projecting paired rooms/porches, and broad arched verandahs.

Likely designed by Blackett & Rankin in 1901, a lot of Arts & Crafts influence at a time when Queen Anne Edwardian was just catching on; WAM Blackett was known as an early adopter of Arts & Crafts, a style that didn’t get popular until about 1910. Real estate ads give the ‘Welsh Terrace’ name, which is emphasised by the individual houses named after Welsh towns, so presumably the builder/owner was from there (or thought it might appeal!). Interesting mostly original part cast iron fence, and at least one possibly original woven wire/wrought iron gate.

Ivy covered three of them until recently, so now you see them better. Not a lot notable inside, some nice Queen Anne-ish fireplaces, and leadlight windows, and the upstairs bay windows are all bathrooms, probably just a sun room originally. Biggish, and have sold in the last few years for nearly $4mill (!).

In searching Trove for ‘terraces Mary Street’ I found the ‘sensational’ case in 1899 of Mrs Fraser who shot her husband in the head ! (he survived). The news at first said she was deranged, but then when it was revealed he’d left her and was seeing other women; her defence was that she just happened to have the pistol in her pocket, and while arguing in street just outside the George Hotel, she pulled out her handkerchief, and the gun went off somehow …. and the jury found her not guilty, declaring ‘it was an accident’, to the surprise of the judge, and the cheers of the women in court. She had been building a terrace in Mary Street, thought might be Welsh Terrace, but there’s another less interesting Edwardian one only a block away on Park Street, so it’s probably that one.

• Uncategorized