Hobsons Bay council has refused an application to demolish the oldest house on the Strand in Williamstown.
RBA Architects, acting for the owner, applied to partially demolish the National Heritage-listed house known as Dachet, which was built about 1858.
The applicant sought to demolish all 20th century sections and deconstruct and store the 19th century sections offsite.
The council received 17 objections.
Williamstown historian Brian Haynes said there was no guarantee the two-storey section, built by shipwright William Hall in or before 1858, would be reconstructed elsewhere.
“This type of two-storey timber structure is now very rare, not only in Williamstown but in Melbourne,” he said.
The National Trust objected to the demolition, stating the house “was recognised early in the trust’s history and it was classified in 1958, making it one of the very first classifications by the organisation”.
Deputy mayor Paul Morgan said the house was one of a small number of surviving pre-1860s dwellings in Williamstown that demonstrated the city’s early development.
“Although later alterations have affected the integrity of the house, Dachet is … a wonderful example of early construction techniques,” Cr Morgan said. “The proposal to store, relocate and reconstruct the house was a novel one, but the owner gave no details of where and when it would be reconstructed.
“The Williamstown community is passionate about preserving local history and character and I’m sure they’ll be happy with this decision.”
The applicant has 60 days to appeal the council decision at VCAT.
The owner has declined to comment.
