Rose Bay grew in stages through the early twentieth century, and several of its subdivisions survive as coherent streetscapes of Federation and Inter-War houses. Woollahra Council protects four of them as neighbourhood heritage conservation areas: Beresford Estate, Rose Bay Gardens Estate, Kent Road, and Balfour Road on the Bellevue Hill side.
Owning a house in one of these estates changes how it should be maintained.
What the controls require
The controls for Woollahra’s neighbourhood heritage conservation areas say that painting, bagging or rendering original face brickwork is not to occur. They protect significant elevations, details, materials and finishes from alteration except for maintenance or restoration, require matching replacement materials, and protect sandstone walls, fences, kerbs and gutters.
The colour controls favour traditional colours, with light colours predominating on walls.
Cleaning is maintenance
Washing a house, cleaning a roof, clearing gutters and treating growth do not alter the building. They are permitted maintenance. The constraint is that if the method damages original fabric, the damage cannot be covered up. More: cleaning in heritage conservation areas.
Face brick
Federation and Inter-War brick is the defining material in these estates. Its fired face is hard; the body is soft. High pressure exposes the body, which then erodes and absorbs water. Acid cleaners attack lime mortar and stain.
The safe method: test patch, low pressure, soft brushing, biocide for growth, dry brushing for efflorescence. More: why we test patch and efflorescence.
Terracotta roofs
Most houses in these estates have terracotta tiled roofs, and the controls require terracotta to be replaced with terracotta. Soft washing kills moss and lichen without damaging the tiles; pressure washing damages them. Old tiles are brittle, so foot traffic should be minimised. More: soft washing versus pressure on roof tiles.
Timber, leadlight and verandahs
Timber joinery and verandah details are cleaned gently and repainted in suitable colours. Leadlight windows are cleaned with care: the lead cames are soft and the putty can be fragile. Verandahs must not be glazed or infilled.
Front fences and gardens
Sandstone and brick front fences are protected. Clean them gently and look after the cappings, which crack and let water in. More: how to clean sandstone walls.
Checking your property
A section 10.7 planning certificate states whether the property is in a heritage conservation area. If you are not sure whether a job is maintenance or alteration, ask council’s heritage team first.
The common mistakes on these houses
Painting the brick. Not permitted on original face brick in the conservation areas, and almost always regretted elsewhere.
Acid on brick and sandstone. Leaves white or green staining on brick, attacks lime mortar, and burns sandstone sills and bases.
Pressure on terracotta roofs. Strips the tile surface and breaks old tiles. Soft washing does the job without either.
Replacing rather than repairing. Timber windows, leadlight and terracotta details can usually be repaired. Matching replacement is required where they cannot.
Maintenance that keeps these houses sound
Keep water out: gutters clean, downpipes running, flashings sealed, paint on timber maintained. Keep walls dry at the base: garden beds and paving below the damp course, weep holes and subfloor vents clear. Clean gently and only as often as needed. These houses have lasted a century with modest care, and the commonest damage on them is done by over-cleaning, not neglect. More: brick fretting and rising damp.
See the Rose Bay maintenance calendar and our guide to cleaning heritage homes in the Eastern Suburbs.
