Australian Capital Territory
Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith) Notice 2008 (No 1)*
Notifiable Instrument NI2008— 72
made under the
Heritage Act 2004 s34 Notice of decision about Provisional Registration

1.	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith) Notice 2008 (No 1).

2.	Commencement
This instrument commences on the day after notification.

3.	Notice of Decision
Pursuant to Section 34 of the Heritage Act 2004 the ACT Heritage Council has decided not to provisionally register 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith.

…………………………….
Dr Michael Pearson
Chair ACT Heritage Council
GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2602

6 March 2008

STATEMENT OF REASONS

DECISION REGARDING THE INCLUSION OF 14 JANSZ CRESCENT (BLOCK 10, SECTION 88, GRIFFITH) IN THE ACT HERITAGE REGISTER

Chapter 1	Background
14 Jansz Crescent (Block 10, Section 88, Griffith) was nominated to the interim ACT Heritage Places Register in 1996 by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) In early 1997 the ACT Heritage Council advised the nominator that it did not feel that listing of the property was justified at that time. The place remained nominated pending the receipt of further information.  

Council did not accord a priority to the assessment, and it remained in the backlog of nominated places until it was assessed as part of the Nominated Interim Heritage Place Register (IHPR) Project in 2004-05.  The nomination has now been considered and at Meeting 18 on 6 March 2008, the ACT Heritage Council endorsed a Statement of Reasons which does not find 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith eligible for provisional listing (heritage listing) due to extensive changes that have compromised the integrity of the building’s original design. 

Detailed reasoning of why the 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for listing under the heritage criteria at Section 10 of the Heritage Act 2004 is included under Assessment.

Assessment
The Council’s assessment against the criteria specified in s.10 of the Heritage Act 2004 is as follows.

In assessing the nomination for the 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, the Council considered:

•	The original nomination form provided by the nominator. 
•	2004-05 Nominated IHPR Project Assessment 
•	Materials held on file by Council on the Assessment File: 96/07136
•	The physical evidence and surrounding context as ascertained from an onsite assessment on 27.7.2004.

It should be noted that the nominator did not address all of the criteria at the time of nomination in 1996, but that the 2004-05 assessment  has addressed all.

In relation to the place:

Criterion (a) it demonstrates a high degree of technical or creative achievement (or both), by showing qualities of innovation, discovery, invention or an exceptionally fine level of application of existing techniques or approaches

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘applicable’ and found that:
The design of the original residence in the Post-War Melbourne Regional Style (1940-1960) represented a new architectural style in Australia at that time.  The notable examples built in this style date from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s.  The original house was designed in 1957 making it a new achievement of its time.  There is little of the original character of the residence left, however there are several elements that are intact and significant including the glazing and vertical timber panelled gable to the north facade of the living room and adjacent bedroom, the fireplace and the original glazing to the rear second bedroom with projecting concrete lintel and projecting brick sides and sill.

The design of the west extension in the Late Twentieth-Century Sydney Regional Style (1960-) represented a new architectural style in Australia at that time.  Much of the character of this extension is intact.

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  It found that the original place would have met this criterion on the basis that it demonstrated innovative architecture; in its open planned interiors, that demonstrated an innovative architectural response to the needs of the owner, and its modern architectural styles.  However the subsequent degree of change to the place has diminished the ability of the dwelling to demonstrate these qualities. 

Criterion (b) it exhibits outstanding design or aesthetic qualities valued by the community or a cultural group

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘applicable’, and found that:
The original house exhibited the particular architectural elements peculiar to the Post-War Melbourne Regional Style (1940-1960) including low pitched gable roof, widely projecting eaves, long unbroken roof line, narrow edge of roof and timber posts.

The roof line is still discernible, however, there have been additions to it.  The pergola and its timber posts have been deleted.

The west extension exhibits the particular architectural elements peculiar to the Late Twentieth-Century Sydney Regional Style (1960-) including the roof following the slope of the land and stained or oiled timber.

The open planning, fireplace, courtyards, full width and height glazing with associated brick detailing, vertical boarding, clerestory windows, part timber post and beam construction, exposed roof beams and boarded stud walls are design features that are of additional significance.

Heritage Council assessment:
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  It found that the house at 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not now exhibit many of the elements of both the Post-War Melbourne Regional style (1940-60) but still does exhibit some of the Late Twentieth-Century Sydney Regional style (1960-).  The house now only retains the steel roofing; roof following the slope of the land and stained or oiled timber.

Criterion (c) it is important as evidence of a distinctive way of life, taste, tradition, religion, land use, custom, process, design or function that is no longer practised, is in danger of being lost or is of exceptional interest

The nominator made no claim against this criterion.  

Heritage Council assessment:
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (d) it is highly valued by the community or a cultural group for reasons of strong or special religious, spiritual, cultural, educational or social associations

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘not applicable’.

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (e) it is significant to the ACT because of its importance as part of local Aboriginal tradition
The nominator made no claim against this criterion.  

Heritage Council assessment:  
There is no evidence that 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, is significant to the Aboriginal community.  14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (f) it is a rare or unique example of its kind, or is rare or unique in its comparative intactness
The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘not applicable’.

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (g) it is a notable example of a kind of place or object and demonstrates the main characteristics of that kind

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘not applicable’.

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (h) it has strong or special associations with a person, group, event, development or cultural phase in local or national history

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘applicable’. 

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  It found that the residence was designed by Derek Wrigley as his own house. He played and still plays a role in Canberra’s architectural community, but not to a level of significance to fulfil this criterion.  He is a local architect in Canberra and this house is important in his career, being an early example of his work and where he experimented with passive solar design at a time when few buildings genuinely attempted to.

Criterion (i) it is significant for understanding the evolution of natural landscapes, including significant geological features, landforms, biota or natural processes
The nominator made no claim against this criterion.  

Heritage Council assessment:  
	This criterion is not applicable.

Criterion (j) it has provided, or is likely to provide, information that will contribute significantly to a wider understanding of the natural or cultural history of the ACT because of its use or potential use as a research site or object, teaching site or object, type locality or benchmark site

The nominator has indicated this criterion as ‘applicable’. 

Heritage Council assessment:  
14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  It found that its architecture is characteristic of the Post-War Melbourne Regional style (1940-60) and the Late Twentieth-Century Sydney Regional Style (1960-).

While the house exhibits elements of both styles, there are better individual residential examples of both the styles in Canberra.  Examples of the Post-War Melbourne Regional Style are Fenner House, 8 Monaro Crescent Red Hill, by Robin Boyd 1953, and three houses in Vasey Crescent Campbell by Robin Boyd and Roy Grounds 1961.

An examples of the Late Twentieth-Century Sydney Regional style is 145 Mugga Way Red Hill 1965, by Russell Jack of Allen, Jack and Cottier. 

Criterion (k) for a place—it exhibits unusual richness, diversity or significant transitions of flora, fauna or natural landscapes and their elements
The nominator made no claim against this criterion.  

Heritage Council assessment:  
This criterion is not applicable

Criterion (l) for a place—it is a significant ecological community, habitat or locality for any of the following:
(i) the life cycle of native species;
(ii) rare, threatened or uncommon species;
(iii) species at the limits of their natural range;
(iv) distinct occurrences of species

The nominator made no claim against this criterion.  

Heritage Council assessment:  
	This criterion is not applicable.

Conclusion
The ACT Heritage Council finds that 14 Jansz Crescent, Griffith, is of insufficient heritage value to warrant provisional registration in the ACT Heritage Register.

Dr Michael Pearson (Chair)
ACT Heritage Council

6 March 2008