Milgate Park Estate

Milgate Parke Estate

Andersons Creek Road (at Landscape Drive), Doncaster East

The Milgate Park Estate is notable for the extremely generous allocation of parkland and waterways with facilities such as two tennis courts, a netball court, football ground and playing facilities that are owned by the residents through a Home Owners' Association. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is completely separated. There is no through traffic and only Landscape Drive is not a cul-de-sac. There are no overhead powerlines, footpaths and very few fences. House numbers are in the kerbs. Sites are slightly smaller than usual to compensate. Maintenance of the estate is of an extremely high standard. No individual houses are of interest.

Condition - Integrity Not known Threats Key elements

The developer of the Milgate Park Estate was Jim Hedstrom who died in about 1990. His company was Discol Developers Pty Ltd, a family concern. It was a very personal project for Hedstrom. He bought a number of one acre blocks cheaply, zoned Residential D, and resold them. The profit was used to buy three orchards of approximately 120 acres for Milgate. The design is derived from the idea of Radburn, New Jersey. 
The designer of the estate is Peter Mulcahy (Peter Mulcahy & Associates Pty Ltd).

A 'Home Owners' Association' was formed, the first in Victoria, forerunner of today's body corporates. Owners pay an annual fee towards maintenance of the open space and community facilities.

The Home Owners' agreement was drawn up by Geoffrey R. Taylor, solicitor of Doncaster Road. Occasionally owners fail to contribute the annual fee, but this is enforced. There was also some buyer resistance because the blocks are smaller. It received the RAIA Community Design Award Citation in 1976.

The design is influenced by the WB & MM Griffin subdivisions at Eaglemont c1905 and comparable to Merchant Builders estates at Winter Park and Elliston, Rosanna.

HISTORY

SOURCES
  • Peter Mulcahy, 15.4.91 pers. comm. Estate plan brochure
  • Architect, July 1986, p.7
  • Sunday Herald, 21 April, 1991, p.81.
Creation Date c.1975

Associations:  Jim Hedstrom, Discol Developers Pty Lt

Change Dates Local Themes 7.01 - Subdivisions

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:  Of State significance as a rare implementation of the planning principles of the Radburn traffic separation idea with communal ownership of community facilities and very extensive community parkland in an extremely successful development.

Heritage Schedule:  External Paint Controls: Internal Alteration Controls: Tree Controls: Outbuildings or Fences: Description:
Prohibited Uses: Aboriginal Heritage Place: Incorporated Plan:

BIBLIOGRAPHY 
[31] Peter Mulcahy, 15.4.91 pers. comm.; 
Estate plan brochure; Architect, July 1986, p.7; 
Sunday Herald, 21 April, 1991, p.81

SourceManningham Heritage Study Review 2005 - Manningham Council (Vol 2 Citations Final 16 feb)
https://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/file/34386/download


Milgate Park Estate

Coordinates: 37°46′30″S 145°10′15″E

The Milgate Park Estate is a housing estate in Doncaster East, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The estate comprises 40 hectares of land situated around a section of Long Valley, a gully bed that no longer carries surface water, which flows northeast and into the Mullum Mullum Creek. The land was used for orchards from the 1860s to the 1970s when it was subdivided for residential housing. Land in the estate itself was released to the public in two stages, the southern area first, followed by the northern area.

The estate is listed on the Register of the National Estate for historical importance, it is a rare example of the implementation of the planning principles of the Radburn principle traffic separation idea (known as the planning scheme for "towns of the motor age") which served as a precedent for the car-free movement. It included communal ownership of community facilities and extensive community parkland. Facilities include; a playground, two tennis courts, a netball court, football ground and playing facilities. The facilities are owned by the residents through a Home Owners Association. There is no through traffic and only Landscape Drive is not a court.

Parklands
Milgate Park extends through much of the estate, Landscape Drive Reserve (formally a lake) adjoins the estate at the northern section of Landscape Drive.

Roadways
Many of the roadways within the estate were named after artists of the Heidelberg Arts School:[1]
  • Landscape Drive
  • Reddington Terrace
  • Lambert Place
  • Dowling Grove
  • Watling Terrace
  • Buvelot Wynd
  • Meldrum Close
  • Heysen Grove
  • McCubbin Terrace
  • Streeton Lane
  • Dobell Place
  • Andersons Creek Road
  • Ramsay Close
  • Longstaff Court
  • Roper Place
  • Wiarando Court
References
  • Melway, Edition 35, 2008
  • Melway map 34
  • Australian Heritage Database: Milgate Park Estate Conservation Area
  • Australian Conservation website
  • Doncaster East local parks
Source: Wikipedia. 15JUL2023



Milgate Park estate in Doncaster East has celebrated its 40th anniversary

MILGATE Park's evenly spaced parkland avenues, which lead to a central communal sporting and activity hub, cry out for neighbourly interaction.

Ron Mannix, Margaret Schafter, Chris Close. Milgate Park Estate in Doncaster East celebrated its 40th anniversary on December...


MILGATE Park's evenly spaced parkland avenues, which lead to a central communal sporting and activity hub, cry out for neighbourly interaction.
Ron Mannix, a resident of 30 years, said everything about the estate - designed using open space as a buffer between rows of homes - aimed to foster a great sense of community spirit.
He said the estate has attracted a host of young families - including his own - since being built on land purchased from orchardist families in 1973.
"We had three kids, including twins, and needed a bigger block," Mr Mannix said. "We wanted open space, not just a quarter acre in Donvale, and I liked the concept."
He said residents were connected through the estate's owners' association - of which he was one of nine elected directors - with each member paying an annual fee to maintain the communal parklands adjoining most backyards.
Members also paid to upkeep the central sporting hub, which included an oval, two tennis courts and cricket pitch, he said.
"Everyone radiates from (the hub) - people walk there from the back of their properties," he said.
"There is a link (between residents); when they become a member one of the ­directors goes to their house and welcomes them, letting them know about the estate and how special they are to be a part of it."
Margaret Schafter, whose husband Albert's family had orchards off nearby Anderson's Creek Rd, said they bought in the estate for $18,000 in 1975.
"We knew that it was coming on the market and saw people running to put their name on the land," Mrs Schafter said.
Mr Mannix said some homes were now selling for more than $1 million, as the next wave of young families moved into the estate.
"When we were younger we had kids and it was fantastic for them; they loved the estate," he said.
Ray White real estate agent Frank Perri, who has a house in Milgate Park up for auction this Saturday, said the estate was close to, if not, the most, popular in Doncaster East.

Source: Shaun Campbell, December 21, 2013 - 12:00AM, Manningham Leader. Downloaded from Herald Sun 15JUL2023



Google Maps 15JUL2023




Rod Milgate - connection ??  Lived there ???  One of estate designers just liked his work ???










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