| Address: | 108-148 Ocean Beach Road |
|---|---|
| Suburb: | Sorrento |
A number of Ocean Beach Road limestone residences with ubiquitous red brick detailing in are still extant. They give us a good idea of the type of residences built early in the 20th century. For example Carmel’s B&B was built in ca 1905 as a guesthouse. Today it features three self-contained apartments. The Three Palms Restaurant was built as the home of builder James Tayton in 1906. He had his workshop next door: this was for many years a local silversmith’s workshop with gallery at the front. It is now a gallery. Fletcher’s Real Estate occupies a third residence, which housed an Antique furniture and bric-a-brac business for many years, which has since moved to a custom built premise a few doors down.
Infill architecture in an historic streetscape is a prevailing town planning issue. Simply replicating historic architecture is not acceptable – we should be building the best contemporary architecture which will become our future heritage buildings. Scale and materials should be respected. Antipodes bookshop represents one solution. But it also exemplifies the dilemma faced by designers when new functions need to be housed in an historic setting – gables and cottage form have been emulated. But the proportions are very different to the neighbours. What is not evident from the main street, is that the buildings in Ocean Beach Road are all built on the ridge of a sand dune. The land slopes sharply and steeply to the rear. This has enabled Antipodes to utilise the land to accommodate a large gallery space for local exhibitions to the rear. Currently planning applications are being considered for multi apartment developments that are seeking to take advantage of this vacant land behind the business premises on Ocean Beach Road.
Coles Supermarket has its Liquorland frontage on Ocean Beach Road, while the Supermarket is directly accessible from the parking lot off Morce Avenue behind. This was an extremely controversial development for Sorrento, with many in the community arguing against the large supermarket chain setting up business Sorrento. The main road frontage (108 Ocean Beach Road) was occupied by a Californian bungalow and its garden up until its recent demolition.
Former Housing, 142-146 Ocean Beach Road: Date unknown ----- An example of a significant limestone home formerly owned by the Stringer family. Signage within the image remarks on the homes recent restoration. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.
“Carmel’s B+B” accommodation: 2013.
Former Housing, 128-136 Ocean Beach Road: Date unknown ----- Another example of a significant limestone home, formerly owned by the Wooster family. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.
Fletcher’s Real Estate Sorrento: 2013.
Antipodes Bookshop and Gallery, Infill Development, 138 Ocean Beach Road: 2013 ----- Built between existing limestone homes, previous photographs and records indicate there was a dwelling on the site, possibly semi detached, owned by the Stringer family.
Tayton Workshop: ca. 1906, 148 Ocean Beach Road: 2013 ----- Built as a store and limestone workshop for the builder James Tayton, his family residence was directly adjacent to the site. The workshop is constructed largely of limestone yet presents a weatherboard façade.
Tayton Family Residence, built 1905, 154 Ocean Beach Road: 2013 ----- Another example of a significant limestone home with brick window dressing and quoins. Currently tenanted by the Three Palms Restaurant.
