Former Government Housing Precinct, Hilton

Parent Place or Precinct

04211 Hilton Precinct

Child Places

• 22820 GRIFFITHS PLACE PARK
• 22826 HILTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Physical Description

Although subdivision and redevelopment has occurred (the majority at the rear of the original large lots), this has been undertaken in a sympathetic manner, for the most part, having a limited impact on the suburb’s government housing character. There are areas within Hilton which have been subjected to a higher degree of less sympathetic redevelopment but overall the original simple, single storey residential intent is readily apparent.

History

Land was purchased for government housing in Hilton as early as the 1940s with housing construction under the State Housing Act and Commonwealth-State Rental Agreement from 1945. In 1949, further land was released for a State Housing Commission development comprising 144 lots, and 164 homes had been completed by 1950. Designed largely along Garden City principles, a further 355 lots were cleared by 1951 and hundreds of homes, mainly timber-framed Commonwealth-State rentals, were constructed over the next five years.

War Service Homes were also constructed across the suburb as was evictee housing. A high number of Austrian prefabricated houses were also constructed.

New suburbs at this time were often described in newspapers as being 'Commonwealth-State rental housing areas,' but were in fact a mix of houses under the various government schemes. For example, by mid 1956, Hilton comprised 427 Commonwealth-State rental homes, as well as homes built under the War Service (242), State Housing Act (12), McNess (8) and Evictee (45) programs.

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.