Doncaster, from orchards to project homes
Orchards until the 1970s
German orchardists settled Doncaster in the 1860s and 1870s, and it stayed orchard land until the 1970s. Most houses went up between the 1950s and the 1980s.
The project builder era
eMelbourne notes the population of Doncaster and Templestowe tripled between 1950 and 1960. Project builders set up display homes, and local clay pits supplied the lighter yellow bricks buyers wanted.
High ground
Victorian Places notes the suburb's 360 degree views from high ground, and Williamsons Road follows a ridge line.
Units and apartments too
At the 2021 Census, 53.1% of occupied dwellings were separate houses, 27.3% flats or apartments and 19.6% semi-detached or townhouses.
Heritage in a 1970s estate
Winter Park (1970), early cluster housing with homes by architect Graeme Gunn, is heritage listed.
Wind and the ridge line
North-west winds build ahead of cold fronts and can reach gale force. On exposed tiled roofs, that's when loose ridge caps, lifted tiles and flapping flashings show up.
On houses from the 1960s to the 1980s, the original ridge mortar has had a long life. When it cracks, the caps loosen and water gets in along the ridge. Rebedding and repointing relays the mortar and secures the caps, and it's a routine job on roofs this age.
If the tiles are fine and only the ridge and coating are tired, a restoration brings the whole roof back. Further east in Manningham, towards the green wedge and its remnant bushland, gutters fill faster and need clearing more often.
What we'd do
After a big wind, we'd look along the ridge from the street with binoculars before anything else. Gaps, missing mortar or a crooked cap mean it's time to get someone out. On a roof from the project-home years, we'd rebed and repoint before paying for a full restoration, unless the tiles themselves are tired too. Tell us the job and your postcode: if we've got a licence-checked roofer for Doncaster, they'll get it alone, and if not, we'll tell you straight away.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
