308-312 Neill Street, Soldiers Hill. Ballarat, Victoria

This small row of three red brick Queen Anne style terraces is unusual for Ballarat. While the marching down the hill style is similar to many in Soldiers Hill, the cute terraces of this row are unusually tiny and thin for Ballarat terraces, like miner or workers cottages. The size could possibly explained by their proximity to the railway station and the typically small blocks of the surrounding subdivision in Soldiers Hill.

Prominent striped gables with prominent eave brackets sit atop projecting bay windows. The party walls project and are pronounced, with a step brick feature. Their slate roof style is also rare for terraces in Ballarat. Large and richly decorated red brick chimneys are a feature of a very picturesque roofline.

Each entry has a single room with double windows and hallway. The filligree verandah is supported by a single column with capital that frames the doorway and the cast ironwork features rose patterns. The corrugated iron verandah contrasts notably with the slate roofs.

The terraces are offered local heritage protection as part of the City of  Ballarat’s heritage overlay HO170.

I’m not certain of the date or architect, however the Queen Anne style of them would suggest mid to late 1890s at least – possibly 1896.