Description
The Canary Island Date Palm became a popular exotic palm species during the early part of the twentieth century with its characteristic bold accent, dramatic scale, uniform growth pattern and tolerance to drought. Most of the palms mature and are planted very close the buildings and have trunk heights between 8-10m. They form a very enclosed and distinctive character and buffer between the adjoining units.
Other associates such as Kentia Palms (Howea forsteriana), a Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and an unusual multi-stemmed, Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii), located in a central courtyard planter, further reinforce the exotic palm character and styling.
Significance
The group of buildings comprising 40A – 42 Bayswater Road and 35-41 Roslyn Street along with the thoroughfare formerly known as Eaton Avenue is unique within the City of Sydney. There is no known other residential flat development of the period in which one developer formed a street and constructed buildings along it. This informal avenue of Canary Island Date Palms (Phoenix canariensis) create a distinctive exotic character and sense of place to this gated pedestrian precinct. The palms, most of which appear to date from the Post-War period (c.1950-60), as they are not visible in 1943 aerial photos, are integral components of the clustered four-storey buildings (which are scheduled in the Local Environmental Plan 2012). Given this planting date and their current size it is conceivable, and likely, they were transplanted as semi-mature specimens.
Although none of these palms are of individual significance, together and as part of the unique building complex and streetscape they have group significance at the local level in terms of their visual, aesthetic, social and historic values. This species is also acquiring significance in terms of rarity value. In recent years, this species has been decimated in many public parklands due to introduced fungal pathogens in the soil and care should be taken to protect and manage these specimens.
Historical notes
Coonana as part of group comprising 40A – 42 Bayswater Road and 35-41 Roslyn Street, is of local historic and aesthetic significance. The twelve blocks of inter-war flats, centred along a thoroughfare, formerly known as Eaton Avenue, and built by one developer, builder Arthur William Coleman, is unique within the City of Sydney. Although individually aesthetically neutral, as a group the buildings are unified and distinctive, and in combination with the street and landscaping that runs between them, form a coherent streetscape that is enhanced by later palm planting. The group of buildings are associated with a period of intensive residential flat development in the 1920’s.
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