Lloyd's House

31 Cranhaven Road, Langwarrin

Citation:

History
Harry H. Lloyd, bacon-curer, was the owner in 1923-24 of a house on 5 acres of land in Lot 23 of Crown allotment 49A, Parish of Langwarrin, the site of the present house at 31 Cranhaven Road.1

The Lloyd house was described in the 1939-40 rate records as a fibro-cement, weatherboard and cast iron house of seven rooms. By this time it stood on seven acres in Lots 23 and 24.2

During the inter-war period the Lloyd family, J.L. Lloyd and Sons, who came to the area in 1900, was responsible for the establishment of two major district industries - bacon-curing and poultry farming. Lloyd's Bacon Factory and the Cranhaven Poultry Farm (run by Sydney N. Lloyd), were both in Cranbourne Road. The Lloyd family, who came from Hampshire, built up their businesses and constructed their homes on Allotments 49A and 50A purchased from the Crown Grantee, W. Henderson.3 The bacon-curing factory at Langwarrin was described in the 'Standard' newspaper in 1926 as containing 'its own killing chamber and with a sausage vat that cooked 1000 tons of sausages at a time. The factory had its own electricity generating plant and a fleet of delivery vans. The wages bill was in excess of £2000 a year, making it probably the major factory in the region at the time'.4

John Lloyd reputedly 'used to pick up pigs everywhere, and drove a horse in a four-wheeled wagon for years to buy them'.5 Sydney Lloyd's poultry farm provided `free-range eggs' and dressed poultry. His delivery van was a familiar district sight.6

Harry Lloyd represented Langwarrin Riding on the Shire Council from 1928 until 1945.7 The Lloyds purchased the Memorial Hall from the Army Reserve in 1944 and moved it to the bacon factory.8

Description
This is a weatherboarded Californian Bungalow-style house, with brick verandah piers and 2 large oaks with lesser examples and other mature exotics in the front garden such as a cordyline and fruit trees; there is also some stone edging to the drive. It appears by its siting to be a residual farm house. It is on the south-west corner of Tweed Crt. And has a Monterey pine row at the rear (may have once been in the property).

Condition
The house is close to its original form externally.

Context
Set on a corner, the house and its mature garden relates to the oak avenue to the east and Mossbank Park, as former large properties in the once semi-rural area. The house and its mature garden may also have a historical connection with the oak avenue entrance to the nearby 'Nine Oaks'.

Significance
This house and garden are of regional historical significance as the home of Harry A. Lloyd, bacon-curer, and member of a local family which set up two major district industries. The bacon factory, set up in the 1920s, was said to be the foremost factory in the region at the time. As a well-preserved house surrounded by mature trees and in a popular style of the 1920s-30s, the house is also distinguishable historically as one of the older houses in an area which has been largely redeveloped.

Boundaries
Extent of current allotment, including the front garden, mature trees including the two oaks, cordyline, and house exterior.