What makes Eltham different
Mud brick and the Eltham Style
Justus Jorgensen built Montsalvat in the 1940s, several buildings in adobe and rammed earth. Local architects went on to specialise in mud brick, and Alistair Knox strongly influenced building that put landscape and natural materials first.
More heritage protection coming
Nillumbik Shire Council says the properties most often under the Heritage Overlay are farmhouses and some 'Eltham Style' modernist homes. Its 2022 Heritage Review recommended applying the overlay to 66 properties.
Bush on every side
Eltham grew among farms and uncleared stringybark forest, and bushfires were a frequent danger. Nillumbik says bushfire is still a serious risk across the shire.
Owners who stay
At the 2021 Census, 85.9% of occupied homes were separate houses, 42.2% were owned outright and only 11.9% were rented.
Heating an Eltham home
Heating comes first here, and most Eltham houses are owner occupied, so the choice is yours. DEECA says existing homes don't have to swap gas space heating for electric.
Before anyone quotes, tell them what the walls are made of. Mud brick and rammed earth aren't brick veneer, so the installer should see the walls before working out how to mount the indoor unit and run the pipes. For a house where you want warmth in several rooms but only one outdoor unit, ask about a multi-split, which runs several indoor units from one compressor outside.
If the house is in the Heritage Overlay, ask Nillumbik Council about a permit before anything goes on the outside. Council says the overlay sets out the permit requirements it uses for changes to heritage buildings and structures.
Outdoor units in bushland
Daikin says leaves and debris make an outdoor unit run less efficiently, so keep its patch clear, especially before the fire danger period. The ACT Government guide says never to box a unit in with slat fencing, and to leave room for maintenance.
Send your job and licence-checked installers near Eltham who do that work can see it. Only the one who takes it gets your contact details, and if no one close to Eltham takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Victoria may see it too.
What we'd do
Where we'd start in Eltham
Find out first whether your house is in the Heritage Overlay or on Council's heritage watch list. Then walk the outside with the installer and agree the outdoor unit's spot and the pipe route before choosing a model. In an earth-walled house, we'd want someone who's worked on mud brick before.
