Bowen zone proposed, new name added

Previously known as the 'East Orange Heritage conservation area', we have renamed this area the 'Bowen Heritage conservation area' after the suburb name and its famous forebear.

BOWEN ZONE: This heritage conservation area remains unchanged from the portion located north-east of Bathurst Road and centred on Dora and Summer Streets. The name changes from East Orange to Bowen in order to distinguish it from the area on the south side of Bathurst Road.

The Bowen heritage conservation (HCA) zone is centred around the small nucleus of the former Municipal Council Chambers, Post Office, former Band Hall, and shops of the Dora, Summer and McLachlan Street intersection.

The area is predominantly residential with small corner shops, some of which remain in operation.

The buildings in Bowen are a diverse mix of mainly modest brick and timber weatherboard houses, terraces and local shops from the Late Victorian and Federation period with Interwar and later housing interspersed.

A few fine Federation Italianate houses remain in McLachlan and William streets, especially to the south end while the north stretches to more Interwar and weatherboard housing. while a fine set of four Victorian single brick terraces exist in Autumn Street with houses from the same period opposite.

On the southern boundary of the Bowen HCA is the grand two storey Bowen Terrace of 1876, which provides an impressive entry to the town centre.

Some timber houses from the end of the 19th century with original details are still evident in Bowen.

Since the 1986 heritage study was prepared several Victorian timber houses have been lost to new housing developments. Orange City Council: Heritage conservation area review 2019-20 24 David Scobie Architects with Adaptive Architects Corner shops are a characteristic of the East Orange area with Mackies Store a notable example.

With the diversity of brick, timber and corrugated iron clad buildings the area contrasts in character with the consistency of the period brick houses in the Central Orange HCA. This diversity provides the area’s character and affords broader options for material selection in new development.