5-11, SOUTH AVENUE

Nos. 5 to 11 on South Avenue are a group of almshouses built around 1912 by Sir Mervyn Macartney. The buildings are constructed of red brick and feature a coved cornice beneath swept, hipped plain tiled roofs. They are single storey and consist of five bay centres with a central arched through-way, which is flanked by brick quasi-pilasters and single casements. The outer projections have single casements and are flanked by recessed arched entrances. Quadrant walls between the piers, topped with globes, connect the central block to small pavilions that also have end stacks and arched entrances, all designed in the same style. Whiteley Village was established by William Whiteley of Whiteley's stores to provide housing for thrifty elderly individuals and was laid out in an octagonal plan by Frank Atkinson, utilizing prominent architects of the time.