Building Citation for the National Trust Victoria
(Melrose), Miller Road, The Basin, is a single storey villa erected for former printer and first Shire President James John Miller in 1888.
The stuccoed dwelling, which replaced an 1870's house, is believed to have been designed by English architect Thomas Hunter. Symmetrical in design, the dwelling is characterised by its two large bay windows with French doors instead of windows and by the encircling timber and cast iron verandah.
Construction is in brick with a corrugated iron hipped roof. (Melrose), Miller Road, The Basin, is an Italianate Boom style villa of consequence for its historical associations with the settlement of the district and especially with first Shire President James John Miller, who built the house. The house is part of the historic landscape of the district and is architecturally of note.
While a fairly typical house of its period, (Melrose) is unusual for the use of French doors instead of windows and for the mergings of the bay window roofs into the ridge, a most uncommon detail.
Statement of Significance
This single storey Victorian residence was the home of James John Miller, the first President of Ferntree Gully Shire (1889).
Stables and training facilities were established out of wilderness and scrub on the original property bounded by Miller Rd, Albert Ave and Mountain Hwy, which was just over 77 acres. Miller owned other blocks adjacent to this property including the entire shopping centre area in The Basin, well over 400 acres in total.
The building is the best example of the Victorian style boom era of the 1880's in the City of Knox, and has been restored faithfully. The garden has also been landscaped as far as possible to the original design with propagation of remnants of vegetation including a camellia walkway dating from the 1890's.