Old Street sign and semi-detached dwelling

Statement of Significance

Street sign: The extant old street signs are enamelled artefacts which demonstrate the variety of colourways and typefaces used in the suburb’s early street signage. Their significance is enhanced by remaining in location. Dwelling: The place has some aesthetic value as a good example of a Federation Free Classical style semi-detached duplex characterised by its simplicity, contrasting materials and texture, front parapet and symmetry contributing to the quality of its immediate setting. The semi-detached duplex at Nos. 189 - 191 Lake Street constructed c1908, together with the semi-detached duplex adjacent at Nos. 193 - 195 Lake Street constructed c1910 have some historic value as a complementary pair of Federation Free Classical style semi-detached duplexes that demonstrate the character and scale of semi-detached dwellings constructed on the city fringes as a response to the rapid population increase of the 1890’s Gold Boom and the early years of the 20th Century.

Physical Description

Street sign: Early street signs were enamelled metal, in various colourways and with a variety of type faces. The signs are artefacts of their period and gain significance by remaining in location. Early street signs also remain at 2 Dangan Street and 114 Bulwer Street. Semi-detached dwelling: The single storey semi-detached dwelling at No. 189 is a mirror pair to No. 191 constructed c1908 in the Federation Free Classical style of architecture. The face brick dwelling has a single room frontage and a gabled roof concealed behind a partially moulded polystyrene parapet with a polystyrene pediment above. The pediments are not original, believed to be constructed some time later to mimic the pediment on the semi-detached duplexes adjacent at Nos. 193 - 195 Lake Street, Perth. The parapet features a precast console bracket with a precast ball motif on top whihc is currenlty painted cream. Currently the dwelling at No. 189 Lake Street has a corrugated colourbond roof. A photograph of the dwelling taken in 1997 reveals it to have tile roofs at that time. Both dwellings feature two brick chimneys located on the southern and northern elevations of the dwellings respectively. A rendered brick and timber slat fence delineates No. 189 from the street with a brick paved court yards with some plantings behind the fence. The dwelling features a bullnose verandah being terracotta painted colourbond held up by turned timber posts separated by the party wall. A photograph taken of the dwelling in 1997 indicates that the bullnose verandahs were constructed after this time. The fenestration of the dwellings is simple and symmetrical with the front entrance positioned adjacent to the party wall featuring a set of two narrow window aluminium sliding windows with rendered decorative sills and skirts, addressing Lake Street. A rendered string course runs along the facade of the two dwelling, one at sill and one at above window height. Plans dated 27 February 1997 suggest that the internal layout of the two dwelling is indentical to that at No. 191 Lake Street, wiht a hallway extended along the party wall of the dwelling, featuring floorboards running in an east - west direction, high skirtings, moulded cornices and a ceiling rose. Two rooms project to the north of the hallway, with a fireplace located on the dividing wall in the front room. A timber panelled door leads from the end of the hallway into the lounge room area. The lounge room leads into the kitchen area with the kitchen facilities located on the southern wall and an additional room and a bathroom projecting to the north of the kitchen area. The subject dwelling is located along Lake Street on the corner of Hope Street. This section of Lake Street between Brisbane Street and Stuart Street slopes southwards and is characterised by single storey Federation dwellings, two storey Federation terrace housing, including 'Baker's Terrace' and Late Colonial style dwellings, together with some commercial properties. Alterations and addtions to the rear and modifications to the facade.

History

Street sign: Modern street signs are attached to metal poles and previously tall timber poles made from strong south-west timbers were used. Such poles were erected specifically for the purpose. Early street signs were attached to the side of the residence which occupied the street corner site. Remaining signs attached to residences are also located at 2 Dangan Street and 114 Bulwer Street. Semi-detached dwelling: The discovery of gold in Western Australia in the 1880's and the subsequent Gold Boom of the 1890's saw Perth's population increase four fold from 9,500 in 1891 to 44,000 in 1901 and 87,000 in 1911. A shortage of space in the city led to people moving out of the central area and creating tent '˜suburbs' and a demand for rental accommodation close to the city heightened. Continuing demand for housing led to several new subdivisions. Amongst there new subdivisions was 'Central Park Estate' was developed in 1892 at Lake Thompson and houses were erected along William, Newcastle, Lindsay and Money Streets and several shops along Newcastle and William Streets. Others also carried out in the area included that undertaken by the Colonial Finance Corporation between Brookman, Moir and Lake Streets and Forbes Road, the subdivisions 'Westralia' in 1895, 'Norwood' in 1896 and the 'Brooking Park Estate' also in 1896. The block that the subject dwelling and street sign erected, No. 189 Lake Street were part of the latter subdivision. During these Gold Boom years of the 1890's this area of Perth was substantially redeveloped with existing lots being further subdivided for housing and commercial development. A survey of the Wise Post Office Directories indicates that there was a range of commercial and residential properties that developed along Lake Street from the 1890's onwards between Newcastle Street and Brisbane Street. Some commercial properties on the western side of the street included the West Australian Boot Manufacturing Company (No. 117), the Newcastle Club Hotel located on the corner of Newcastle Street and a grocery store on the corner of Church Street, amongst single and semi-detached residential dwellings. The commercial properties are still in extant today, however many have since been converted to alternative uses including residential grouped dwellings, a backpackers and an office respectively. Other commercial developments in the area included The Northbridge Hotel, formerly the Royal Standard Hotel that was constructed circa 1897 on the corner of Brisbane Street, coinciding with the development of the residential estates in Brookman, Moir and Lake Street, initiated by the Colonial Finance Company. This mix of commercial and residential development was characteristic of this area of Perth and created a diversity of residents including shop keepers and trades people and home occupations such as dress makers and music teachers, together with professionals and the 'managerial class'. This diversity within the social fabric was demonstrated through the diversity in housing type. For instance the Colonial Finance Corporation, a typical property investment company, became the sole proprietor of part of Suburban Lot 28 with the intention of building a housing estate, within the area bounded by Lake Street to the west, Cicely Street (later known as Robinson Avenue) to the north, Wellman Avenue to the east and by Forbes Road to the south. The City of Perth rate books indicate that the subject place was owned by Fergus Arundal of Fremantle in 1898 and taht he also owned Nos. 187, 191 and 193. The 1908 Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that the resident was Mrs Isobel Holmes. There were five houses in her street block at that time and the occupations were listed for some of the residents. At No. 193 there was a businessman and No. 203 was a tailor and on the opposite corner at No. 187 there was a builder. In 1925 the resident at the subjcet place was Albert W Langford and Arthur J Langford was next door at No. 191. In 1949, the last year of the Directories, the resident was Jackson Kingsley. Today (2008) there are three dwellings within the strata subdivision namely the subject dwellings at No. 189 (Lot 2) and No. 191 (Lot 1) and the new dwellings at the rear of these two, at No. 2A (Lot 3) Hope Street, Perth.

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