111 Redfern Street

Parent Place or Precinct

26270 Sadlier and Redfern Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Sadlier and Redfern Streets heritage area is of:
Aesthetic Value
• As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely Inter War residences.
• For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1920s and the 1940s.
• For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
Historic Value
• As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century.
• For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees.
• For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1920s to the 1930s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in this period.
Representativeness
• As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services.
Physical Form in the Public Realm
• The houses, which (with the exception of three modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1920s to 1940s, have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, within a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

The house is of single storey brick and terracotta tile construction located on a corner position at the intersection of Ada Street and Redfern Street.

The key feature of the house is the wide gable, extending the full width of the façade, forming a small verandah at the east corner of the house. The gable has timber detailing and an interesting arrangement of air vents in the apex. The roof is clad with terracotta tiles with terracotta finial and brick chimney with render detailing.

The house is tuckpointed to the lower half of the façade and roughcast render to the top half, separated by a stringcourse.

The windows are timber framed sash windows with rendered sills with small leaded window to the western end of the façade.

The garden is enclosed with timber picket fence. Parking is to the rear of the property.

History

This portion of Redfern Street was subdivided for residential lots in 1891. However the lots were not taken up rapidly. In 1896, lots in the Redfern Estate, Subiaco were advertised in the local press as ‘Good Building Lots, near the railway line’. The subdivision was managed by Alfred Axon, the local branch manager for the NSW company, Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company. Axon was also a significant individual investor in Subiaco property.

Despite the early subdivision it was not until the 1910s that the first lots were occupied in this portion of Subiaco. Analysis of Rate Books and PO Directories indicates that this place was likely constructed c.1925.

The Rate Books contain the following listings:
• 1929/30 John Christie – owner & John Truman (clerk) – occupier
• 1935/36 & 1936/37 John Christie – owner & Frederick Wittber - occupier
The PO directories list the following occupants:
• 1926 Newton, Henry
• 1927 – 1932 Truman, John
• 1933/34 Tate, Frank
• 1935/36 – 1937/38 Wittber, Fredk.
• 1938/39 – 1939/40 Doran, Jno
• 1940/41 – 1944 Channing, Mrs Eva
• 1945- 1946 Christie, Jno
• 1947 – 1949 Innes, Herbert

From the above information it is apparent that the property was built by clerk, John Christie who leased the place to tenants..

From the available information it is suggested the owner John Pollock Christie (c1893-1959) was a clerk who served during World War One and married Madge Fowler in 1922.

The first occupants were John Philip Truman (1891-1970) and his wife Doris Muriel Truman, nee Brumby (c1895-1981) who had married in 1919. The couple settled at this house in 1927 in the same year their daughter was born. The couple lived at this place for only a few years before relocating to 5 Sadlier Street. John worked as a clerk all his career and his son John also took on this occupation.
Aerial photographs of the residence indicate it had a simple square plan form until c2005 when an addition was constructed to join portion of the rear of the existing building. It has retained the same form and extent since that time although the property grounds have undergone improvements including a high wall on the boundary and a swimming pool.
Plans from the City of Subiaco archives indicate the place originally featured a symmetrical façade with verandahs on both sides on the main elevation. The verandah on the western side was enclosed to form a sleepout and this was made a more permanent structure c2002.

Integrity/Authenticity

The house has recently been restored, reinstating the original type of finishes to the place although the enclosed verandah has altered the form of the original facade

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.