Clarkes Stores, 10 Stephen Street (formerly 4 Stephen Street)

Statement of Significance

Clarke's Stores has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:

• This place is representative of the many small business premises that were established to serve the varied needs of the Bunbury community during the first half of the twentieth century.
• The place has a direct association with Ephraim Mayo Clarke and his sons, who were prominent in the provision of local grocery and drapery services from as early as the late 1880s.
• The place has aesthetic value with a decorative parapet that positively contributes to the Stephen Street
streetscape.

Physical Description

Clarke's Store is a single storey rendered masonry building with a concealed corrugated steel roof designed in the Federation Free Classical style of architecture.

The building has a decorative parapet that extends across the adjacent laneway and connects to the Bon Marche Building to the west. The parapet has a central raised pediment with the rendered words, "Clarke's Stores". The pediment features rendered piers with string course detailing, rendered orbs and corner rendered scrolls with acanthus leaves detailing. A continuous suspended boxed awning extends over the footpath connecting to the adjacent buildings.

The ground floor facade has been modified with a glazed shopfront and aluminium framed glazed doors.

History

At the beginning of the 1890s, Bunbury had a population of only 572. By the end of that decade, the population had risen to 2,970 – reflecting the rate of increase experienced by the colony as a whole following the discovery of significant gold deposits. This was matched by improvements in infrastructure, including the opening of the Perth to Bunbury railway line in 1893 and significant development of the port. From this time on the town developed not only as an important regional centre, but also as a seaside tourist resort. Despite the adverse impact of war and depression, Bunbury continued to experience residential and business development during the Inter-War era, and the population reached around 6,000 in 1939. The ongoing development and consolidation of the town over time continues to be reflected in its local heritage places.

A photograph, dated c.1905, shows the rear portion of Bunbury Town Lot 233 occupied by a wide single storey stone building facing Stephen Street. The former building would later be demolished and the land subdivided into No. 10, 12 and 14 Stephen Street. An additional photograph, dated 1920, shows that the present building at 10 Stephen Street had been developed in front of the pre 1905 stone building, with the parapet detailing integrating it with the adjacent Bon Marche Buildings.


In 1913, Bunbury born Maurice ‘Bret’ Clarke (1887-1950) took over his father’s store at the corner of Victoria and Stephen Streets. A short time later the corner shops were redeveloped as the Bon Marche Stores (under the proprietorship of Harry Trenoweth) and the readily available evidence suggests that Clarke moved the grocery business to 10 Stephen Street at around this time.

Newspaper reports indicate that the “buildings on the Spencer Estate known as Clarke’s Corner [comprising] the Bon Marche, Clarke’s Stores, and the suite of offices” were purchased by the Clarke family in around March 1914. Entries in the Rates Books show that Clarke’s Stores were owned by the estate of Ephraim Mayo Clarke in 1927.

Over time, advertisements indicate that Clarke’s Stores offered a wide range of goods including crockery, electrical appliances, groceries, and wines, ales and spirits. However, during the 1930s small general stores such as this would have faced stiff competition from new businesses, such as Herbert Sherry’s large, modern grocery and general store in Victoria Street. In mid-1941 the contents of Clarke’s Stores were advertised as part of a closing down sale, and later notices indicate that the business was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings at that time.

In 1936, Bunbury underwent a major reallocation of street numbers which resulted in the property changing from 4 Stephen Street to its present address of 10 Stephen Street.

During the 1940s and until at least the mid 1950s, 10 Stephen Street was occupied as a cycle shop.

In 1954, it was one of two properties offered for sale on behalf of Mrs Kate Joel (the other being another former Clarke property at 28-30 Stirling Street). 10 Stephen Street was well located and the sale was highly successful:

The highest price per-foot-frontage attained in Bunbury for business premises was paid last Friday when a single- storey brick shop in Stephen-street was offered for auction. The premises were those at present occupied by Bruce Small Pty. Ltd. and were bought by Mr. C. Prosser of Bunbury for £10,350.

As of January 2022, the building is vacant.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: Medium
Date of survey: 2/01/2022

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

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.