House, 70 Olive St, Subiaco

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style
This house does not illustrate any of the major architectural styles defined for the Inter-War period. Similar to many suburban houses of this period it displayed some very simplified elements of the Federation Bungalow styles. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as business owners, office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Stepped façade, with a projecting wing on the southern side, verandah at the north-west corner and an entry vestibule at the first setback.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with terracotta tiles and rams-horn finials.
• Large verge gable, extending as a seamless, rendered face of the front wall.
• Exposed rafters.
• Decorative shaped ends to gable boards.
• Corner verandah covered by an extension of the main hipped roofline.
• Tall, roughcast rendered chimney with simple face brick detailing to the cap.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck-pointed brick to door head height, capped by a slightly projecting brick string course. Roughcast rendered finish above.
Other detailing to main facade
• Shallow rectangular window bay to the projecting wing, framed by a rock-faced stone plinth and a raked and tiled window awning.
• Triple casement window set under the raked window awning. The upper panes and highlights are divided into small square panes of textured glass by slender timber mullions. The sill is formed by a raked, smooth rendered cap to the stone plinth.
• Main entrance with sidelights and highlight located in the west face of the first setback.
• Multi-paned, French doors opening located in the west face of the second setback.
• Half height masonry verandah piers with rough cast rendered faces and smooth rendered caps. Piers topped by robust timber posts with carved timber brackets.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 4.5m from the Olive Street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 12.2m.
• Side setbacks of approximately 1 to 1.2m.
• Open garden bed to the southern part of the front boundary, with hardstand parking to the northern corner of the site.

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949.
Perth Suburban Lots 218 and 219 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 214 in the early 1890s. This comprised 52 lots, including 24 lots with frontages to Ivy Street, which extended between Barker and Bagot Roads (renamed as part of Olive Street in c.1901). By 1910-1911, Lot 24 was owned by Mina Hunton, who was the owner/occupier of the adjacent house at 72 Olive Street. At that time the site was still vacant.
70 Olive Street was first listed in the Post Office Directories in 1921, when it was occupied by Edward Walker (who was also identified as the owner/occupier in the Subiaco Rate Books of 1929-1930). Edward William (Paddy) Walker (c.1883-1953) and Ethel May Sutton (c.1884-1962) were married in Subiaco in c.1905, and lived in this suburb for much of their married life:
 170 Townshend Road (c.1906-1914)
 64 Gloster Street (c.1915-1920)
During this period, Edward served in the 1st AIF.
 70 Olive Street (c.1921-1922; c.1928-1940; and c.1946-1950s).
In the Electoral Rolls of 1925, Edward and Ethel were listed as residents of Serpentine, where Edward changed his occupation from carrier to farmer. However, this does not seem to have been a successful venture as they had returned to 70 Olive Street by 1928. From that time on the Electoral Rolls referred to Edward as a barman.
In c.1941-1945 the Post Office Directories identified the primary occupant of 70 Olive Street as Mrs M N Hunt and it has not been determined where the Walkers were living at that time. ‘Mrs Walker’ was listed as the primary occupant from 1946 and she was still listed here in the Electoral Rolls of 1958.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that major additions were constructed at the rear of the house in 2019. The footprint of the front portion of the original house is still clearly recognisable.

Integrity/Authenticity

High: The external detailing of 70 Olive Street appears to be largely intact and/or sympathetically restored/renovated.

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

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.