House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Union and Redfern Street Heritage Area is significant for:
Aesthetic Value:
The area contains aesthetically pleasing streetscapes with a strong heritage character. In particular, cohesive streetscapes have been created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
The area contains many good, representative, suburban examples of Federation Queen Anne houses and Federation Bungalows. These include both gentlemen’s villas and modest suburban houses, and collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing of these places between 1899 and the early Inter-war years.
Historic Value:
The residential subdivision of this area represents the early development activities of Sydney and Melbourne based real estate agents and property developers. In this context it helps to illustrate the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant interest and investment from the eastern states.
The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to demonstrate the manner in which the family residences of professional men and business owners (such as senior civil servants and merchants) existed side by side with the smaller houses of semi-professional and tradespeople.
The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for these families in the early twentieth century.
The area was a place of residence for a number of people who were prominent in the local business community or were otherwise public identities of the early to mid-twentieth century.

Physical Description

A much extended asymmetric single storey property of rendered brick and fibro panel construction with metal gabled roof. The front gable has a corrugated timber panel whilst the rear gable is fibro panelled with timber details. The front elevation is dominated by a 4-section casement window with diamond leaded lights and skillion window awning above supported on timber brackets. The verandah and main entrance are to the side. A series of additions have been constructed to the rear of the property which are not in keeping with the original section of the house. The alterations to the property have removed much of the original character and detailing.

History

In June 1903, Sydney accountants William James Douglas and Frank Dyson purchased PSL 254 and portion of PSL 253. The land was subdivided into 36 lots and in August 1903, the pair divided the ownership of the lots evenly. Each owned half of the properties facing Rawson Street, Hamersley Road and Heytesbury Road. The lots were sold from 1904 onwards and the first home on Rawson Street, the subject area, was built by 1904. From the available evidence Douglas and Dyson never visited the properties in Subiaco and the sale of the land was managed by local land agents, Ebernezer Allen & Co.

Up until 1925 the lot was undeveloped. Rate book information indicates that there had been stables on the lot and it was owned by Ms Amelia Guy. In 1926 Mr Robert Kelly, an inspector, acquired the lot and built the house. The Kelly’s resided there until 1929 when they leased the property to Edith McKay. Edith and her husband Kenneth and four of their five children lived at the house. In 1935, Kenneth McKay died and Edith stayed on in the house until 1939 when Robert Kelly again took up residency.

Kelly remained there until his death in 1944. His wife, Mrs Olive Kelly, was still occupying the place in 1949 when the Post Office Directories ceased publication.
Occupants
1925-1930 Robert C Kelly
1931-1938 Kenneth and Edith McKay
1939-1949 Robert C Kelly

Integrity/Authenticity

Note: the extensive alterations and additions have obscured much of the original design and detail. As one of the later residences in the street it is not consistent with the dominant streetscape character.

Condition

Good

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.