House, 123 Townshend Rd, 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

Public views of the main façade are partly obscured by a high masonry fence and garden planting. The flowing description is based on the limited vies from the street.
Architectural style
Based on contemporary houses of a similar form, it is likely that 115 Townshend Road was influenced to some degree by the Federation Queen Anne style. However, the rendering of the walls has obscured key detailing.
It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical façade. This features a shallow, rectangular window bay at the southern end.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Small gable over the window bay. This has a roughcast rendered face, a central circular roof vent, and a pattern of vertical and curved timber battens.
• Bullnose verandah roof.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Main façade fully rendered below verandah height. Painted brick with what appears to be some evidence of former tuck-pointing above verandah height.
Other detailing to main facade
• Triple casement window to the window bay.
• Main entrance at the centre of the Townshend Road façade. Traditional moulded timber architraves, sidelights but no highlight.
• Turned timber verandah posts and simple frieze of square timber balustrettes.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 1.6m from the Townshend Road frontage.
• Lot width approximately 11.3m.
• Built up to a parapet wall on the southern side. Setback of approximately 900mm to the northern boundary
• Front yard enclosed by a high limestone block wall.

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 Lot 221 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1535 in 1896 and advertised as the “Salisbury Estate”. This comprised 42 lots, including 14 lots along the western side of Townshend Road between Barker and Bagot Road.
While the Post Office Directories did not include street numbers for Subiaco prior to 1906, an analysis of the sequence of entries suggests that 123 Townshend Road was almost certainly the house that had been occupied by Thomas Griffiths by 1905. Harriet and Thomas Griffiths (a mason) lived here until c.1910, but no further details have been confirmed regarding this couple. In the 1909-1910 Rate Books ‘Griffiths’ was identified as the owner and J Mitchell (dentist) as the occupant.
123 Townshend Road had a high turn-over of occupants until at least the mid-twentieth century, with the majority of occupants only remaining here for around 1 to 3 years - which suggests that it was primarily being used as a rental property. A review of the Post Office Directories at 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the primary residents during this period included:
 1915: Samuel Thomas Macmillan (journalist)
 1920: John Shepherd Greenwood (draper)
 1925: Thomas Alphonsus Fitzgibbon (barman)
In 1929 a brief newspaper notice state that the house had been sold, but the owners name was not given.
 1930: Listed as vacant in the Post Office Directory
 1935: Thomas William Perry (labourer)
 1940 & 1945: Mrs Margaret Irene McMahon
Mrs McMahon lived here in c.1939-1947, which was the longest anyone stayed at 123 Townshend Road during the first half of the century.
 1949: Mrs Mary Myrtle Philbey
Mary remarried in c.1949 and was living in South Perth by the early-mid 1950s.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that this house has been extended to the rear, but that the footprint of the front portion of the house has remained relatively unchanged.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the rendering of the main façade. However, the original form and scale of the place is still clearly recognisable.
Its presentation to the street has been diminished by the construction of a high masonry wall along the front boundary.

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.