House

Parent Place or Precinct

25836 Devon Road Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

Exceptional Contribution

Physical Description

The side of the residence is the road frontage delineated by an entry portico that responds to the verandah. The single storey expansive painted weatherboard residence has a double-hipped roof with facetted and rectangular bays expressed in the roof form. The roof is clad with Colorbond sheeting. The separate roof of the perimeter verandah is bullnose. The verandah is detailed with spaced vertical timber valance and balustrade and turned timber posts. Four corbelled white rendered chimneys have pairs of clay pots.

History

In May 1885 a retired soldier Francis Taaffe was granted ten acres of land adjoining Shenton Road known as Swan Location P1062. Taaffe transferred the land to his wife Bridget and when she died in 1895 the land reverted back to him. The land was then sold by Taaffe in 1897 to George Dent. Subsequently a road was surveyed through the middle of the land which was then subdivided. In 1901 the road was gazetted as Devon Road. The local district was listed as Claremont until it was renamed Swanbourne in 1921.

When the land was subdivided in 1897, Alexander James Wright acquired lots 5, 7, 9 and 11, and built a weatherboard cottage named ‘Maitland’. His wife Rosina was born in Maitlands Tasmania. Wright was a dentist and had associations with the Methodist Church and Freemasons. In 1906, the property was transferred to Emma Mary McKenzie, wife of the Hon. Robert Donald McKenzie MLA (Wilson Government). Hon. Robert McKenzie and wife built their home at No.4. He was Mayor in Kalgoorlie in 1897. In 1904 he was elected to state parliament. The current house at No.4 was built by McKenzie in 1907 and was known as Earnslew. He went back to Kalgoorlie in 1907, but retained ownership of the residence. McKenzie only lived at No.4 when not in Kalgoorlie. The property was leased to Mrs Jessie Jones for the purposes of a private school from 1912 to 1917. McKenzie served in the First World War. He spent some time at No.4 before his death in 1928. Several members of the McKenzie family lived at the residence during the 1920s until it was sold to Arthur Sherwood in 1930. Sherwood was a bank official and later the Commissariat for the Land Dept. He retained ownership of the residence until 1944.

No.2 Devon Road was built as stables to service the house next door at No.4. Dr Thomas Hogarth, a Canadian veterinary graduate (Guelph), purchased the stables and gardener’s quarters at No.4 Devon Road from Arthur Sherwood in 1939. Later in 1943, he purchased the entire property. He established Swanbourne Vet Centre during 1939 in the stables and gardener’s quarters of No.4. Hogarth was also instrumental in establishing the dog refuge in Shenton Park. Hogarth practised as a veterinary surgeon from 1939 until 1962 and then sold the property to a Department of Agriculture veterinarian Dr Ian Miller. Miller practised at the site until his death in March 1988. In 1968 the current owner Dr Tony Vigano joined the practice as a partner with Miller. Vigano purchased No.2 in 1989 from Miller’s estate. Additions and alterations were made to the building in 1978 and 1991.

Leadlights at No.4 have initials RD Mc who was there 1907-1910.

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.