House

Statement of Significance

House, 42 Tuart Street is a single storey timber and iron house has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place is a fine example of the Federation Arts and Crafts style of architecture;
the place has landmark qualities and contributes significantly to the streetscape of the tree street area and the community's sense of place;
the building is architecturally significant due to the quality of design from prominent local architect, E.G. Cohen.

Physical Description

House, 42 Tuart Street is a single storey timber and iron house constructed in the Federation Arts and Craft style of architecture by the significant architect of the time, Eustace Gresley Cohen. The walls are timber framed and clad with timber weatherboards. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. The verandah is under a continuous corrugated iron roof supported by turned timber posts. The asymmetrical front façade has a timber window and the protruding front room features a bay window with decorative timber screen under the roof line which is matched to a small gable with finial in the middle of the house. There is a chimney evident. The house is slightly elevated from the street level. There is a limestone pillar and timber picket wall to the front boundary line.

Previous descriptive notes state:
An early 20th Century fine timber and iron house with highly modelled interiors evident in confident external forms [Molyneux:1978].
The building is one of a coherent group in the vicinity. Some timbers are reputed to have been salvaged from the demolition of a whaling station which previously existed on the shores of Koombana Bay.

History

The Tree Street area was subdivided in the early 1890s by surveyor W B Mitchell into 95 suburban blocks. The subdivision was called ‘Stirling Townsite’ as the land had originally formed part of Location 26, which was granted to Governor James Stirling in the 1830s. The streets were named Palm, Karri, Banksia, Jarrah, Wattle and Tuart.

It is thought that House, 42 Tuart Street was built c 1914/1915 and was designed by architect Eustace Cohen and built by local contractor, J G Hough. Cohen and Hough often worked together in Bunbury, producing well-crafted housing using local timber products. In 1921, the lot was vacant land owned by George Kevin.

Eustace Cohen (born London, 1881) was articled to Thomas Lockwood and Sons at Chester before working for Guy Dawber. He emigrated to Western Australia due to ill health in 1904 and set up practice in Bunbury and Busselton (1906-1913). He moved to Perth in 1914, where he formed a partnership with Joseph Eales, trading as Eales and Cohen. Cohen was instrumental in bringing the Arts and Crafts movement to Western Australia. The earliest examples of his work in Bunbury and Busselton display his interpretation of vernacular homes in the Arts and Crafts manner.

Between c 1930 and c 1950, the house was owned and occupied by George Shafe Cox.

It is believed that some of the timbers were salvaged from the demolition of a whaling station on the shores of Koombana Bay.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

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.