House, 27 Xavier St, Carey Park

Statement of Significance

The place is associated with the development of the suburb of Carey Park, an important post World War II undertaking by the State Housing Commission which arose from the findings of the State Advisory Committee on Post War Housing; The place represents the provision of rental housing by the State and Commonwealth governments after World War II. The development of Carey Park was a significant expansion of post-war Bunbury; The place is indicative of the standard plan and type of housing constructed by the State Government in the twentieth-century.

Values

• The place is associated with the development of the suburb of Carey Park, an important post World War II undertaking by the State Housing Commission which arose from the findings of the State Advisory Committee on Post War Housing.
• The place represents the provision of rental housing by the State and Commonwealth governments after World War II. The development of Carey Park was a significant expansion of post-war Bunbury.
• The place is indicative of the standard plan and type of housing constructed by the State Government in the twentieth-century.

Physical Description

The place is a single storey timber framed residence built to State Housing Commission Timber Framed House Type 10A, although the front elevation has been reversed. The building is clad in asbestos cement and the original asbestos tiled roof has been replaced by corrugated iron cladding. The front door and porch is accessed via a flight of timber steps. The building faces onto Carey Park on the opposite side of Xavier Street.
Internally, the building comprises three bedrooms, a kitchen dining room, bathroom, laundry, toilet and enclosed verandah/sleepout with louvre windows. Many of the internal fixtures remain, including the kitchen cupboards, doors and window fastenings.

History

The Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement and the establishment of the State Housing Commission (SHC, later the Housing Authority) in response to the housing shortages experienced following the post-war population boom, allowed for the provision of government owned rental properties for young families, war veterans and widows. In 1945 the SHC commenced land resumptions and construction in Bunbury. Location 388 and portions of Location 494 in South Bunbury were also acquired for workers housing. In 1951 the estate was named Carey Park Housing Estate, after the former owner of the land, Thomas Campbell Carey. A shopping centre, (P7074 Frankel Street Shopping Centre) was built on Frankel Street in 1950.
By 1954, the State Housing Commission had built 450 homes in Bunbury, comprising 333 rental properties and 109 War Service homes, the majority of which were located in Carey Park. In 1955, a primary school was constructed on a triangular lot, bound by Frankel, Ecclestone and Woodrow Streets, on the opposite corner of the Frankel Street Shopping Centre.
House, 27 Xavier Street, Carey Park was constructed in 1954 to one of the SHC’s standard plans (Timber Framed House Type 10A), although with a reversed front elevation. In 1960, the rear verandah of House, 27 Xavier Street, Carey Park was enclosed to create the sleep out. In 2003 the original asbestos roof cladding was replaced with the current corrugated iron sheets. House, 27 Xavier Street, Carey Park appears to have been used for the purpose of social housing since its construction up to the present.

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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.