House, 75 Olive St, 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

Architectural style
Typical of many well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 75 Olive Street incorporated elements of the Federation Queen Anne style. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as professional men, business owners, office workers, senior retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical, stepped facade. This features a projecting wing on the southern side, a verandah across the remainder of the frontage, and two shallow rectangular window bays (one to the projecting wing and the other to the verandah).
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Two tuck-pointed brick chimneys with stepped faces and caps.
• Vented gablet at the ridgeline.
• Prominent and picturesque gable over the projecting wing, featuring a decorative panelled face; vertical timber battens; louvered apex panel; decorative shaped bargeboards; carved timber brackets supporting the projecting sides; and a turned timber finial.
• Small roof hip over the rectangular window bay to the verandah.
• Moulded continuous cornice under the gable
• Finely detailed decorative eaves brackets to the remainder of the frontage.
• Bull-nosed verandah roof.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck-pointed brickwork laid in Flemish bond.
• Two rendered stringcourses, one at window sill height and the other at door head height.
• Rendered skirting course.
Other detailing to main facade
• Triple casement window to the rectangular window bay of the projecting wing. This has an arched head with a decorative vermiculated keystone; highlights with traditional stained glass panes; and a moulded projecting sill.
• Entrance door under the verandah, abutting the projecting wing. This has a 2-panel door, with the arched upper panel fitted with traditional stained glass; single wide sidelight and highlights fitted with traditional stained glass; and traditional moulded architraves.
• Two double hung windows to the verandah window bay, both set over projecting moulded sills.
• Turned timber verandah posts; small, carved brackets; and a frieze of slender square balustrettes.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.5m from the Olive Street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 12.2m.
• Side setback of approximately 3.6m from northern boundary. Zero setback from southern boundary.
• Front yard enclosed by a timber post and rail fence, with crimped wire panels. Framed by low shrubs.

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 Lots 218 and 219 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 214 in the early 1890s. This comprised 52 lots, including 24 lots with frontages to Ivy Street, which extended between Barker and Bagot Roads (renamed as part of Olive Street in c.1901).
In the Post Office Directory of 1902-1903, John M Marshall was the only primary resident identified along the western side of Olive Street, between Barker Road and Park Street, but the location of this house has not been confirmed. By 1904 there were two houses in this area, occupied by the Beauchamp and Shine families. An analysis of the sequence of development suggests that 75 Olive Street was occupied by Thomas Beauchamp.
Thomas Leonard Beauchamp (c.1867-1939) (plumber) and Mary Ann Crossley (c.1862-1920) were married in Melbourne in c.1891, and this couple had at least 4 children in the period c.1892-1902 (the youngest of whom died in infancy). Members of this family lived in Olive Street in c.1903-1912, during which time the Subiaco Rate Books identified Beauchamp as the owner/occupier of Lot 5. At the end of this period the house and contents were offered for sale:
The land has a frontage of 40ft. to Olive-street by a depth of 132 to a r.o.w., as is laid out; lawn front and at back, flower beds, vines and fruit trees. The improvements consist of a well-built brick house of 5 rooms, vestibule, two pantries, bathroom with new enamel bath, copper and troughs, 1,400-gallon tank, fowl house and runs, electric light installed throughout.
In c.1914-1928, the primary occupant of 75 Olive Street identified as James Chesson (c.1867-1951) and entries in the Rate Books indicate that the property was owned by his wife, Mary Chesson (c.1863-1946) from 1912 until at least 1930. This couple had married in NSW in 1892 and had at least 5 children, some of whom would have shared this house. In 1917 James was described as a “well known mining man of Cue” who “has a family home in Subiaco where his family reside”. It was later reported that Chesson had developed and operated several different mines in WA from the mid 1890s, including the Big Bell Mine at Cue, which he acquired in partnership with William Heydon in c.1913 and operated until 1927.
The house had at least 5 different occupants in c.1929-1949, including Herman James Anderson, brick, concrete and lintel specialist, who was advertising at this address from October 1939. Anderson had married Thelma McKee in Perth in c.1938 and they remained here until the early 1950s.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that this property was extended at the rear in the late 1980s, and that further alterations were undertaken in this area in the late 1990s. The footprint of the front portion of the house has remained largely unchanged.

Integrity/Authenticity

High: The external detailing of the main façade to 75 Olive Street appears to be largely intact and/or sympathetically restored/renovated.

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.