House, 110 Park 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

Note: Views to the main façade are restricted by the high courtyard wall across the front of the property and the garden planting. The following description is based elements that can be seen above the height of the wall and in oblique glimpses through the gate.
Architectural style
This simple symmetrical cottage and does not clearly represent any major architectural styles of the period. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as office workers, retail employees and both skilled and unskilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Simple symmetrical facade.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Hipped bull-nosed verandah roof.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Painted brick (originally tuck-pointed).
Other detailing to main facade
• Centrally located entrance door. Traditional moulded architraves, highlight and single sidelight.
• French doors opening to both of the front rooms.
• Turned timber verandah posts, iron lace brackets and iron lace frieze (partly concealed by jasmine trailing across the front of the verandah).
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.4m from the Park Street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 10.1m.
• Side setback of approximately 800mm to eastern boundary. Zero setback to laneway on western side.
• Front yard enclosed by a high courtyard fence and garden planting.

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 220 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1552 in 1896 and advertised as the “Parkerville Estate”. This comprised 38 lots with frontages along the eastern side of Townshend Road (between Barker and Bagot Roads), part of the southern side of Barker Road, part of Salisbury Avenue (renamed as part of Park Street in 1901) and part of the northern side of Bagot Road.
The Post Office Directories did not include street numbers for Subiaco before 1906, but the Biglowe family were identified as residents of Salisbury Avenue/Park Street in 1897 (at this time a newspaper advertisement referred to Mrs Biglowe’s address as Salisbury Avenue, off Townshend Road); 1899-1900 (exact location not determined); (not listed as a resident of Subiaco in 1901); c.1902-1917 (the Rate Books confirm that G Biglowe was the owner occupier of Lot 14 from at least 1903).
George Biglowe (c.1863-1927) (carrier) and Eleanor Locke (c.?-1926) were married in Victoria in c.1889 and had one son, Sidney. George and Eleanor moved to North Perth in c.1917 and the next long-term owner/occupiers were Alexander Herbert Woodgate (c.1876-1938) (assurance superintendent) and Alice Mary Woodgate (nee Campbell) (c.1882-1966), who had married in Perth in 1899. This couple lived here in c.1920-1936, after which they moved to 128 Townshend Road. In October 1938 Alexander’s obituary provided the following information about his contribution to the community:
For the past 15 years he had been a member of the Subiaco Municipal Council. The late Mr. Woodgate had long been connected with the Infant Health Association, including some years as treasurer of the State council. In his youth he was well known as an athlete and playing member of the Subiaco Football Club and he won a number of trophies as a member of the Subiaco Volunteer Fire Brigade. He represented the Subiaco Municipal Council on the Local Governing Bodies' Analytical Committee.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that the former lean-tos at the rear of the house were redeveloped with a large addition in the late 1970s. The footprint of the original front portion of the house remains clearly recognisable.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the painting of the brickwork.
The presentation to the street has been diminished by the construction of high courtyard wall to 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.