House, 82 Bagot Rd, 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 modest but well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 82 Bagot Road incorporated some restrained elements of the Federation Queen Anne style. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as professional men, office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical facade.
• Projecting wing on the eastern side of the original house.
• Abutting verandah extending across the remainder of the original frontage.
• Late 1990s addition set back along the eastern side of the lot, with a wide verandah creating a partial roof over a double hardstand for cars.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Prominent verge gable over the projecting wing, with a flush panel face, robust vertical timber battens and original shaped bargeboards.
• Steeply pitched hipped roof over the main part of the house with a short east-west ridgeline flanked by louvered gablets with carved timber barge boards.
• Two painted brick chimneys with rendered detailing and caps.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Painted brick façade (originally tuck-pointed).
• Two rendered string courses, one at about 2.1m above floor level and the other at window sill height.
Other detailing to main facade
• Centrally located 5-panel entrance door, abutting the projecting wing. This features moulded architraves, a highlight, narrow sidelights and stained glass panels.
• Single window opening to the projecting wing, fitted with narrow double hung windows on either side of a wider double hung window. This sits under a simple raked window awning and over a projecting moulded sill.
• Two single double hung windows under the verandah, set over a continuous moulded sill.
• Plaque mounted near the front door commemorating a 1997 Subiaco Award for restoration.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 2.3m from the Bagot Road frontage.
• Lot width approximately 20.1m.
• Setback of approximately 2.6m from the western (Olive Street) boundary. Original set back of approximately 4 m from the eastern boundary to the side verandah, but now built up to a parapet wall along that boundary.
• Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence.

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 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). At an early date, two lots at the southern end of Olive Street (eastern side) were re-subdivided to create new lots with frontages to Bagot Road.
The corner site (subsequently known as 82 Bagot Road) had been developed by 1903, when the Subiaco Rate Books identified J Weis (possibly Joseph Weiss) as the owner and Charles Wilson as the occupant.
82 Bagot Road had a high turn-over of occupants until c.1930, with the majority staying for around 1-3 years - which suggests that it was primarily used as a rental property. A review of the Post Office Directories at around 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the primary residents during this period included:
 1906 James Michael Skewes (pattern maker)
 1910: Joseph White
Joseph White lived here in c.1908-1918. No further information has been found regarding this man, and this was possibly an alternative name for the owner of the property, Joseph Weiss (noting that weiss means white in German and Yiddish)
 1915: Henry Weston (motor proprietor)
The Rate Books still listed J Weiss as the owner in 1915-1916, but this changed to Kreitmayer in 1915-1916.
 1920: Frederick Dyson Boyce (salesman)
 1925: Frederick Fowler Stephenson (bank officer)
In 1929-1930 the Rate Books identified L Bayly as the owner/occupier. Lilla Ruth Joscelin Percy (c.1888-1966) had married Percival George Wyckham Bayly in Victoria in c.1915 and they had at least three children before he died in NSW in 1924: Colin (born c.1916), Elizabeth (c.1920) and Brian (c.1921). Lilla and the children had moved to WA by the mid 1920s and had settled at 82 Bagot Road by 1930. Lilla lived here in c.1930-1941 and again in the mid-late 1940s. During this time she travelled to England at least twice and her daughter attended finishing school in England in c.1937. At some stage between c.1949 and 1954 Lilla moved into one of the flats at 80 Bagot Road.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (as revised in 1927 and 1955) and historical aerial photographs, shows that the site was subdivided and a new house constructed in the former rear yard in the mid-late 1990s (creating 96 Olive Street). The rear additions to the original house were removed and new additions were constructed along the eastern side (replacing a former side verandah). The footprint of the main portion of the original house has remained readily identifiable.

Integrity/Authenticity

The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the painting of the main façade and the additions on the eastern side (late 1990s).

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the buildings appear 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.