House

Parent Place or Precinct

26002 Kershaw Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Kershaw Street Heritage Area is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons:
• As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong heritage character, featuring a narrow avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and early Inter-War vials.
• For its retention of many good, representative examples of Federation Queen Anne villas (which collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing between 1904 and c.1918).
• For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
• As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for the families of professional men, such as merchants, bankers and civil servants in the early twentieth century.
• For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residences of senior professional men and business owners existed side by side with the smaller residences of more junior employees in early twentieth century Subiaco.
• For its association with the subdivision of this area by James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, in 1892. In this context it also represents the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant investment from the eastern states.
• For its association with the efforts of James Chesters as a local land agent and property developer, following his move to Western Australia in 1905.
• For its association with Joseph (Joe) Totterdell, who was responsible for the construction of many Subiaco houses (including some in Kershaw Street), and who, for a brief period (1916-17), lived at 25 Kershaw Street (one of his development properties).

Physical Description

14 Kershaw Street was constructed as a modest, single storey Federation Queen Anne house. It has stretcher-bond face-brick walls and a gabled-hipped corrugated metal roof. There are two face-brick chimneys, one either side of the main ridgeline, each featuring a projecting rendered base and capping, and terracotta pots.
The main facade features tuck-pointed brickwork with two plain rendered stringcourses, one at window sill height, the other at door head height. On the southern side of the façade there is a projecting wing, which features a gable end, with a roughcast rendered face and diagonal battens (forming a diamond pattern). Beneath this gable there is a shallow projecting bay which features a triple casement window, with a segmental arch and brick voussoirs. . These windows have square stained glass highlights and a projecting moulded sill (in line with the lower string-course).
Abutting this wing, and extending across the remainder of the main façade, there is a bull-nosed verandah roof springing from a plain brick corbel below the line of the main roof. This is supported on tapered square posts, with turned detailing, and features decorative carved brackets.
The main entrance to the house is located under the verandah, adjacent to the southern wing. This is a traditional early twentieth century style door with narrow sidelights and highlights, featuring stained-glass panels. The verandah area also features a shallow projecting bay with triple casement windows. Over this bay there is a small gable to the main roofline, and both this and the windows have detailing similar to that of the projecting wing.
The house is set back approximately 4m from the boundary and the front yard has been laid out with a modern cottage garden. Along the footpath there is a low, open post and rail fence, fronted by a low clipped hedge.
At the southern end of the house there is a small metal post and framed carport to the street frontage over a brick paved driveway. This is backed by privacy screening across the front of a gable roofed side patio.

History

James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, purchased Perth Suburban Lots 249 and 250 in 1891. In the following year he had this area laid out as a new residential estate (Deposited Plan 504), which included the creation of Part Lot 169, Lot 170 and Part Lot 171 (14 Kershaw Street). Chesters applied for a separate title for Part Lot 169 and Lot 170 in 1910 and it is possible (but not confirmed) that the house was one of a number he built as speculative development at that time. The property was subsequently transferred to Mrs D.M. Ferguson and, in 1913, the current size of the block was finalized when a portion of Lot 171 was transferred to Jessie Elizabeth Ferguson (allowing room for a side driveway). A year later the property was offered for sale:
SUBIACO.-Brick Villa, 5 rooms, bathroom, pantry, hall, front and back verandah, lawns, hedge, 56ft. frontage to 14 Kershaw-st., near Park and Thomas-st.,cheap for quick sale.. Apply Owner, 14 Kershaw-st.
From 1916 to 1924 the house was occupied by Thomas Payne (a prospector and the discoverer of Payne’s Find gold field). Following Payne’s death it was purchased and occupied by Robert Brearley (Agent) and his wife Mary Karen Brearley. It was next offered for sale in 1952.
Occupants of the property from its time of construction until 1949 included:
1912 Mrs Ferguson
1913 H. Tune
1914 J.H. Remington
1915 A.H. Daglish
1916 -1924 Tessie and Thomas Payne (Mine Owner)
1925-1949 Robert Hillard Brearley (Tanners Agent)
Robert and his wife, Mary, both died in 1950.
One of their sons, Norman Brearley (later Sir Norman) was a pioneer Western Australian aviator, who operated regional and interstate flights in in the 1920s and 30s.

Integrity/Authenticity

This place retains a high level of original external detailing and is a good example of the many modest Federation Queen Anne ‘villas’ built in James Chesters residential estate in the period c.1905 to 1914.

Condition

Good

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.