House

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance:
• As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means.

For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.
• As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century.
• For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses, particularly 85 and 87 Olive Street and 91 Park Street which have strong similarity of design and detail.

Physical Description

Architectural style
Typical of many well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 77 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 façade designed to address its corner location, with a verandah extending from a projecting bay on the northern side of the Olive Street frontage, and retuning along the Park Street frontage.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Tuck-pointed brick chimneys with corbelled caps.
• Prominent verge gable over the projecting wing. This has a roughcast rendered face set with a pattern of vertical and horizontal timber battens; and shaped barge boards.
• Bull-nose verandah roof.
• Moulded stucco eaves brackets set over a slimline moulded cornice.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck-pointed brick walls. As part of later renovations this has been rendered along the east face of the projecting wing.
• Moulded rendered stringcourse at door head height across the face of the projecting wing. Smooth rendered stringcourse at door head height and window sill height to the remainder of the main facades.
Other detailing to main facade
• Main entrance located under the verandah, adjacent to the projecting wing. This features a 5-panel door with stained glass panels; traditional moulded architraves; and side lights and highlights with stained glass panels.
• Two double-hung windows to the projecting wing, set under a bullnose awning and over a continuous, raked rendered sill.
• Full-height double hung window opening onto the front (Olive Street) verandah.
• French doors opening onto the side (Park Street) verandah.
• Turned timber verandah posts; carved timber brackets, and a decorative frieze of alternating vertical and horizontal square members.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.5m from the Olive Street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 12.2m.
• Side set back of approximately 500mm to the park street frontage. Minimal setback to the northern boundary.
• Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence, faced by a low clipped hedge.

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 Directories 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 exact location of this house has not been confirmed. By 1904 there were two houses in this area, occupied by the Beauchamp and Shine families. Lot 6 (77 Olive Street) was owned by W Richards in c.1903 and the house was occupied by Bartholomew Shine (variously described as ‘traveller' or ‘inspector’) and his wife, Ellen Mary Shine (nee D’Arcy), in c.1903-1905.
In c.1905 it was purchased by Grace Kirkpatrick, who settled here with her husband, George Kirkpatrick. However, in late 1907 it was reported that the proprietors of the Lily Branch copper mine at Roebourne had secured the services of Mr George Kirkpatrick, late of the Bellevue Proprietary, Mt Sir Samuel, and of Southern Cross, as manager. From around this time, and during 1908, the property was advertised for sale:
MODERN VILLA RESIDENCE, faithfully built, containing 5 large and lofty rooms, verandah three sides, dining-room 18 x 14, others 14 x 12. 11ft. 6in. walls, corniced ceilings, grained doors, etc., tiled grates and fireplaces, bathroom, copper and all modern conveniences, Electric light installed throughout, splendid position, corner block, land 40 by 135 ft.
FOR QUICK SALE. £575, or TERMS.
Sole reason for selling, owner leaving for North-West.
Apply 77 OLIVE-STREET, SUBIACO.
A review of the Post Office Directories at 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the primary residents through until the mid twentieth century included:
 1910 & 1915: Robert Stewart (baker)
Entries in the Rate Books show that Richards was the owner/occupier from c.1909. Entries in the Post Office Directories show that he lived here until c.1915.
 1920 & 1925: Edward Carroll (insurance inspector)
Carroll lived here from c.1916. The house and household furniture were advertised for sale on behalf of Edward Carroll in late 1927 (shortly after the death of his wife, Elizabeth)
 1930: Listed as vacant in the Post Office Directory
Note: Entries in the Rate Books show that Charles Bowley was the owner/occupier in c.1929.
 1935: Charles Gordon Clifton (architect)
 1940: Listed as vacant in the Post Office Directory
 1945: Mrs Lillian Bain
 1949: William A Tomlinson
A plan of the lot prepared in 1927 and reviewed in 1955 for the purpose of planning sewerage and water supply services shows that the original footprint of the cottage has doubled in size. Aerial photographs of the place since the mid 20th confirm that the addition at the rear of the cottage was undertaken in 2011. The original roof cladding was red corrugated iron.
77 Olive Street was adopted on the City of Subiaco Local Heritage Survey in 2021. It has been assessed as level 3 (contributes to the heritage of the City of Subiaco).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High: The place continues to be used as a private residence.
Authenticity - High: The external detailing of 77 Olive Street appears to be largely intact and/or sympathetically restored/renovated. The major alteration has been rendering of the front wall of the projecting wing below the lower stringcourse.

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in excellent 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.