Hokitika, Barker 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, 180 Barker Road incorporated elements of the Federation Queen Anne style. Set on a relatively large block, which allowed a spacious garden setting, 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
• Symmetrical facade. This features a slightly projecting central bay, set under a prominent gable and faced by a full width verandah.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Battened eaves.
• Moulded eaves brackets (including to the bottom edge of the gable).
• Large central gable with a flush panel face set with a simple pattern of vertical and diagonal timber battens and framed by shaped gable boards.
• Tuck-pointed chimney.
• Hipped verandah roof.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck-pointed brickwork.
• Decorative, slim-line cornice mouldings (set at a lower height under the gable).
Other detailing to main facade
• Centrally located 4-panel entrance door, traditional moulded architraves and highlight & sidelights with stained glass panels.
• French doors to the setbacks at either end of the main facade.
• Turned timber verandah posts, carved timber brackets and a verandah frieze set with slim-line square balusters.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 1.2m from the Barker Road frontage.
• Lot width approximately 15.1m.
• Setback of approximately 1m from the west boundary and 4m from the east boundary.
• Front yard enclosed by tall, acorn topped timber picket fence and gates.
• c.1980s flat-roofed carport located in the setback along the eastern side of the house.

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 208 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1125 in the mid 1890s. This comprised 42 lots of which part Lot 34 and Lot 35 were developed with 180Barker Road. An analysis of the sequence of entries in the Post Office Directories of 1901-1906 suggests that 180 Barker Road may have been built by 1900 – when William J H Wilkinson and A Davenport were both listed in this immediate area. Andrew Davenport (builder/contractor) was also listed as a resident of Barker Road (location unknown) in 1900. Further research into early Certificates of Title would determine if Davenport owned Lots 34 & 35 at that time and may have been responsible for the construction of this house.
The first confirmed owner/occupants were William Archibald Ambrose (c.1866-1943) (printer/compositor) and his wife, Margaret, who settled here in c.1902, but were renting the house out by 1905. Online family trees state that William was born in New Zealand, which is consistent with the name given to the house, when it was offered for sale In February 1907:
NICE BRICK VILLA, 180 Barker-road, SUBIACO. CHAS. SOMMERS has been favoured with instructions from W. Ambrose, Esq., to SELL as above, "Hokitika." a brick residence, containing 4 main rooms, kitchen, bathroom, pantry, etc., wide verandahs. Let to good tenant at 17s. 6d. weekly. £250 can remain on mortgage.
The next owner/occupier was William Henry Gumbleton (estate agent), who lived here in c.1908-1911, after which it was used as a rental property for a few years (owned by J Lovatt).
From c.1921 it became the long-term home of the Burton family. Thomas Alfred (aka ‘Suby’ or ‘Tom’) Burton (c.1879-1948) (painter) and Catherine Alice (‘Kate’) Silvester (c.1887-1982) were married in Subiaco in c.1912 and had at least 3 children: John (‘Jack’) (born c.1914); Archie (c.1917) and Charles (‘Charlie’) (c.1919). Catherine was still listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls of 1980, together with her son, Charles, and daughter-in-law, Ann.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (revised March 1954) and historical aerial photographs indicates that the footprint of this house has remained relatively unchanged since the mid-twentieth century, with the exception of the construction of a new carport in c.1985-1989.

Integrity/Authenticity

High: original external detailing and form of the building (as viewed from the 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.