House

Statement of Significance

The place at 24 Aberdeen Street has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The house was one of the first to be constructed in Aberdeen Street and an early boarding house in Albany dating from the c1888 and that is still extant along with 15 Aberdeen Street built at the same time.
The place was originally owned by Captain John Hassell, whose family became well-known in local civic and commercial affairs in Albany and the Great Southern, including establishing one of the early commercial premises on Stirling Tce, and who ran this place as a boarding house for many years.
The place is significant as part of a group of historic houses/buildings in Aberdeen Street built from 1880s to 1900s that have heritage value both individually and as part of a streetscape, comprising a complimentary mix of residential and institutional buildings many of which were converted very early to commercial use to form an important commercial business district of the historic townsite.

Physical Description

Integrity: High/Moderate
Authenticity: High/Moderate

History

The former house at 24 Aberdeen St was constructed in the mid-1880s by 1888. Photographic evidence shows it in the same photograph as the Town Hall (York St) built 1888 (refer AHC 3002P). The Rate Book of 1890 notes a house on Lot 145 owned by John Hassell Esq and the occupant was Mrs Elizabeth Nicholls, Boarding Housekeeper.
Captain John Hassell, former master mariner with the Royal Navy and originally from Tasmania, first came to Albany in 1829 but did not settle in Albany permanently until 1839 when he returned with wife Ellen (nee Boucher) and son John Frederick Tasman Hassell. John and Ellen Hassell had a total of 5 sons and 1 daughter. John (J F T) the eldest born in Tasmania, then the rest born in Albany including Albert Young (A Y) (1841); Frances Reuben; Arthur Wollaston (A W); Alfred Govey (died in Adelaide c1880); and Ellen Belinda who became Mrs Nicholson. Hassell became one of the largest landholders in the Albany/Great Southern region from the early years of British settlement.
After John Hassell died in 1883, many of his properties were managed by his sons John, Albert and Arthur, as part of the family’s estate including Lot 145. In 1890, many of these holdings were put up for auction. Lot 145 was advertised as a corner grant with a cottage. (Albany Observer 11/12/1890). This house however remained in the ownership of the Hassells and continued to be used as a boarding house, with Mrs Hassell advertising for respectable boarders in the Albany Advertiser in the late 1890s.
By 1954 the place was owned by Ethel and James Critchison. It later became a commercial/health premise as Aberdeen Street changed from a residential to commercial zone, currently functioning as Albany Chiropractic.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High/Moderate
Authenticity: High/Moderate

Condition

Good

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.