House

Parent Place or Precinct

26002 Kershaw 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.
• As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Bungalow 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.
• For its association with the well known Subiaco builders Totterdell Bros as an example of the type of residence they designed and built in the early 20th century.

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

20 Kershaw Street was designed as a single storey house with elements of the Federation Bungalow style. It has stretcher-bond brickwork and a gabled-hipped, corrugated metal roof. The latter extends in a broken-back alignment over the front verandah and features a rendered and ‘half-timbered’ gable end to the main façade. Streetscape views include a single, low, face-brick chimney with a deep rendered panel to the cap, and a terracotta pot.
The main facade steps back in three sections and features tuck-pointed face-brickwork to door head height, above which the walls have been finished with roughcast render. The front wing has a shallow projecting window bay under a raked awning that is supported on curved brackets. The triple casement window has small panes of glass and a projecting moulded sill, and is set over a raked, rendered base.
South of the projecting wing, the verandah extends across the remainder of the façade, creating a deep shaded porch to the stepped frontage. This has paired, square timber posts, set on rendered masonry plinths, with simple but elegant timber brackets and panels.
The main entrance door is at the first setback, adjacent to the projecting north wing. This is a high waisted timber door with high waisted sidelights and stained glass panels. The second setback features French doors.
The house is set back approximately 4m from the boundary and the front yard has been laid out with lawns and perimeter beds on the northern side, and a wide brick hardstand on the southern side. A low picket fence with capped posts extends across the front of the garden and terminates with simple modern interpretation of a lych gate.

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 Lot 174 and Part Lot 175 (20 Kershaw Street). However the site was not developed for another 26 years.
In c.1917 the block was purchased by Mary Anne Shelton, following the death of her husband, William Osborne Shelton (then headmaster of the Subiaco Senior State School), in December 1916. Mary Anne was the first person listed in the Post Office Directories as living at this address (1918) and remained here until her death in 1953.
This is one of the many Subiaco houses believed to have been constructed by local builder, Joseph Totterdell.

Integrity/Authenticity

This place retains a high level of original external detailing and is a good example of the ongoing development of Kershaw Street in the period around World War One.
It is also of some historical significance as one of the houses believed to have been built by prominent local builder, Joseph Totterdell.

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.