Residence, Goldsmith Road

Statement of Significance

Residence, Goldsmith Road has historical association with post World War I settlement in the area, followed by the settlement of a number of Slav immigrants in the 1920s. The house also has links with a period of post World War II settlement in the area by Italian migrant families.
Residence, Goldsmith Road has retained its external integrity, and is a fine example of a house built from local limestone in the early 1930s.

Physical Description

The house is built of limestone extracted from Congdon Quarry in Coogee. The stone was the reject stone from the building of the University of WA in Nedlands. The mortar came from a site at the back of the house. Hidden behind two large palm trees, the house has a hipped corrugated iron roof. The facade of the house is symmetrical with three windows on either side of the entrance. The front verandah is supported by limestone and masonry pillars and has a solid limestone balustrade. An early description details an underground wine cellar lined with limestone which was then covered by a timber shed with an iron roof.

History

The land the house is built on originally belonged to a returned World War I soldier who partially cleared the land and planted some fruit trees. In 1927 the land was purchased by Paval Prizmic and Ante Zuvela at a cost of £500. Zuvela took the 5 acres that was cleared while Prizmic retained the uncleared block. Ante Zuvela arrived in WA in 1925 and worked in Kiesey’s limestone quarry in Fremantle and Coogee.
The building of the house was commenced in 1929/30 and completed in 1932. The Zuvelas lived in a timber framed house on the property while the main house was being constructed. The new house was built of limestone in keeping with the traditional building style of its Dalmatian (Croatian) origins. The stonework was started by A Zuvela with help from A Franulovic and Manjak but completed by Gomojic, Jukich and son John.
Sand for the mortar was extracted from the site at the back of the house. This was built into an underground wine cellar which had limestone walls. The material from the old house was used to build a weatherboard shed with an iron roof over the cellar. Rendering of the internal walls of the house was done by Jim Hughes while the carpentry was done by Mr Wright.
The limestone for the house was obtained from the Congdon Quarries (owned by W. J. Congdon) in Newton Road which were significant as they supplied stone for some significant buildings in Perth such as the University of WA. The total cost for the stone was £25. Additions to the front of the house were made in 1937. Further additions were made to the rear of the house in 1945/6 which comprised a new bathroom, laundry and toilet with a septic tank. The Zuvela’s lived in the house until 1955 when they moved to East Fremantle.
Since that time the house has been associated with the Brega and Santillo families. The Santillos have owned the property for 34 years and have maintained and retained the property in its original state. While many of the surrounding properties have been sold for development, the owners have ensured that this property has retained its original character.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: High
AUTHENTICITY: Bedroom added in 1937; addition of bathroom, laundry and toilet in 1945-46

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.