Lilydale

Statement of Significance

Lilydale, a single-storey timber bungalow has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place is an example of timber worker’s homes built prior to World War One during a period of growth in the local timber construction industry and is one of many such homes in a suburb where the streets are named after trees, illustrating the importance of the timber industry to the Bunbury district;
the place demonstrates the adaptation of an earlier rural vernacular form in timber construction and the use of standard timber merchant's components;
the building is architecturally significant due to the quality of design from prominent local architect, E.G. Cohen;
the place has been associated with the Reading family since 1940; and,
the place contributes to the local community’s sense of place as part of a streetscape of timber homes.

Physical Description

Lilydale is a single storey timber and iron house constructed in the Federation Bungalow style of Architecture. The walls are timber framed and clad with timber weatherboards. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron. There is a small feature gable with finial over the front entrance. The verandah is under a separate corrugated iron bullnose roof supported by timber posts with decorative timber brackets at the corners of the house. One end of the verandah is enclosed with timber lattice. The symmetrical front façade has a central front door with decorative security screen with sidelights flanked on either side by timber framed double hung sash windows. There is a brick chimney evident. The house is situated at street level.

History

The Tree Street area was subdivided in the early 1890s by surveyor W B Mitchell into 95 suburban blocks. The subdivision was called ‘Stirling Townsite’ as the land had originally formed part of Location 26, which was granted to Governor James Stirling in the 1830s. The streets were named Palm, Karri, Banksia, Jarrah, Wattle and Tuart.

Lot 48, on which Lilydale is situated, was created in 1892, with the subdivision of approximately fifteen and a half acres (6.35ha) of Location 26 owned by Thomas Hayward and Ephraim Mayo Clarke. Both men were farmers and active in politics. Hayward was MLA for Bunbury from 1901 to 1904, and MLC for Wellington 1904-1911. Clarke was MLC for South Province from 1901 to 1921 and was the Mayor of Bunbury for six years.

In 1894 John Bishop, a sawyer, purchased Lot 48 but did not build anything on the land. In 1911 Thomas Prosser Scott, a carter, and later a storeman, purchased the land. The following year he raised a mortgage of £250 to Thomas Smith and had a house built, which was known as “Lilydale.”

The house was designed by architect Eustace Cohen and built by local contractor, J G Hough. Cohen and Hough often worked together in Bunbury, producing well-crafted housing using local timber products.

Eustace Cohen (born London, 1881) was articled to Thomas Lockwood and Sons at Chester before working for Guy Dawber. He emigrated to Western Australia due to ill health in 1904 and set up practice in Bunbury and Busselton (1906-1913). He moved to Perth in 1914, where he formed a partnership with Joseph Eales, trading as Eales and Cohen. Cohen was instrumental in bringing the Arts and Crafts movement to Western Australia. The earliest examples of his work in Bunbury and Busselton display his interpretation of vernacular homes in the Arts and Crafts manner.

Scott lived in the property until 1929, after which time he rented it to a succession of tenants. In 1937, House, 40 Tuart Street was sold to local chemist and photographic supplier, George Cox. Cox also owned Lots 49 and 50 and was thought to have lived in a house at Lot 50. He had purchased these Lots in 1919 and when he purchased Lilydale he lodged an application for a further subdivision which was approved in 1939. This created three different sized lots out of Lots 48, 49 and 50 and reduced the size of Lilydale, now known as Lot 4, from 1012m2 to 678m2.

From 1940, House, 40 Tuart Street was rented by Benjamin Walter Reading and his wife Winifred. Reading worked for the Western Australian Government Railways, as did his father Benjamin Thomas Reading.

The Readings purchased the house in 1950 and raised a mortgage of £500 with the Mutual Starr Bowkett Society. This was discharged in 1957. Winnifred died in 1986. Benjamin went into a nursing home in 1995 and two years later his daughters inherited the place. Janice Wansbrough bought out her sisters’ share of the property and planned to rent the place out.


This history is based on the Documentary Evidence in Heritage Council of Western Australia, ‘Register of Heritage Places Below Threshold documentation: Lilydale’, prepared by Irene Sauman, 1998.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

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.