106 Redfern Street

Parent Place or Precinct

26270 Sadlier and Redfern Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Sadlier and Redfern Streets heritage area is of:
Aesthetic Value
• As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely Inter War residences.
• For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1920s and the 1940s.
• For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
Historic Value
• As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century.
• For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees.
• For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1920s to the 1930s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in this period.
Representativeness
• As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services.
Physical Form in the Public Realm
• The houses, which (with the exception of three modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1920s to 1940s, have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, within a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and iron dwelling of asymmetric plan form incorporating a centrally placed projecting wing to the front of the house.

The brickwork is tuckpointed with a rendered band extending around the house at sill level.

The roof is hipped with a timbered gable to the street facing plane. The roof continues down to form the verandah canopy at a slight break of pitch. The canopy wraps around the three sides of the projecting wing in skillion form, supported on paired timber pots with a timber balustrade. The deck is timber. A tall brick with render corbelled chimney projects from the east plane of the roof.

The windows are timber framed sashes, 1-over-1 design with rendered sills. The entrance to the house is to the side and does not face the street and contains a timber panelled door with leaded and stained glass panel, side panel and fanlights.

The lot is of double width, enabling the driveway and parking to be comfortably accommodated at the side of the house.

The garden is enclosed with low brick wall and tall piers with palisade style panels.

History

This portion of Redfern Street was subdivided for residential lots in 1893 by owners the NSW company, Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company. However the lots were not taken up rapidly. In 1896, lots in the Redfern Estate, Subiaco were advertised in the local press as ‘Good Building Lots, near the railway line’. The subdivision was managed by Alfred Axon, the local branch manager for the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company. Axon was also a significant individual investor in Subiaco property.

Despite the early subdivision it was not until the 1910s that the first lots were occupied in this portion of Subiaco.

The land on which this residence is located is approximately one and a half of the original subdivision lots. Lots 82 and 83 were transferred to a NSW shopkeeper, Julius Hesse in 1896 and there is no indication that the lots were developed. In March 1924, the two lots were transferred to Margaret Aikman and in May 1924 a new title was created for lot 83 and part of lot 83. This enabled the construction of the home across the larger parcel of land and is consistent with the analysis of Rate Books and PO Directories which indicates
that this place was likely constructed c.1924.

The Rate Books contain the following listings:
• 1929/30 1935/36 & 1936/37 Mrs Margret Aikman – owner & James Aikman (crane driver) occupier
The PO directories list the following occupants:
• 1925 – 1949 Aikman, Jas

James Aikman (c1887-1960) married Margaret Jane White (c1888-1955) in 1914. James was an engine driver and in 1922 the couple were living in Commercial Road, Shenton Park. By 1925, their address in the Electoral Roles was 106 Redfern Road, West Subiaco. The description West Subiaco was usually ascribed to what is now Shenton Park.

The Aikmans raised their family at the house and members of the family continued occupancy after the deaths of Margaret in 1955 and James in 1960.
Aerial photographs of the place in the mid 20th century demonstrate a number of additional structures in the property including a garage on the eastern side of the property. In c1978, a small addition was constructed adjacent to the north west corner of the house. Since that time the roof line of the house was been extended in stages to incorporate the structure. Significant additions were constructed in 2016 which included major alterations to the roof line to accommodate a new wing on the eastern elevation which incorporated carparking below the new wing. The additions featured details from the original period of construction.

Integrity/Authenticity

The house has been substantially added to at the rear and the eastern elevation. The original portion of the front elevation presents with high authenticity.

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.