Houses, 54-66 Lincoln Street, Highgate

Statement of Significance

The cottages, known as the "police cottages", are a rare row of closely set detached cottages in the Federation Georgian style, dating from the late years of the nineteenth century. The row has retained a high level of integrity and is important for the streetscape and character of the area. Located opposite the Highgate Hill Police Station it has associations with police officers and their families. The cottages demonstrate a way of life no longer practiced.

Physical Description

A row of seven identical single storey single fronted detached cottages with hipped roofs and bow verandahs supported by timber posts or verandahs altered to form skillion roofs. The verandahs of the houses are constructed to the street boundary and the picket fence forms a balustrade to the verandah. The houses are set close together. Rhythm of repetitive form and scale and front fences. None apparent

History

Lincoln Street is part of the Highgate Hill subdivision, developed by surveyor Charles Crossland in 1874, and named for his birthplace in London. The seven cottages at Nos 54-66 Lincoln Street were built on Lot 140 and are known to date from 1892 when the WA Trustee Co. was recorded as the rateable owner. They were occupied at that time. The original owner of the land was Horace Striling in 1884 and he was followed by Mrs Murphy who owned it with a group of other people in 1888. In 1892 it was sold to a company (name unclear) and then the WA Trustee Co. was the rateable owner and from 1900 to 1904 J.D Edgar of the WA Trusee Co. was recorded as the rateable owner. He then held it in his own name from 1905 -9017 and the following year took out joint ownership with other people. The City of Perth rate books for 1898 list J.J Desmond as the currenty owner and the cottages were valued at 600 pounds each. The cottages have come to be described by local usage as the 'Police Cottages'. Their proximity to the Highgate Hill police station meant that they were often rented by policemen who were stationed there. Highgate Hill Police Station at No. 57 Lincoln Street, was officially opened on 1 November 1897. It consisted of a change room and two lock up celss and a cow was kept in the fenced - off back half of the Police Station block. Initially there was a sergeant in charge of the police station and he was allocated seven foot constables. In 1898 the rate books list the tenants as Richard Smith (butcher - No. 54), Augustus Healey (steroyper - No. 56) and J.J Desmond, the owner, at No. 58 plus a clerk, engraver, bricklayer and publican. In 1899 Wise's Post Office Directories that Richard Smith and Augustus Healey were still there plus James Quigley (No. 60), Samuel barton (No. 64) and John N. Mills (No. 66). No occupations were lilsted for these tenants of the cottages. In 1907, four of the seven cottages were occupied by policemen, among them Constable Charles Muller at No. 62. Unitl 1906 when police quarters were erected, the officer-in-charge also had to find his own accomodation. By 1932, the cottages had become cheap rentals, with most of the occupants women, among them Mrs Alice O'Learyand Mrs Pheobe Forster (both at No. 54), Robert William Johnston (No. 58), Mrs Elizabeth Hayes (No. 60), Mrs Irene Stanton (No. 62) and Mrs Mary Lamb (No. 66). Numbers 56 and 62 were vacant. In 1949 the last year of the Wise's Post Office Directories were printed the occupants were Vic McCaulay (No. 54), Mrs Hepburn (No. 56), Mrs Rose I. Frazer (No. 58), Herbert Jones (No.60) Mrs A. Young (No. 62), Robert A.McHenry (No. 64) and Eric Gatti (No. 66) and at that time only three of the listed occupants were women.

Integrity/Authenticity

Intact

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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.