House

Parent Place or Precinct

26335 Hamersley Road Group Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Hamersley Road Group 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 intact Federation and 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 1890s 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 1890s to the 1920s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in the gold boom period and shortly thereafter.
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 two modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1898 to 1921, (and one in 1946) 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, with a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Single storey brick residence with recent zincalume roof and altered verandah.

The house is of traditional asymmetric planform incorporating a dominant projecting gable to the western side of the façade. The house is constructed with tuckpointed brick to the lower section and roughcast render to the upper section as per the original finish to the place. A limestone plinth is visible towards the rear sections of the house where the land level falls away.

The windows and doors have been changed.
The roof is gabled to the projecting wing incorporating a rendered and batten gable detail. Towards the rear of the house the roof is hipped with vented gablets to the east and west side of the roof.

An extensive non-original bullnose verandah wraps around the various sections of the façade and projects out across the driveway to form the carport canopy. The deck is paved and the driveway has brick pavers.

The boundary treatment comprises a high rendered masonry wall and metal gates. The high front wall obscures views to the house from the street.

History

This portion of Hamersley Road was subdivided for residential lots in 1892. However the lots were not taken up rapidly. In 1898, lots in Hamersley Road were advertised for £35.

This lot was vacant until the construction of a residence in c1925 and the first occupant was Albert Berry (c1897-1970). It is probable that the residence was either built for civil servant William McClean or he purchased the property soon after construction.

William McLean (c1887-1934) and his wife Helen Jane, nee Richards had married in 1914 and lived in the south of the state before settling in Perth. William died in 1934 and Helen remained in the house for only a few years before relocating. The house was subsequently occupied by a series of short term residents.

The PO Directories list the following occupants:
• 1926 – 1927 Albert Berry
• 1928 – 1933/34 William McLean
• 1934/35 Mrs Helen McLean
• 1935/36 Jno Wiltshire
• 1937/38 – 1942/43 J Wright
• 1944 – 1945 Mrs Vera McCall
• 1946 – 1947 Edward Ryan
• 1949 Mrs Wright

An aerial photograph of the property in 1965 shows that a small garage was located at the rear of the lot and a separate structure was located near the rear of the house. This was likely to be a wash house. The rear of the house had a simple skillion roof structure in corrugated iron.

Integrity/Authenticity

The altered form of the verandah impacts on the authenticity of the presentation of the building but the original design intent of the house remains largely extant.
This place includes a high front fence which obscures views of the house from the street.

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.