Gloucester Court Flats

Statement of Significance

Gloucester Court Flats are a rare example of Interwar ’flats’ development that included prominent provision for a motor vehicle and suggests of a more sophisticated lifestyle than many of the flat developments in William Street. It is a rare and eclectic comination of Interwar Functionalist and Contemporary styles.

Physical Description

The double storey building extends to three stories where the garage is located on the front facade. The face brick building comprises 4 flats, with only two of those having road frontages. The roof is hipped and clad with clay tiles. The three storey vertical element is a curious combination of various architectural influences. The lower floor is the original garage with timber double swing doors with 10 glazed panels across the top of each door. Above the garage is a face brick dado with twin classical columns supporting a hipped tiled roof. Originally an open verandah, the space has been enclosed. Set back, at the second floor level, is a square face brick parapeted room with aluminum framed windows. The lower level of the two storey section has a faceted back that extends into a dado wall balustrade for a verandah above. The face brick chimney is tall and rectangular. A medium height face brick wall disguises the difference in levels. A garden is recessed behind the wall and a lawn area extends to the building. A concrete driveway accesses the garage. Infilled verandah above garage, some original windows replaced with aluminum framed windows.

History

Vincent Street was named after Mr. George Vincent, Chief Draftsman in the Lands Department, the original grantee of the land on the north side of this street, to the east of Charles Street, who named the street for himself on the issue of the grant circa 1876. The street once formed part of the Hyde Park Heights Estate, with the eastern end also called the Tramways Estate. About 1907, a single storey residency was built along Vincent Street with the street number 148. This dwelling featured a verandah that wrapped around the south east corner. The Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that the property was occupied by Frederick G. A. Treadgold (1907-1913), M. McDowell (1914), John Clark (1915-1917), Frederick G. A. Treadgold (1918-1925) and May Harriet Treadgold (1926-1934). In the 1930s, it was reported that '˜flat life' was becoming more popular in Perth and suburbs, as evidenced by the construction of several blocks in and around the city. Flat conversion was also seen as a way of dealing with old-fashioned residences at this time, with a number undergoing extensive refurbishment and renovation, which often included a new façade. Other of the older homes were removed to make way for the new flat developments. The dwelling at No. 148 Vincent Street was also converted into two flats in 1930 however the exterior remained unchanged as a single dwelling. The flats were designed by architects Oldham Boas and Ednie Brown for Mrs. Treadgold. The original building plan for the flats illustrates that it was reconstructed by re-using the old material of the single residential dwelling. Each of the flats had its own bedroom and living area. In 1935, a new block of three flats was constructed on the vacant portion of the land to the east of the existing single dwelling. At this time, these two adjacent dwellings were renumbered. The original single dwelling was renumbered as No. 150 Vincent Street whilst the new flats to the east were renumbered No. 148 Vincent Street and named Gloucester Court Flats. Mrs Treadgold, the then owner of the dwelling at No. 150 Vincent Street, made further alterations to the residence in 1937. Another new flat was constructed as a rear addition to the dwelling, which included a sleep out, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. L. G. Dodd, the then owner of Gloucester Court Flats at No. 148 Vincent Street, submitted a plan in 1938 to make further refurbishment and renovation, including the construction of new steps and sliding sash windows behind the twin classical columns above the garage, and the renovation of two rooms into a surgery and waiting room, indicating that a portion of the property had also been used as a surgery. The Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that Lindsay G. Dodd lived at Flat 1 at Gloucester Court Flats as the first sole occupant between 1935 and 1937. In 1938 Edith Jacbson was recorded as a resident at Flat 3 of the block. It was not until 1939 that three of the flats were all occupied, including Lindsay G. Dodd at Flat 1, John J. Prednergast at Flat 2 and Edith Jacbson at Flat 3. In 1946, Gloucester Court Flats was owned by Ethel Margaret Dodd. In the City of Perth Rate Books, the tenants for that year are entered as: Flat 1- Alice Conroy, Flat 2- Otto Eisenstein and Flat 3 - George Fellows. Similar names are entered in the Wise's Post Office Directories in 1949.

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