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 and tiled residence located on a prominent corner position at the intersection of Hamersley Road and Federal Street.

The house originally presented with tuckpoint finish to the lower sections of elevation but this has been rendered or painted over and is now the same colour as the upper levels of elevation.
The house has a hipped and gabled roof, clad in terracotta tiles adorned with terracotta finials and rendered chimney. The gable forms the verandah canopy to the western section of the façade with the overhang of the roof creating the canopy along the western elevation. A separate hip roof forms the canopy to the verandah across the eastern section of the façade. All canopies are supported on tapering masonry columns, clad with roughcast render. The verandah deck could not be seen.

The windows are timber framed casements, with a feature window to the south west corner of the façade, which wraps around the front and west elevations.

The garden is enclosed by timber picket fence.

History

The plan for the subdivision of this portion of Hamersley Road was formally approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1891. The 15 acres of land between Hamersley Road, Bagot Road, Hensman Road and Federal Streets were designated as Perth Suburban Lots 232a, 233 and 234. The Lots were purchased by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Limited of NSW in 1891. It was a common occurrence for eastern state land developers to purchase large parcels of land for subdivision for the growing population in Perth. However the lots were not always taken up rapidly or developed. In 1898, Lots in Hamersley Road were advertised for £35.

In 1896, lots 82, 83 and 84 (HN244, 246 and 248) were transferred to William Gardiner, a bank manager of Bourke in NSW. In 1917, the three lots were transferred to Lucy Middleton of Sydney and in 1919 to Archer Clifton Lushey, a joiner of Lawler Street Subiaco.

In 1922, this lot was transferred to Frederic Samuel Lushey (c1893-1967), a clerk. Frederic was the brother of Archer and it is proposed that Archer Lusher built the residence for his brother and his wife; and the mother of Archer and Frederic who lived there until her death in 1937.

From the available information this residence was constructed c1923 as it first appears in the Post Office Directories in that year. The date cannot be confirmed in the Rates Books as there are not rates books for the period 1919-1929. The house numbers in the Post Office Directories are also varied during the 1920s.

An aerial photograph of the property in 1964 shows the form and extent of the building at that time. A shed/garage is located in the rear of the lot which is accessed from Federal Street.

The residence remained largely unchanged until c1990 when an addition was constructed to the rear of the building which has retained the tile roof and original roof line at the front of the building. The main residence has not changed significantly since that time although several new structures have been constructed within the back yard.

Integrity/Authenticity

The house presents in a largely intact manner but the changes to finishes have impacted on the authenticity of its presentation.

Condition

Good

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.