House

Parent Place or Precinct

26077 Salisbury and Rupert Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance:
• As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means.
• As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century.
• For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses.
• For its association with the rapid development of Subiaco in the early 20th century.

Physical Description

• Asymmetrical stepped facade.
• This has a projecting wing on the southern side, with an abutting verandah
extending across the remainder of the frontage (matching the layout of
#101).
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• This has a prominent gable over the projecting wing and a smaller gable over
the verandah. The main N-S ridgeline to the hipped section of the roof has
small gablets at ether end.
• Dropped, bullnose verandah roof, with vertical balusters to the end panel.
• Two tuck-pointed brick chimneys, with slimline moulding above and below a
roughcast rendered cap.
• Tuck-pointed brickwork.
• Roughcast rendered eaves panel.
• Two contrasting smooth rendered stringcourses, one at window sill height
and the other at door head height.
• Roughcast rendered face to the main gable, with a decorative scrolled leaf moulding to the centre, and a slender turned-timber finial (truncated at base)..
• Rectangular window bay to the front of the projecting wing.
• Triple casement window to the window bay, with floral pattern stained glass panels to the highlights.
• Moulded, rendered window sill over a curved under-sill panel. Corrugated metal, bullnose window hood, with square balusters to the end panels, decorative carved brackets and a frieze of turned timber balustrettes.
• Main entrance set under the verandah and abutting the projecting wing. This features traditional moulded timber architraves, narrow sidelights, and a highlight.
• Second rectangular window bay under the verandah (to the room on the northern side of the entrance hall). This is capped by a small roughcast rendered gable with a finial (but no rendered decoration).
• The window to this bay has detailing matching that to the window to the projecting wing.
• Turned timber verandah posts, decorative carved timber brackets and a verandah frieze of turned timber balustrettes.
• House set back approximately 5.5m from the Salisbury Street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 12m.
• Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence.

History

The following extract has been taken from the Heritage Assessment of the Southern
End of Subiaco's Triangle Precinct, Greenward Consulting, August 2018.
No development took place in the study area until late 1891, when Lots 278, 279, 280
& 281 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 353 (later referred to as DP 2808). This
subdivision included 138 building lots, with frontages to Heytesbury Road, Thomas
Street, Nicholson Road, Rokeby Road, Mackay Street (later renamed as part of Rupert
Street), Paterson Street (later renamed as part of Salisbury Street) and Finlayson
Street. These lots were progressively sold from December 1891 (many to eastern
states investors), but construction on these sites was initially slow. A plan dated
c.1902 shows that, while the Rokeby Road frontage had been largely developed by
that time, only about 15 buildings had been erected along the other frontages (only 1
of which was in Salisbury Street).
The Subiaco Rates Books of 1905 and 1913/14 show that Lots 67 to 71 of DP 2808
were owned by S. Chesters for several years and that these were re-surveyed as Lots
1 to 5, DP 4234, at the end of that period (creating 5 lots at 422m2 each where there were originally 6 lots at 352m2). S. Chesters was almost certainly Sith Annie Chesters,
the wife of a prominent local real estate agent and developer, James Chesters.
Houses were built on all five sites (93 to 101 Salisbury Street) in c.1914-1915 and it
seems likely that 99 & 101 Salisbury Street were among the many developments
undertaken by James Chesters in Subiaco in the early twentieth century (together
with 96 & 98 Salisbury Street, which were also built in c.1914).
The first owner/occupier of 99 Salisbury Street identified in the Subiaco Rates Books
was Mrs Mary Mathea, who lived here in c.1914-1915. The readily available evidence
suggests that this was the Bridget Mary Hickey (c.1864-1932) who married
Constantine Franz Mathea (c.1856-1921) in Queensland in c.1895. This couple had 5
children: Charles (born c.1896); Constantine (c.1897); George (c.1898); Pauline
(c.1900) and Helene (c.1904). In the Electoral Rolls of 1906, Mary Mathea and
Constantine Franz Mathea were listed as residents of Railway Road, Subiaco. In 1910
and 1912, Constantine (snr) was listed as a mining leaseholder in the Goldfields
districts, while Mary remained in Subiaco - living at 34 Rowland Street in c.1909-1910;
345 Barker Road, c.1911-1913; 99 Salisbury Street, c.1914-1915, and 139 Townshend
Road, c.1917-1920. By the time of her husband’s death in South America in 1922,
Mary was living with at least some of her children in Nedlands.
99 Salisbury Street was advertised for rent in March 1915:
SUBIACO-99 Salisbury-st., 5-roomed new Brick VILLA,
conveniences, near tram and park, immediate occupation, 22s.
6d., or offer. Chesters, 176 Rokeby-rd.
The first long-term occupants were members of the Evans family, who settled here in
c.1919. Charles Henry Evans (c.1867-1930) and Therisa Florence Mitchell (c.1872-
1952) were married in Cookernup in c.1896 and had at least three children: Clive
Henry (c.1896); Clement Leonard (c.1898) and Andrew Colin (c.?). Following her
husband’s death, Therisa remained at 99 Salisbury Street until c.1933. By the mid-
1930s she had moved to Nedlands.
The next long-term occupant was Mabel Cook. Mabel Maud Cook (nee Thornton)
(c.1881-1970) was widowed in 1938, at which she time had been living at 337 Rokeby
Road with her husband Walter (a grocer). Mary settled at 99 Salisbury Street in
c.1942 and was still listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls of 1967.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High: The place continues to be used as a private residence.
Authenticity - High: The façade of this building is the most intact example of the four matching houses at 85, 87, 99 & 101 Salisbury Street

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

Uses

Historic Themes

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.