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 terracotta tiled residence of traditional asymmetric plan form.

The place originally had a tuckpoint finish to the façade which has now been obscured by a paint finish.

The roof is hipped which sweeps down at the same pitch to create the verandah canopy that extends across the full width of the house. The canopy is supported on non-original cylindrical steel posts. A gabled feature projects through the roof/canopy, with rendered and timber detailing. A corbelled brick chimney projects from the east plane of the main roof and terracotta finials are positioned on the gable apex and on the ridge to the main roof.

The façade presents with the traditional asymmetric planform including a projecting gabled wing to the east side of the property. The gabled section incorporates two double gun timber framed sashes. The recessed section of the elevation contains the main entrance located at the abutment of the projecting wing and two further sash windows.

The deck of the verandah cannot be seen.

The house cannot be clearly seen from the street due to the high brick boundary wall.

History

This portion of Subiaco bound by Hamersley Road, Derby Road, Heytesbury Road and Federal Road was designated as Perth Suburban Lot 260. This large landholding of five acres was acquired by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Limited in 1890. This company was based in New South Wales but was very active in the development of Perth’s metropolitan area in the 1890s.

The plan for the subdivision of this portion of Hamersley Road was approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1904. However, the land had been subdivided for residential sale some years previously. Lots had been transferred to new owners from 1892.

This lot was transferred to George Harris in 1893 and the Rates Books record that he did not develop the property before selling it to Charles Klause in c1917.

Charles John Klause (c1871-1944) recorded his occupation as a labourer and sailmaker in different years. Originally from Victoria, Charles and Mary Esther, nee Collins, settled in Western Australia in the early 1900s. They had five children and Charles and Mary Klause lived in the house until their deaths within a few weeks of each other in 1944.
An aerial photograph of the residence in 1964 shows that the form and extent of the residence has not changed significantly. The rear skillion roof has been extended and clad in zincalume and the outbuildings in the rear of the property have been removed.

Integrity/Authenticity

Alterations to the treatment of the façade, including replacement verandah posts, impact on the authenticity of presentation. A high front fence obscures views to 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.