House, 111 Townshend Rd, Subiaco

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style
111 Townshend Road does not clearly represent any of the major architectural styles of the Inter-War era, but in its general form and detailing is consistent with modest suburban development of the 1920s. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical facade. This features a projecting wing on the southern side, flanked by a deep entry porch.
Roof form and materials
• Gable-hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
Note: Prior to 2013/2014 the house had a tiled roof, which was consistent with its traditional style/detailing.
• Prominent gable to the projecting wing, set over a rectangular window bay. This features a shingle-style apex panel, over a roughcast rendered face with vertical timber battens. Traditional shaped gable boards with modern gable capping.
• Raked verandah roof extending in a broken-back alignment from the main roofline.
• Roughcast rendered chimney with a flat cap.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Projecting rendered string-course, formed by a single row of bricks set at about 1.8m above floor level.
• Plain rendered walls below the stringcourse.
Note: based on other similar houses these may have originally been finished in contrasting tuck-pointed brick.
• Roughcast render above the stringcourse.
Other detailing to main facade
• Triple casement window set in a rectangular window bay at the centre of the projecting wing. Each window has 4 small rectangular panes over a larger bottom pane. Projecting rendered sill.
• Simple raked window awning with modern cladding detailing.
• Main entrance at the rear of the carport/porch. This has a central door famed by a large highlight and half-height side lights. All of the glazed panels are divided in to small panels (variously square or rectangular)
• Plain square timber posts to the current carport/porch.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.2m from the Townshend Road frontage.
• Lot width approximately 10.1m.
• Side setback of approximately 1m on the northern side and 600mm on the southern side.
• Front yard enclosed by a timber picket fence, with an entrance drive on the northern side.

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949.
Perth Suburban Lot 221 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1535 in 1896 and advertised as the “Salisbury Estate”. This comprised 42 lots, including 14 lots along the western side of Townshend Road between Barker and Bagot Road.
111 Townshend Road was first listed in the Post Office Directories in 1921, when the primary resident was identified as Percival Anderson Burton (glazier). A brief newspaper notice in January 1922 indicates that Burton sold the property after a relatively short period. Another newspaper notice indicates that the next owner/occupier, William Reid (motorman), sold the house in 1925. It was then established as the long-term home of the Breakell family.
Henry Breakell (c.1859-1932) and Mary Back (c.1870-1950) were married in Fremantle in c.1912, following the death of Henry’s first wife, Agnes, in 1911. From that time until their retirement in Subiaco, they had farmed at Bencubbin. Mary remained at 111 Townshend Road until around the time of her death in June 1950. In September of that year the property was offered for sale by Henry Breakell’s executor.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that this house was extended to the rear and fully re-roofed and in c.2013/2014. However, the footprint of the front portion of the house has remained relatively unchanged.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the rendering of the original face-brick skirt, the modification of the front porch as a carport and the replacement of the former tiled roof with pre-painted steel cladding.

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.