Turton

Parent Place or Precinct

22385 North Fremantle Precinct

Statement of Significance

Turton House, 25 Harvest Road, is a limestone, brick and iron single storey house dating from the 1900s. It is a fine example of the Federation Queen Anne style of architecture. The place has aesthetic value for its fine design and detailing as well as its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the more affluent building stock located within the residential areas of North Fremantle. Historically significant as a representation of a fine residence in the North Fremantle area. It is significant as an example of Talbot Hobbs residential architecture.

Physical Description

Turton House, 25 Harvest Road, is a single storey limestone, brick and iron house with asymmetrical facade and floor plan designed as an example of the federation Queen Anne style of architecture. Walls are limestone with tuckpointed brick quoins and reveals. The roof form in very complex. Roof is hipped, gabled, Dutch gabled and pyramidal, corrugated iron with an elaborate hip gable which addresses the corner. This is also the location of the front entry. Simple vertical timber ornamentation on roughcast render project beyond the bay. A small gable in the verandah roof serves to signal the location of the front door. Verandah is under separate bullnose corrugated iron roof which wraps around the house. The verandah is supported by turned timber posts with a simple curved frieze.The hand carved railing and elaborately routed balustrading add an elegance to the house. The corbelled brick chimneys are intact. A turret forms the focus of the front elevation. The turret is ornamented by a rendered gable containing a circular window and scrolling. The wide entrance hall leads through a ornamented stucco archway supported on Corinthian columns to the main body of the house. Two storey extensions at the rear of the house were built in 1981. There is a low limestone wall and complementary front garden planting to the front of the house.

History

From the nineteenth century, Harvest Road was important as an access route to Point Direction, the location of a sheltered landing place. Boat building yards were located at Point Direction for much of the twentieth century, during which time the Harvest Road jetty also became a popular family swimming and picnic area. Originally, Harvest Road began at Stirling Highway (then called Bruce Street), but from 1899 it was extended through to Queen Victoria Street (then called Victoria Street). Harvest Road has always been a predominantly residential street, developing steadily from the turn of the twentieth century, and characterised at least in its early decades as a place with a large number of rental properties. Three industries on the street were Purina (1935-55) and Nabisco (1955-88) cereal manufacturers (number 3-5), Rowlands Co Cordial, Wine and Spirits manufacturers (1908 to at least 1939, at number 11), and various marine industries, most prominently Browns Boat Building Yard (from c.1900), which was located between Corkhill (Elizabeth) Street and the River.
Turton House was constructed in c.1904-05 for Arthur Turton and his wife Jessie May Turton, designed by notable architect J. Talbot Hobbs. Jessie was a daughter of James Pearse, one of the three Pearse brothers to found the Pearse Brothers Tannery and Boot Factory. Arthur had been a hardware salesman in Fremantle in the 1890s for Union Stores. He was a prominent public figure in North Fremantle, serving as a Councillor from 1928, and was mayor of North Fremantle from 1932 until 1945. He was apparently popular as mayor, at least in his early years, as it is recorded that when he looked like resigning in 1934 local residents came in droves to Turton House to petition him to stay on. Arthur Turton lived at Turton House until at least 1949.
During World War II, Turton was a central place for the war effort assisting Australian servicemen overseas. In 1995, Gwen Evelyn Turton (either a daughter or daughter-in-law to Arthur and Jessie May Turton) died. She appears to have lived a significant portion of her life at Harvest Road, presumably at Turton House. She was honoured in 1989 for 50 years’ voluntary service to the Red Cross.
The house was registered by the National Trust in 1980, at which time it was noted that the original turreted roof features were no longer in place. In 1981 a newspaper article records it having been purchased by Craig Bond, son of Perth businessman Alan Bond, and photographs show a turret in place. The house appears to have changed hands several times in the 1980s, at which time extensive additions were made to the rear (south) of the house. These additions were made in a sympathetic style to the original.
In March 2016 the house is up for Auction, and real estate ads describe it as a 4 bed, 1 bath home on 985 sq.m with an underground double garage accessed from Turton Street and a swimming pool. The floor plan shows the original house comprises a formal entry and passage way, with two rooms off to the left and three to the right. The first room on the right of the entry (west) has a bay window feature that addresses the corner of the block.
The floor plan shows that the large rear addition to the original house comprises a large open plan kitchen/dining and family room, a bedroom and large bathroom to the west side, with a verandah, and a laundry off the east side. A paved area and pool fills the remains of the block. It also appears that there is an addition on the west side of the original portion of the house which comprises a study and a dressing room.
This place was included in the 'North Fremantle Heritage Study' (1994) as a place contributing to the development and heritage of North Fremantle. It was also included in the list of heritage places in the City of Fremantle identified by the Fremantle Society (1979/80) - PURPLE -of architectural and historic significance in its own right.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability, restored, sympathetic rear extension).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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