House

Parent Place or Precinct

26002 Kershaw Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Kershaw Street Heritage Area is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons:
• As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong heritage character, featuring a narrow avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and early Inter-War vials.
• For its retention of many good, representative examples of Federation Queen Anne villas (which collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing between 1904 and c.1918).
• For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
• As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for the families of professional men, such as merchants, bankers and civil servants in the early twentieth century.
• For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residences of senior professional men and business owners existed side by side with the smaller residences of more junior employees in early twentieth century Subiaco.
• For its association with the subdivision of this area by James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, in 1892. In this context it also represents the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant investment from the eastern states.
• For its association with the efforts of James Chesters as a local land agent and property developer, following his move to Western Australia in 1905.
• For its association with Joseph (Joe) Totterdell, who was responsible for the construction of many Subiaco houses (including some in Kershaw Street), and who, for a brief period (1916-17), lived at 25 Kershaw Street (one of his development properties).

Physical Description

15 Kershaw Street, Subiaco, was designed as a large, single storey house that displays elements of the Federation Queen Anne style, but with a roofline derived from the Federation Bungalow style.
The main roof, which is clad with dappled-red clay tiles (replacing an earlier corrugated iron cladding), has a prominent hipped form, extending as a single pitch over the verandahs. Either side of the central ridgeline there is a face-brick chimney with a moulded string-course and cap, and terracotta pots. On the northern side of the main façade the hipped roof form is broken-up by a gable roof over a projecting wing. The gable end retains detailing consistent with the Queen Anne style, with wide projecting eaves extending over a raked window bay. The eaves are slatted and are supported on slender curved brackets at either end. The face of the gable is finished in roughcast render with decorative curved and straight timber battens. Projecting moulding defines an eaves panel at the top of the bay window.
The main façade has red, tuck-pointed, Flemish-bond, face-brickwork with two plain rendered string-courses, one at window sill height and the other at door head height – the latter wrapping up around the top of each opening. The double hung windows have narrow vertical proportions, and are full height where they open onto the return verandah. The main entrance is located under the verandah, adjacent to the projecting wing. This has a traditional, early twentieth century, six-panel door with panelled and glazed sidelights, plus highlights - all with stained-glass detailing.
The verandah starts against the projecting front wing and returns along the full length of the southern side. This is supported on rendered columns, which have detailing derived from the classical Doric order (these have replaced what would have been original timber detailing). The soffit is fully boarded.
The front fence has a low brick base topped by slim-line horizontal boards in continuous panels. The house is set back approximately 6m from the street and the garden areas feature lawns, shrubs and small trees. The spacious side setbacks have been developed with a driveway on the southern side, and with contrasting modern additions set in the gardens along the northern side.
Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition. At the time of inspection (August 2012) renovations and additions were still in progress.

History

James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, purchased Perth Suburban Lots 249 and 250 in 1891. In the following year he had this area laid out as a new residential estate (Deposited Plan 504), which included the creation of Lots 152, 153 and 154 (15 Kershaw Street). In 1904 Chesters sold Lots 152, 153 and 154 to John Marshall, the younger, and Norwood Marshall as tenants in common. By 1906 John Marshall had been listed in the Post Office Directories as the third resident of the street. Under the Marshalls’ ownership the house was named “Norwood”.
The property was next offered for sale in 1920:
CHARMING BUNGALOW RESIDENCE, No. 15 Kershaw-street, Subiaco. ROBERTSON BROS. LIMITED have been instructed by Messrs. J. and N.H. Marshall to SELL as above, IN ORDER TO WIND UP PARTNERSHIP: Lots 152, 153, and 154 of Perth Sub. Lots 249 and 250 having a frontage of 99ft. to Kershaw-street by a good depth to a right-of-way, very wide entrance hall. The residence has 6 large main rooms, kitchen, and all modern conveniences; spacious verandahs, motor garage, etc. Garden and lawns. Best position in Subiaco, between Rokeby-road tram and King's Park, on the crest of the hill.
Occupants of the property from its time of construction until 1949 included:
John Marshall (Bank Clerk)
William N. Tyrer (Manager, National Bank)
William McGaghern (Manager, Royal Bank)
A.S. Greenwood & Mrs L.M. Cook
William McLintock (Inspector of Schools)
Joseph Samuel Foulkes (Accountant)
Information in the Electoral Rolls indicates that Joseph lived here with his wife, Mary Helen Foulkes. By 1954 they had moved to Claremont.

Integrity/Authenticity

While the roofing material and the detailing of the verandah have been altered, and the house extended, it still retains underlying evidence of the original design and detailing.

Condition

Good

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.