New Court Flats

Statement of Significance

New Court flats, at 35 Mary Street, are good examples of the Interwar Contemporary style, with some Art Deco detailing. The flats demonstrate the brief period between the deprivation of the Depression and the austerity of building material shortages as the influence of World War Two was felt.

Physical Description

The double storey face brick structure comprising 8 flats, has a hipped roof clad with cement tiles. It is symmetrical organised with a central fluted art deco detail to the central stairwell. Side wings with narrow balconies, are set back behind the main façade, with rendered balustrades decorated with incised horizontal bands, and some louvred window infills. Low brick wall with garden setback that obscures much of the ground floor frontage that is lower than the road. Verandah enclosures with louvres.

History

In 1892, land in Highgate Hill was acquired by Catholic Bishop Matthew Gibney, Catholic Bishop of Perth. It was subdivided as the Mount Heart Estate, with a 2-acre site in its centre for a school and a church (Alacoque Square), surrounded 79 residential lots. Mary Street was part of this subdivision. In 1933, it was reported that '˜flat life' was becoming more popular in Perth and its suburbs, as evidenced by the construction of several blocks in and around the City. Flat conversion was also seen as a way of dealing with old-fashioned residences at this time, with a number undergoing extensive refurbishment and renovation, which often included a new façade. Other older homes were also removed to make way for the new flat developments. There was no residence listed for No. 35 in the 1915 Wise's Post Office Directories, and the land appears to have been vacant at the time of construction of the flats. The New Court flats, a block of eight flats, were under construction in 1940. It is interesting to note that no car parking space was provided for the residents. The person rated in 1940 was Clement Francis Dwyer but he was acting for a company, the name of which in indecipherable in the City of Perth rate books. In 1941 the subject place was listed in the Directories as 'flats' with no further details but the following year (1942), the residents were listed for six of the eight flats: Miss Joan Oliver and Miss W. Stanley (No. 1), John Stewart (No. 2), Ron Fisher (No. 3), Mr Langoulant (No. 4) and Miss O'Rourke and Mrs Keay at No. 6. In 1949, the last year of the Directories, the residents were: Mrs Vogue (No. 1), John Stewart (still in residence at No. 2), John S. Korner (No. 3), A. Innes (No. 4), John Sullivan (No. 5), W. O'Rourke (No. 6 '“ possibly a relation of the occupant, Miss O'Rourke, listed in 1942), No. 7 was not listed (possibly vacant) and No. 8 was Mrs Piper. Approval was sought but denied by the City of Perth for a loft style dwelling at the rear in 1993. A subsequent application for a garage/store/laundry was approved in 1994 and was erected but remained empty. It was used for storage only. In 2008 the flats were still in the hands of a single owner and, although strata titles had been applied for, they had not yet been issued.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree

Uses

Creation Date

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