Duplex

Statement of Significance

The duplex at No. 395 William Street is a comparatively rare example of the Federation Georgian style and of a development model more typical of the gold rush periods of the eastern states, than of the Gold Boom period in Perth. Its unusualness contributes to the immediate streetscape character.

Physical Description

The two storey painted brick building has a symmetrical frontage. Its development model is more typical of the eastern goldfields than development models from the Gold Boom period in Perth. It was originally constructed as a residential duplex. One of the original entrances has been removed and the entry blocked up in the 1960s. The roof is a U configuration with a hipped presentation to the street. Central on the frontage is a low pitched gable portico supported by square painted brick piers. This portico has been added sometime after the 1960s. The windows on the frontage are typically in separated pairs of narrow double hung sashes. They are located towards the outer sides of the front façade, in vertical alignment on both floor levels. Evidence on the upper storey shows where original openings between the two sets of paired windows lead onto the first floor verandah, and which have been bricked up. Low brick and palisade fence garden and paving in small setback area Painted face brick work, removal of verandah, new portico entry, brick-up first floor entries onto former verandah, alterations to the ground floor fenestration.

History

The bed of Lake Thomson was used for farming and market gardening until the 1880s, when parcels of the land were sold off. One section of the land was subdivided by B.H (Harry) Anstey in 1892, whereby seven separate parcels of land were amalgamated and then developed as a 9.1 hectare residential subdivision. William (Hutt) Street was continued through the subdivision north of Newcastle Street. The semi-detached pair at Nos. 395-397 William Street is part of the development on the reclaimed bed of Lake Thomson. They appear on the 1900 PWD Sewerage Plan but not the 1897 series. The 1900 plans show a verandah extending across the front of the dwellings. One of the subject dwellings is first listed as No. 459 in the Wise's Post Office Directories in 1905 which was occupied by Victoria Trelour, hairdresser. This section of William Street was numbered south-north from No. 443 to No. 485 before 1909 and the numbers were re-allocated since then. The subject dwelling at No. 459 is renumbered as No. 395 in 1909, with the occupant Mrs. Annie Wilson. No. 397 first appeared in 1910 with Thomas A. Kerr as the resident. In 1915, No.395 was occupied by William Thomas. There was no entry for No.397 at this year. A Sewerage Plan dated 1951 shows that the pair of subject dwellings has an identical configuration, both feature a verandah ran the full width of the street frontage and a sink located at the rear of the dwelling. In the 1961, a Building Licence application was submitted to the Perth City Council for conversion from "existing dwelling into dry cleaning", comprising both shop and office space. The licence was issued to '˜Parrants & Industrial Dry Cleaners'. The conversion proposed removal of the existing verandah, and the ground-floor windows to the facade, replacing them large glass sliding doors. Upstairs, new openings were proposed along the central common wall and both doors to the upper floor leading onto the verandah were bricked up, as well as the southern ground-floor entry. There is a record for an earlier Building Licence 506/26 issued in 1926 to '˜Parrants Ltd' suggesting that this business might have used or owned the building from the 1920s through to the 1960s. In the early 2000s, until about 2005, the place operated as a brothel.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.