House

Statement of Significance

The house at 143 Shakespeare Street is a fine representative and intact example of Interwar Californian Bungalow, which has a strong street presence.

Physical Description

The single storey brick dwelling is in an elevated location that reveals the extensive face limestone foundation across the front. The front façade is face brick to dado height and rendered above. Walls elsewhere are face brick. The roof is hipped with a wide span half gable over the expansive front verandah. The verandah also features a bowed dado wall that is rendered with vertical details of stacked face bricks. The piers are square and rendered. A sweeping staircase of eight red brick steps curves up to the verandah. The windows are sets of three same size casements with rich geometric art deco leadlights. The chimneys are tall, rendered with brick capping and clay pots. Setback from the street in an elevated position with sleeper retaining walls and a driveway. Lawn and conifer plantings. None apparent

History

Shakespeare Street, Mount Hawthorn was part of the Merredin Park Estate developed by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company, of Sydney. This company was responsible for much of the residential subdivisions in Mount Hawthorn. The streets in the Merredin Park estate were all named for major cities. This section of Shakespeare Street was originally named Dublin Street until 1916, when it was renamed to become a continuation of Shakespeare Street, Leederville. The Mount Hawthorn suburb boundaries were recognised by the State Electoral Commission in 1929. In the 1920s a large portion of the land off Scarborough Beach Road (North Beach Road) near Shakespeare Street was occupied by a sand excavation for the manufacture of sand bricks and on the corner of Shakespeare Street was the State Timber yard. No. 143 Shakespeare Street was built in the 1930s and according to Wise's Post Office Directories, the first resident was Clarence F. Higham in 1935. He was still there in 1949, the last year of the Directories. In the 1930s the lower half of Shakespeare Street was described as 'North Leederville' while the northern end came under Mount Hawthorn. Plunkett's, a building company developed by carpenter Thomas Scott Plunkett, built many homes in the area after World War I, developing large areas of the suburb. No. 143 may well have been one of these. In 1966 B & BL Bohan applied for a building licence to erect a brick bedroom and store addition.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree

Uses

Creation Date

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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.