Holbeach House

Statement of Significance

No. 188 Grosvenor has heritage value as an examplar of the Federation Queen Anne Bungalow style and its long association with Mr Wilford Mitchell, prominent auctioneer and and property valuer.

Physical Description

The single storey brick and iron dwelling at No. 188 Grosvenor Road, North Perth was constructed circa 1909 in the Federation Queen Anne Style. The dwelling is positioned over two lots and has landscaped gardens. The dwelling has a two room street frontage and a recessed side entrance. The main roof from is hipped with various gable and hipped protrusions along its eastern elevation. One protruding gable is positioned diagonally to face the south east corner of the site. The gable ends are detailed with timber battens. An iron verandah runs the length of the southern and a portion of the eastern sides of the dwelling. The verandah is supported by turned timber posts and has decorative timber brackets and a timber valance. The dwelling has tuck-pointed brick walls with two sting courses. The southern elevation of the dwelling features three timber framed sash windows with decorative plaster sill detail. An interesting feature along the dwelling's eastern elevation is a small protruding room, which is capped by crenellations. The dwelling is located along the portion of Grosvenor Street between Leake and Fitzgerald Streets in North Perth. Constructed over two lots the dwelling is setback approximately 4.5 metres from its front boundary. A brick and iron fence separates the dwelling from the street. There is a row of Agapanthus and lawn within the front setback.

History

North Perth was initially called Woodville and Toorak after early estates in the area. It was not until March 1899 that is was officially named after the North Perth Roads Board area. It was reclassified as the North Perth Municipality in October 1901. The area was seen as a good place to live as housing was relatively cheap, and it was in walking distance of the City. Access to the City was greatly improved with the advent of trams along Fitzgerald Street from 1900 onwards. There were no houses erected in Grosvenor Road west of Fitzgerald Street until 1907 when one is listed in Wise's Post Office Directories as being occupied by John Linton. In 1909 there were three listed: Lintons's and two others but no street numbers had been allocated. It was not until 1909 that the numbers were listed in the Wise's Post Office Directories. By that time there were seven houses in the street and this included No. 188. No. 188 was constructed on the northern side at the western end of Grosvenor Road circa 1909. At the rear is a right-of-way which was part of the original survey. Thses lanes are very common in the North Perth area as they are in many other of the older suburbs of Perth. Their original purpose was to provide a rear access to the blocks and to allow the Council's night cart tyo access to the householders 'dunnies' which were built along the boundary of their properties. Initially these night carts were horse-drawn but they were later replaced by motorised vehicles. This service was gradullay phased out in the 1950's as more and more properties in the area were sewered. The first resident and owner of the place was Mr Wilford W Mitchell. Mitchell, who had a business in Viking House in William Street from 1907, Mitchell and Co Limited: auctioneer, house, land and estate agents, sworn valuators, resided at this dwelling from the time he purchased the property around 1908 until 1946. Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that from 1947 until at least 1949, Mrs Ruby Miller resided at the house.

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