House

Parent Place or Precinct

26001 Chesters Subdivision Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance:
• As an excellent example of a well designed and detailed “gentleman’s villa” of Subiaco dating from the early 20th century.
• For its aesthetic value as a good representative example of a well-designed Federation Queen Anne villa of the early 20th century, designed to a style and scale suited to the professional/business classes.
• For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses.
• For its association with the ongoing development of Subiaco in the early 20th century period.
• For its association with prominent community member Polly Willis who planted the distinctive and landmark rose garden.

Physical Description

44 Heytesbury Road is a picturesque Federation Queen Anne villa.
The walls of the house are of tuck-pointed stretcher bond brickwork, with two rendered sting courses, one at door head height and the other at window sill height. The tiled gabled-hipped roof features terracotta ridge cresting, louvered gablets and a tall brick chimney with a rendered cap and terracotta pot. The roof line also features a prominent roof gable on the western side of the main façade, with a roughcast rendered face, vertical battens and a tall finial.
The verandah roof is a continuous extension of the main roofline and is enlivened with raked gables, which project out on a diagonal alignment at each corner. Both of these small gables have a roughcast face, vertical battens and finial, generally matching the detailing to the large gable to the main roof. The verandah also has chamfered posts, sweeping curved brackets and an ornate valance of turned balustrettes and small fretwork panels. The floor of the verandah has a rendered lip over a rock-faced stone base, and access is provided by a set of steps at the south-eastern corner.
Under the main gable the front wall steps out as a shallow rectangular bay, with a central full-height double hung window over a timber sill. This is flanked by two smaller double hung windows, with small leadlight panes and projecting rendered sills. Past this bay the façade steps back to create a wider section of the verandah and the main entrance is located on the eastern side of this area. The entry door is of a typical late Federation design and is flanked by a highlight and sidelights with stained glass detailing. Between the door and the western window bay there is another stained glass window, over a projecting rendered sill.
The side of the house along Salisbury Street is more utilitarian with plain face brickwork and double hung windows.
The house is set back approximately 3.5 m from the front boundary, which is defined by a low timber picket fence. This returns for a short distance along Salisbury Street, before a high brick wall provides privacy along the side of the house and to the rear yard. Vehicular access is off Heytesbury Road on the western side of the house, with a brick paved driveway leading to a gable-roofed garage that is set well back from the street frontage.
Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition.
Note - the historic home houses the Fairview Art Collection, a nationally significant collection of South Australian and West Australian visual artists from the 1850s to the present day.

History

The following extract has been taken from the Chesters' Subdivision Heritage Assessment, Greenward Consulting, August 2013.
James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, purchased Perth Suburban Lots 249 to
252 in October 1891. In the same month he commenced selling residential lots in a
newly subdivided estate laid out as Deposited Plan 366 (extending across Perth
Suburban Lots 251 and 252). However, it was over twenty years before Lots 66 and
67 were developed with a house.
According to the City of Subiaco Rate Books the house at 44 Heytesbury Road was
constructed in 1915/16 for John Kennedy (an engineer), who had previously lived at
267 Rokeby Road.
Kennedy specialised in the design of ice works and managed the Perth Ice Works
from 1911. It is understood by the current owner that this house was designed by
Kennedy who chose leadlight designer Arthur Clark of local firm Barnett Brothers to
design the front entry windows.
John and Christina Kennedy lived here until 1925, after which it became the longterm
family home of John and Annie Pointon, and their children John and Doris. In
the 1970s, the place was purchased by Maybelle (Polly) Willis who planted the roses
in the front garden. The roses are the foundation of the current rose garden. Polly
Willis was very active in the Subiaco Community and made a significant contribution
to the Subiaco Historical Society and was passionate about retaining the original
buildings in Subiaco. She undertook several programs of renovations during the 40
years in which she owned the property.
A plan of the lot prepared in 1927 and reviewed in 1955 for the purpose of planning
sewerage and water supply services shows that the footprint of the original house
has been almost doubled through a large addition at the rear of the building.
Aerial photographs of the place since the mid 20th confirm that a skillion roofed
addition was present across the rear of the house in 1964 which was extended to its
current form in the late 1970s. The form and extent of the original residence is still
readily apparent.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity -High: The place continues to be used as a private residence.
Authenticity - High: The original external form and detailing of the building is largely intact.

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

Uses

Historic Themes

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.