House

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance:
• As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means.
• As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century.
• For its association with the rapid development of Subiaco in the early 20th century and the small scale development by local builders of many residential properties.
For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style
93 Townshend Road features detailing derived from the Federation Queen Anne style. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as professional men, office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical facade.
• Projecting wing on the southern side.
• Abutting verandah extending across the remainder of the frontage.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gable roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Prominent verge gable over the projecting wing, finished with rough-cast render, and set with a pattern of vertical and diagonal timber battens.
• Moulded eaves brackets and moulded cornice framing the projecting baseline of the gable.
• Two face brick chimneys with contrasting rendered detailing.
• Bull-nose verandah roof.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck-pointed face brick.
• Moulded string-course at mid-window height, featuring an alternating acanthus leaf pattern.
• Plain string-course at window sill height.
• Simple rendered frame rising around the top of each opening, above the level of the moulded string course.
• Plain face brickwork to the secondary Barker Road façade.
Other detailing to main facade
• Entrance door abutting the projecting wing. This features traditional moulded architraves, highlights and sidelights with stained glass panels.
• Two double-hung windows to the projecting wing, set over a continuous moulded sill and decorative under-sill panel. The rendered panel around the top of each of these windows features a moulded drip line to the outer edges.
• Two double-hung windows under the verandah, set over a continuous moulded sill and decorative under-sill panel.
• Chamfered square timber verandah posts.
• Single double-hung window to the secondary Barker Road façade, with a rendered rectangular sill.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.4m from the Townshend Road frontage.
• House built up to the Barker Road boundary. Narrow setback to the northern boundary.
• Lot width approximately 10.6m.
• Front yard enclosed by a picket fence.

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 92 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 103 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949.
Perth Suburban Lots 205-207 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 1088 and advertised for sale from around April 1895. This subdivision, known as the Berrybrow Estate, comprised 106 lots of which Lot 83 was later developed as 93 Townshend Road.
The first confirmed occupants of this house were Daniel Basil Dynon (of John Dynon & Co, 'Importers of China, Glass and Earthenware') and his wife, Elizabeth, who were living here in 1903. At that time the Rate Books identified the owner as G Guthrie (sic), changing to H Guthrie by 1910.
The readily available evidence suggests that the person who developed 93 Townshend Road was Henry (aka Harry) Guthrie (c.1868-1946), a builder/contractor of Perth. It also seems likely that this was the newly built villa advertised for sale in May 1902:
VILLA, for Sale, new, brick. 4 rooms, hall, kitchen, and bath, corner of Townsend and Barker rds., Subiaco, near train. Apply H. Guthrie, 38 John-street, West Perth.
The property had a regular turn-over of occupants through until 1920. A review of the Post Office Directories at approximately 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the residents during this period included:
 1905: Elizabeth Ferguson
Mrs Ferguson lived here for a short time only, c.1905.
 1910: William Bache (miner)
William lived here in c.1908-1912, sharing the house for at least part of this time with 2 of his adult children, Clifford and Emily.
 1915 & 1920: Walter Henry Ing (signalman)
Walter lived here in c.1914-1920, sharing the house with his wife, Hannah.
The first long-term occupants were members of the Hudson family. Arthur Hudson (c.1888-1984) (boat builder) and Muriel ‘Rose’ Lawrence (c.1894-1979) were married in Perth in c.1912 and they had at least one child, Lillian (c.1914). In 1913, Arthur went into partnership with his brother, George, establishing Hudson Brothers, Boat Builders near the old William Street jetty in Perth, and this firm continued to operate until c.1938. Arthur and Rose settled at 93 Townshend Road in c.1920 and remained here for the rest of their married lives. Arthur was still listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls of 1980.
An analysis of the historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan and historical aerial photographs indicates that the house was extended to the rear and the roof reclad in the 1980s, and that further renovations/additions were undertaken in 2019. The extent and form of the original residence are still clearly evident.
93 Townshend Road was adopted on the City of Subiaco Local Heritage Survey in 2003. It has been assessed as level 3 (contributes to the heritage of the City of Subiaco).

Integrity/Authenticity

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

Condition

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

Uses

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.