House

Parent Place or Precinct

24365 West Subiaco Conservation Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
• As a representative example of a well designed and detailed bungalow of Subiaco dating from the early twentieth century.
• For its historic value as a demonstration of the period in which Subiaco underwent rapid development in the early 20th century.

Physical Description

12 Gloster Street is a single storey face brick dwelling with a corrugated steel hip and gable roof displaying characteristics of the Federation Bungalow style of architecture. The residence has an asymmetrical form with a projecting bay addressing the street.The dwelling has a face brick and rendered chimney with a terracotta pot. The projecting bay has a face brick finish and features a scrolled leaf and shield detail in moulded plaster and a turned timber finial. A corrugated steel skillion verandah extends along the front façade in front of the projecting bay. The verandah is supported by turned timber posts and features a decorative steel panelled balustrade. The verandah is raised with a central set of concrete steps and a central timber gate. The external walls are tuckpointed face brick with rendered string coursing at sill and lintel height. The dwelling has a recessed entry with a timber framed door and features stained-glass highlights and sidelights. A full height double hung timber framed window is located within the verandah. The projecting bay features two double hung windows with a continuous projecting rendered sill and a decorative under-sill panel. The windows have brick voussoirs above. The dwelling has a densely planted front yard with two large bottle brush trees flanking the front stairs. The place is enclosed to the front by a timber picket fence with a central gate and planting in front of the fence line. The combination of the front planting and mature verge tree largely obscure the dwelling from the street. The dwelling has a detached garage to the rear of the property accessed via a rear laneway.

History

A mid-1890s map shows the future Gloster Street only to the west of Derby Road, named Bent Street near the railway and Murchison Street the rest of the length. In 1903, early Crawley resident George Shenton acquired the land between Derby, Heytesbury, Hensman and Nicholson Roads (undivided Lots 270 to 273). Shenton’s land was advertised for auction on 8 August 1903. The roadway was named ‘Gloster Street’ by this time. By 1912, the former Bent Street was also named Gloster Street. The cul-de-sac extension east of Hensman Road, where 12 Gloster Street is located, was named Cecelia Street until c.1925 and later extended through to Union Street. Numbering was changed to incorporate the two streets, with the former 8 Cecelia Street becoming 12 Gloster Street.
A c.1903 plan shows no buildings on Gloster Street.
Residents are first listed at Gloster Street in 1905, with six names given for Gloster Street and three for Cecelia Street. Development then continued relatively steadily over the next 20 years with a total of around 26 houses listed in 1910, 44 in 1915, 68 in 1920, 91 in 1925 and 125 (most of the available lots) in 1930.
Residents are first listed at Gloster Street in 1905, with six names given for Gloster Street and three for Cecelia Street. Development then continued relatively steadily over the next 20 years with a total of around 26 houses listed in 1910, 44 in 1915, 68 in 1920, 91 in 1925 and 125 (most of the available lots) in 1930.
The Certificate of Title for Lot 8 on deposited plan 2405 was issued in 30 April 1904 to Walter George Shepherd, Tramway Employee. Walter G. Shepherd is first listed in the Post Office Directory in 1906 suggesting a construction date of c.1905. A West Australian newspaper listing from 13 August 1907 indicates Walter Shepherd’s intentions to sell the residence.
Pretty Brick Villa, 4 room, kitchen, bath, copper, close tram. £375 terms. margain W. G. Shepherd. Cecilia-st., Subiaco.
Post Office Directories however continue to list Walter G. Shepherd until 1910.
Street numbers for Cecelia Street aren’t recorded in the Post Office Directory until 1913. At this time 8 Cecelia Street is occupied by William Flanigan, cabinet maker. The Title Deed for the residence was transferred to William Flanigan in 1911. Occupancy changed several times during the 1920s, with the address changing to 12 Gloster Street from 1926, before Robert Cleasby is listed in 1927.
A sewerage plan from 1927 shows a brick residence with a verandah across the east half of the front (south) elevation. A verandah across the rear (north) elevation has enclosed portions, including for a bathroom. A galvanised iron shed is in the rear yard, with another larger such shed and a brick toilet abutting the rear lane. The residence depicted matches the extant building, with extensions to the rear.
Robert Cleasby died in 1929. His wife Adeline continued to live at 12 Gloster Street until 1935. From 1936 until the last available Post Office Directories, the place was occupied by Claude Ridley. Claude Eli Ridley, taxi proprietor, continued to be listed at 12 Gloster Street into the 1960s. In 1935, he was running a rabbit trapping business in the Avon Valley, trucking carcasses to a freezing works he operated in the metropolitan area.16 In 1947, he was hospitalised following a crash while at the reins during a trotting meet at Gloucester Park. There are several Claude Ridleys in the records, including a Claude Ridley of 12 Gloster Street who died as a teenager in 1945, but it is likely the Claude Ridley who lived at Gloster Street for three decades was born in 1900 at Boulder, married to either Eliza E. Quinlivan (1926) or Mary Finnerty (1931), and died in 1992 at Mandurah.
Some additions had already been made to the rear by 1948. Outbuildings at the rear of the lot were replaced in 2014 with a building including garage, facing the rear lane. A large extension to the rear of the residence was built in 2019.
Real estate websites list 12 Gloster Street changing ownership in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2008. Over these 25 years its value increased from $182,000 to $1,235,000.

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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.