House

Parent Place or Precinct

25912 Kings Road Heritage Area, Subiaco

Statement of Significance

Kings Road is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons:
• The existing development along Kings Road continues to represent the rapid development of the higher parts of Subiaco (near Kings Park) with good quality Federation Queen Anne houses during the early the twentieth century (with a particular focus on the c.1901-1914 period).
• The defined period and nature of development along Kings Road resulted in a complementary palette of materials and design idioms, enlivened by a diversity of individual details. Unlike many other local streets, the majority of the properties have retained a medium to high level of authenticity. Collectively they provide a good representative collection of middle-class Subiaco houses dating from the early twentieth century (extending from c.1901-1923).
• The character of the Kings Road streetscape epitomizes the general character of what is now known as the City of Subiaco’s Triangle Precinct.
• The history of the houses along Kings Road helps to demonstrate the original settlement of this part of Subiaco as a solid middle class area, in which the family residences of more senior white-collar workers existed side by side with the smaller, but still well-built, houses of more junior white-collar workers, retail employees and tradespeople.
• The history of the subdivision and early sale of residential lots along Kings Road helps to illustrate the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant interest and investment from the eastern states.

Physical Description

Architectural style
• Federation Queen Anne.
This is of a scale and form typical of a well-built (but not ornate) suburban villa of the era.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Symmetrical facade with a central entrance flanked by two slightly projecting rectangular window bays.
• Parapet wall to the southern boundary.
Roof form and materials
• Gable hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
This features a small gablet facing the street at the main ridgeline and a pair of large gables over the front window bays.
• Dropped bull-nose verandah roof.
• Pair of painted brick (originally face-brick) chimneys with rendered caps.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Painted brick (originally tuck-pointed face-brick) walls.
Detailing of main façade
• Prominent street-front gables, each finished with a central batten over flush panel sheeting, plus a turned timber finial.
These gables probably originally had a more ornate detailing/finish (possibly similar to #16)
• Central entrance set in a recessed arched bay off the back of the verandah.
This has a 5-panel door; highlights; narrow sidelights and stained glass panels.
• Two individual double hung windows to each of the window bays, with each pair set over a continuous projecting rendered sill and curved, rendered under-sill panel.
• Turned timber posts, decorative carved brackets and arched timber frieze to the verandah.
Streetscape setting
• Main verandah set back approximately 3.5m from the front boundary.
• Front boundary defined by a modern scalloped timber picket fence.

History

This part of Subiaco had been laid out as a residential subdivision by September 1891, but there was only one resident listed along the street in the Western Australian Post Office Directory of 1901 (referring to Park Street) and 2 in 1905 (referring to King’s Road). This was followed by a rapid period of development and by 1910 there were 14 houses within the Study Area, being 73 Bagot Road (now known as 3 Kings Road), #s 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21 Kings Road, 12 Hamersley Road (now 28 Kings Road) & 14 Hamersley Road (now 25 Kings Road). Steady infill continued after that time and the street was fully developed by the mid 1920s.
An analysis of information in the Rate Books, Western Australian Post Office Directories and Electoral Rolls suggests that 12 Kings Road was developed for Mrs Martha Gibson (the widow of Joseph Robert K Gibson) in c.1907.
Note: The original detailing of 12 and 16 Kings Road appears to have been the same or very similar, which suggests that they may have been constructed by the same builder.
An analysis of information in the Rate Books indicates that 14 and 16 Kings Road were developed for J. E. Woods c.1907-1908 and that the first occupant of #14 was Charles De Gruchy, contractor. Charles De Gruchy (c.1864-1919) was born in the Channel Islands and migrated to Australia as an assisted immigrant in 1885 (at which time his occupation was given as joiner/carpenter). By 1902 De Gruchy was working as a building contractor and in 1903 to 1919 was listed in the Post Office Directory under the category Builders & Contractors, with premises at various locations in Subiaco. During this time, De Gruchy advertised at least four houses for sale, suggesting that he undertook at least some work as a builder/developer.
The following advertisements confirm that De Gruchy was working in Kings Road in 1906 and 1908, but do not specify the lot or street numbers:
PAINTERS.-improver, good, wanted De Gruchy's job, Kings-rd., Subiaco. (Aug 1906)
and
PAINTERS and Plasterers wanted. Apply on job, Kings-rd., Subiaco. C De Gruchy, contractor. (Aug 1908)
It is therefore possible that he was involved in the construction of the three houses at 12, 14 & 16 Kings Road in c.1906-1908, either as a contract builder or as a builder/developer.
Entries in the Rate Books show that 12 Kings Road changed hands at least two times over the next few years, with Richard Clemenger being identified as the owner in 1910/11 and Samuel Cash in 1912/13. Cash retained 12 Kings Road as a rental property until at least 1929/30, during which time there was a regular turn-over of occupants.
The first long-term occupants were the McLeod family, who settled here in c.1934. Online family trees and newspaper notices suggest that John Sutherland McLeod (c.1871-1959) had married Janet Agnes Mackintosh (c.1870-1945) in Scotland in c.1895 and that they had at least three children: Robert (born in WA in c.1899), Catherine “Kitty” (c.1902) and “Judy” (possibly Jessie Elizabeth McLeod). John and Jessie McLeod were still listed at 12 Kings Road in the Electoral Roll of 1954, but they had moved to a flat in the Wandana complex by 1958.
Reference to an inter-war era Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Department plan, plus a review of historical aerial photographs dating from 1964 and 2016, indicates that the building envelope of the front part of the house has remained largely unchanged, although major additions have been undertaken in a number of stages at the rear.
An analysis of the readily available information suggests that the primary occupants of the property from its time of construction until c.1954 included:
1908 Mrs J R K (Martha) Gibson, widow, & Richard Clemenger, Clemenger Bros
1909-1910 Mrs J R K Gibson (Martha) Gibson, widow, and Maud Jane Gibson, spinster
1911 James Dreghorn, inspector
1912-1913 George Whitmore Bailey, teacher, and Lilian Adey May Bailey, married woman
1914-1917 Cecil V M Owen, schoolmaster, and Rose Owen, home duties
1917-1923 Mrs Mary Crosse
Bridget Crosse, home duties, and Honoria Crosse, typiste, were listed here in the Electoral Rolls of this period.
1924-1925 Mrs Jessie Margaret Weir, home duties (widow)
1926-1927 Ronald Charles Rees, musical director, and Mrs Mary Elizabeth Rees, home duties. Note: Mrs Rees was living at #16 in 1928-1929
1928-1933 Charles Michael Taylor, civil servant, and Gladys Emily Taylor, home duties
1934-c.1954 John Sutherland McLeod, accountant, and Janet Agnes McLeod, home duties (died c.1945)
In 1936, Robert Mackintosh McLeod, bank officer (died 1941), and Jessie Elizabeth McLeod, home duties (later described as a clerk), were also living at this address.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium to high authenticity
The authenticity of the house has been diminished by the painting of the original tuck-pointed face brickwork and modifications to the detailing/finishes of the gables.

Condition

Good

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.