Giuffre Residence (site)

Statement of Significance

Giuffre Residence had many interesting features, which reflected the different periods of time when the cottage was built. The two rooms erected by the Chinese market gardeners in the 1890s, were distinctly different with low doors and very wide walls and floorboards.
Giuffre Residence was representative of the immigrant influence in establishing the market garden industry in the Cockburn district.

Physical Description

Giuffre Residence was set back behind a large stand of prickly pear on the banks of Lake Coogee. Built over different stages with a wide selection of material, it had thick walls of random coarse faced limestone with brick quoins on the corners, doors and windows. Some walls were cement rendered.
The place had a small wooden verandah shading the front and west sides of the cottage, deeply recessed sash windows and a double hipped corrugated iron roof.
The condition of external walls of the cottage before demolition was fair as the roof had protected the walls from water damage. However, internally condition was generally poor.
Additions to the place were seen in narrower floorboards, thinner brick walls and ceiling and hallway embellishments. A large kitchen and lean-to bathroom were added at a later stage.

History

In 1864 Wallace Bickley took up the lease of 100 acres on the east bank of Lake Coogee which was later converted to freehold title. Bickley then was probably the first owner of the land at Lot 703 Fawcett Road. Later between 1876 and 1882 Pensioner Guards took up land on the western banks of Lake Coogee. The Guards were granted the land in small lots to eke out their pensions by growing vegetables in the fertile soil around the lake. In fact most of the settlement around Lake Coogee was on the western side. Very little development occurred on the east banks owing to isolation from Clarence and the roads to Fremantle.
The cottage on the banks of the Coogee Lake was built in c.1890 by some Chinese market gardeners. They originally constructed a two-room cottage of limestone, which was extended by subsequent owners. The Chinese market gardeners used the lake as their water supply for the garden.
The next owner is thought to be Phillip Carrello who had emigrated from Italy in the 1890s. Mr Carrello continued to work the market garden and also extended the house over two stages, first the west rooms and then the kitchen. It is thought that Mr Carrello returned to Italy to live in the 1920s. One of his sons stayed behind to run the market garden but fell onto hard times during the Depression when primary produce prices plummeted. Another son also stayed in Australia. Mr Giuffre thought this Carello son was born in the cottage in c.1900 and died in 1996 at the age of 96 years old.
The market garden remained unworked during some of the 1930s and the 1940s, until it was purchased by Salvatore Giuffre (Mr Carrello’s nephew) in 1950. Mr Giuffre had migrated from Sicily in 1950 and began work in the Fremantle area as a builder. In his spare time and on weekends he worked on the old Carrello property, which was badly overgrown with wild aniseed (fennel). After receiving excellent prices on a bean crop one season, Mr Giuffre decided to turn to market gardening full time. He and some of his family moved to the property in c.1952. In 1956 the rest of the family, accompanied by his wife Carmela, arrived to settle in Cockburn.
Over the years Mr and Mrs Giuffre raised eight children in the cottage and remained there until their death in c.1980 and c.1984 respectively. During their time there they built the rear lean-to to house a toilet and bathroom. The market garden, which was now irrigated by water brought from a well, produced potatoes, celery, beans, lettuce and cucumbers.
During Salvatore Giuffre’s time in market gardening he constructed a very innovative ‘picking table’. Heavy and cumbersome vegetables such as cauliflowers were very labour intensive. The motorised cart Mr Giuffre invented could be moved easily around the garden collecting a large number of cauliflowers, which were then returned to the shed for packing. This enabled him to pick on his own without employing extra labour other than his many children and grandchildren who all have memories of working on the property.
After the death of Salvatore Giuffre the market garden continued to be run by one of the sons Vince Giuffre. He was helped by a sister, Ina until later during the 1980s when they purchased a fruit and vegetable shop located opposite the Fremantle Hospital. After a number of years with Ina running the shop and Vince working hard in the garden, Vince was convinced to go and work full time in the shop. Vince and his sister Ina, continued to live in the cottage until he fell ill and passed away in March 2000.
The property was purchased by the Water Corporation as part of the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade in 2000. After the death of Vince Giuffre the property remained unoccupied.
The house was demolished for a Water Corporation project. The site of the former home and market garden has been marked with a historical plaque and is now part of a public walkway through the block of land once farmed by the Carello and Giuffre families.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: Site only
AUTHENTICITY: Site only

Condition

Site Only

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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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.