House, 76 Olive St, Subiaco

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

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
Typical of many well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 76 Olive Street incorporated elements of the Federation Queen Anne style. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as small business owners, office workers, senior retail employees and skilled tradesmen.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical facade. This was designed to address the street intersection, with a bay window to each street frontage and a corner verandah.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with green corrugated metal sheeting.
• Gable to each street frontage, set over rectangular window bays.
• Both gables have a rendered face, very simple pattern of diagonal battens and a tall timber finial.
• Tuck-pointed brick chimneys with rendered plinths and caps.
Wall materials and finishes to the main facade
• Tuck pointed brick walls (painted above the verandah roof).
• Single rendered stringcourse at about 1.8m above verandah height.
Other detailing to main facade
• Modified French doors to the face of the window bay under the western verandah.
• Modified openings to the end of the south verandah.
• Two double hung windows to the south-facing bay window. These are set over a moulded sill and under-sill panel that wraps extends across the face and sides of the bay.
• Turned timber verandah posts.
Streetscape setting
• House set back approximately 3.8m from the Olive Street frontage and approximately 800mm from the Park street frontage.
• Lot width approximately 12.2m.
• Set back of approximately 600mm along northern boundary.
• Front and side yards partially enclosed by rendered courtyard walls.

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; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949.
Perth Suburban Lots 218 and 219 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 214 in the early 1890s. This comprised 52 lots, including 24 lots with frontages to Ivy Street, which extended between Barker and Bagot Roads (renamed as part of Olive Street in c.1901).
Lot 21 was identified as vacant land in the Subiaco Rate Book of 1908-1909. This was owned by a Mrs Shaw, who was also the owner of a recently built house on Lot 21 (the adjacent block to the north).
Based on an analysis of the entries in the Post Office Directories of 1906-1915, 76 Olive Street was originally known as #80 (with the number changing by 1913). It was first listed in the Post Office Directories in 1910, when the primary occupant was identified as a music teacher, Miss Florence Norman Neruda Shaw (c.1878-1941). Contemporary advertisements referred to tuition in violin and pianoforte by Miss Florence N N Shaw, Royal Conservatorium of Leipzig and of London. In 1910, this tuition was offered at both 80 Olive Street and at Dobbie and Co in Hay Street, Perth. Florence migrated to California in 1911 and was joined by her mother, Mrs Emma Shaw, in the following year.
The property then had three longer term occupants:
 Winter family (c.1911-1920)
In the Rate Books of 1910-1911, the owner/occupier of Lot 21 was identified as Mrs Winter. The primary occupants were Mary Ann Winter (c.1856-1920) and her husband, Harris Winter (c.1856-1936) (merchant/draper, Federal Drapery Company, Perth). Harris moved away after his wife’s death, and the house was occupied by George Frederick Francis (c.1850-1923) and his wife, Caroline Martha Francis. Harris and Caroline married following George’s death and it is possible that Harris returned to the house for a time in c.1925, when the Post Office Directory identified ‘Harris Winton’ as the occupant.
 Harvey family (c.1925-1938)
In the Electoral Rolls of 1925, Edgar Bruce Harvey (newsagent) was listed at this address, together with his wife, Evelyn. At the time of his death in May 1936, Edgar was described as “Postmaster of Perenjori, and of 76 Olive-street, Subiaco”, which suggests that Olive Street was the family’s city residence. In 1937 the members of the family living here included Evelyn May Harvey (widow), her son, McDonald George Campbell Harvey (salesman) and daughter-in-law, Margaret. They appear to have moved away in 1938 (with a sale of the household furniture being held in May).
Note: In the Subiaco Rate Books of 1929-1930, E Harvey was identified as the owner/occupier.
 Morris family (c.1939-1970)
Members of this family included Malcolm Ferguson Morris (fitter) (died 1951), his wife, Lilian ‘May’ Morris (nee Sandercock) (c.1876-1969), their daughter, Leila ‘Mavis’ Morris (c.1905-1980), and Lilian’s twin sister, Florence Emily Sandercock (c.1876-1954). Lilian and Leila were still listed here in the Electoral Rolls of 1968, but Leila had moved to Applecross by the early 1970s.
An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that the general footprint of this house has remained relatively unchanged since the 1960s. The green roof cladding was added in 2004.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The external detailing of 76 Olive Street appears to be largely intact, but the detailing of openings on to the verandah has been modified in an unsympathetic manner.
High courtyard walls partially conceal the front facades from public view.

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.