103 Redfern Street

Parent Place or Precinct

26270 Sadlier and Redfern Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Sadlier and Redfern Streets heritage area is of:

Aesthetic Value
• As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely Inter War residences.
• For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1920s and the 1940s.
• For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles.

Historic Value
• As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century.
• For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees.
• For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1920s to the 1930s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in this period.

Representativeness
• As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services.

Physical Form in the Public Realm
• The houses, which (with the exception of three modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1920s to 1940s, have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, within a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and terracotta tile residence of traditional asymmetric planform.

The roof is hipped to the main part of the roof, continuing down to form the verandah canopy at the same pitch. The projecting wing has a gabled roof and a further gabled element projects above the main entrance. All sections of the roof have terracotta finial and a tall painted brick chimney with terracotta honeypot flues remans extant.

The façade is stepped, presenting in three sections: the prominent projecting wing to the east side of the house, a central entry porch set behind the main wing and a recessed section of elevation. The brickwork has a tuckpoint finish and extends to just over mid-height. The upper sections are roughcast render, with timber detailing to the gables.
The original timber framed windows remain extant in the projecting wing, arranged in a bank of three side-hung casements with a terracotta awning. The original windows have been removed from the recessed section with a subsequent enlargement of the opening to accommodate aluminium framed sliding doors.

The entry porch contains the original timber framed door with leaded window panel, and a small window of the same design on the return wall.

The verandah extends across the full extent of the recessed section of façade. The canopy is supported on brick columns with rendered bases and balustrade. The deck is concrete.

The front garden is open to the street boundary, predominantly lawned with minimal planting. Driveway access is along the western boundary.

The house is in fair condition.

History

This portion of Redfern Street was subdivided for residential lots in 1891. However the lots were not taken up rapidly. In 1896, lots in the Redfern Estate, Subiaco were advertised in the local press as ‘Good Building Lots, near the railway line’. The subdivision was managed by Alfred Axon, the local branch manager for the NSW company, Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company. Axon was also a significant individual investor in Subiaco property.

Despite the early subdivision it was not until the 1910s that the first lots were occupied in this portion of Subiaco. Analysis of Rate Books and PO Directories indicates that this place was likely constructed c.1929.

The Rate Books contain the following listings:
• 1929/30 Eileen Toop – owner & Donald Toop (printer) – occupier
• 1935/36 Hector Toop – owner & Herbert Murphy – occupier
• 1936/37 Hector Toop – owner/occupier
The PO directories list the following occupants:
• 1930 Hugo, Albert & Yeo, Mrs Florence
• 1931 – 1938/39 Toop, Donald & Murphy, Mrs Ada
• 1939/40 – 1941/42 Toop, Donald
• 1942/43 – 1949 Tinson, Mrs R

The above information indicates that the property was closely associated with the Toop family. Printer, Hector McDonald Henry Toop (1902-1962) married Eileen Murphy in 1927. The residence is likely to have been built as their first family home and was occupied by them and members of the Murphy family at different periods throughout the first half of the 20th century.
Aerial photographs indicate that an extension was added to the rear of the property in the mid-1970s and the building has not changed significantly in form or extent since that time.

Integrity/Authenticity

The place presents with a moderate degree of authenticity. Alterations have been made to the façade which impacts on its presentation. The original design intent of the place remains visible.

Condition

Fair

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.