House

Parent Place or Precinct

25376 Duke Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Duke Street Heritage Area is of:
Aesthetic Value
• Duke Street has a distinctive urban character that has been primarily created by the local road closure and public landscaping of the late twentieth century.
• Within this setting the heritage character is derived from the modest, single, storey suburban houses dating from the Federation and early Inter-War era (c.1902-1924). Only one of these houses has been replaced (#3, c.1980s) and the defined period and nature of development has resulted in a complementary palette of materials and design idioms.
Historic Value
• The subdivision of this area was undertaken by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company of Sydney. This represents part of a much wider role that this company took in the development of Subiaco in the 1890s and early 1900s.
• The collection of houses in the study area helps to demonstrate the scale and standard of houses built and occupied by people such as small business owners, clerks and tradesmen in the early twentieth century.
• The study area was generally the place of residence for people who left only a small mark on the written records. However, it also accommodated at least two men who were prominent in the local community or were otherwise public identities of the early to mid twentieth century (see Associations - Residents, below).
Representativeness
• The study area includes a good representative collection of modest early twentieth century brick and timber housing developed in close proximity to the Rokeby Road tramway.

Physical Description

12 Duke Street does not represent any particular architectural style, although its form, and the treatment of its window and door openings, have direct similarities with many of the modest Queen Anne style brick houses built in Subiaco during the Federation era.
Key elements include:
• Rusticated weatherboard cladding to the main façade and square-edged weatherboard cladding to the side walls.
• Gabled-hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
• Two rendered chimneys with corbelled caps.
• Projecting wing on the western side of the main facade.
• Gable end over the projecting wing, finished with roughcast render and vertical timber battens.
• Gable boards decorated with timber “buttons” at the bottom and framed by a small scalloped metal flashing along the roof line.
• Front verandah abutting the projecting wing and extending across the remainder of the façade.
This has a dropped, bullnose roof supported by chamfered square timber posts with simple timber ‘capitals”.
• Varied fenestration and doors.
 Two double hung window set under a continuous raked awning to the face of the projecting wing.
 Main entrance door with a single sidelight and highlights (fitted with stained glass panels).
 French doors opening onto the verandah from the main front room (also fitted with stained glass panels).
 Traditional moulded timber architraves.
The font of the house is set back approximately 2.5m from the front boundary, which is defined by a low timber fence with plain rectangular pickets capped by a timber rail.
Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be well maintained and in a good condition.

History

A Certificate of Title for Perth Suburban Lot 277 and part Perth Suburban Lot 276 (totalling 5 acres and 18 perches) was issued in the name of The Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Ltd on 18 September 1901. This area was subsequently laid out as a new subdivision, including ten building allotments facing Duke Street (Lots 13 to 17 and 18 to 22 of Plan 2352).
On 18 June 1903, Lot 17 was transferred to Agnes Jane Priddeth, who at that time was living in Lawler Street, Subiaco, with her husband, Charles Henry Priddeth, a cabinet maker (both formerly from Victoria). An advertisement placed by ‘Priddeth, Duke St., Subiaco’ appeared in The West Australian in October 1904, and in 1905 the Subiaco Rates Books listed a house on the block in the name of ‘A. Priddeth’. According to the Rates Books the Prideth’s sold the property to J Guy (grocer) in c.1906 and the Victorian Electoral Rolls confirm that Agnes and Charles returned to Victoria at about this time.
The new owner/occupiers were James Theophilus Guy and his wife, Amelia Mary Guy. James was a dairy produce merchant and later served as a Subiaco councillor (from 1912) and Mayor of Subiaco (1915-1916). In 1911 James purchased a block of land at 88 Heytesbury Road and the family had moved to a new house on that site by 1912.
The next occupants of 12 Duke Street were William Arthur Harrison (storeman) and his wife Elizabeth Susan Harrison. Elizabeth died in January 1915 (aged only 29 years), at which time it was recorded that she was the sister of Mrs T Guy (Amelia).
William was still living here (with a Christina Harrison) when the house was advertised for sale in December 1926:
SUBIACO: 1 min. from tram, 5 large rooms, vestibule, f. and back verandah, enamel bath, granolithic paths and lawns, all in excellent condition. 12 Duke-st., Subiaco. No agents.
12 Duke Street then became the family home of Thomas Henry Cartwright (an engine driver) and his wife, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Cartwright died in June 1930 and in 1931 Thomas was living in the house with his adult daughters, Alma and Julia (both dressmakers), and youngest daughter, Verna (who was only 11 years old at that time).
By the early 1940s William had retired and moved to Wembley, after which 12 Duke Street was occupied by Louis Gordon Rhodes (a postman) and his wife, Violet Daphne Rhodes, who remained here until the late 1960s.
Occupants of the property from its time of construction until c.1967 included:
1905 Charles Henry Priddeth, cabinet maker
1906-1911 James Theophilus Guy, grocer and dairy produce merchant
1912-1926 William Arthur Harrison, storeman
1927 Vacant
1928-1941 Thomas Henry Cartwright, engine driver
1942-c.1967 Louis Gordon Rhodes, postman

Integrity/Authenticity

The external character, finishes and detailing of this place appear to be largely consistent with its original design.

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.