TERRACE, 12 BURNS STREET

Parent Place or Precinct

01563 Twelve houses

Statement of Significance

Terrace, 12-16 Burns Street is a typical brick and iron single storey terraced residence dating from the 1890s. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical building stock located within the residential areas of North Fremantle. It is historically significant as a representation of typical workers' houses in the North Fremantle area. The place is a simple example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The place has rarity value as being a group of three semi-detached residences with a high degree of integrity and authenticity.

Physical Description

Terrace 12-16 Burns Street is a row of three attached single storey brick and iron cottages designed as a late example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The three cottages are sited at 45 degrees to the street and are staggered along the street. All have tuckpointed red face brick walls. The roofs are hipped corrugated iron with no eaves and dividing parapet walls. Each has a rendered chimney with rendered corbelling. The verandahs are under separate bullnosed corrugated iron roofs and are supported by decorative timber posts with decorative timber brackets. Each front elevation has a timber sash window and a front door. There are steel post and wire mesh fences to the front boundary line.

History

Burns Street is a narrow residential street that bisects the triangle defined by Stirling Highway, Queen Victoria Street and the Swan River. The portion south of Tydeman Road was constructed in the 1990s and took its name from the existing road north of Tydeman Road. This section of Burns Street was originally part of a six-acre landholding (Lots 18 and 19) held by Mrs Andrew Burns in 1895. The land was subdivided for residential settlement in 1896 and Burns Road was gazetted the same year in honour of the original land owner. Although the street was still not constructed, buildings were present on the site in 1897. The street first appears on a map dated circa 1906.
Buildings constructed in Burns Street were single storey basic homes of brick, stone or weatherboard for people who worked in the vicinity. Many of the houses in Burns Street were investment properties leased to tenants. In 2004, Burns Street continues to be a residential street and the modest workers cottages are the dominant buildings in the street. At the north eastern end of Burns Street is the former ‘Weeties’ factory (which faces Harvest Road), a source of employment for local residents for many years.
A brick Terrace was constructed at 12 to 16 Burns Street for James Pearse, a boot manufacturer, circa 1897. James Pearse was a prominent local businessman whose shoe manufacturing business evolved to be a major company in Western Australia and was later known as Pearse and Swan. Pearse served as a councillor in the North Ward of the Fremantle Council and was also Mayor of North Fremantle after it became a separate municipality. The Terrace in Burns Street was one of a number of investment properties for Pearse and following his death, his family retained ownership of the property until at least 1935.
Long-term tenants were Charles Rule (number 12) and Frederick Morley (number 16) who occupied two of the residences between 1921 and 1935. By 1955 the Pearse Brothers Company had sold the building to Arthur Turton and his family retained ownership of the building until 1964. At this time the property transferred to the Karpathakis family. (It is probable that the same family owned 11-13 Burns Street).
By 1940, the rear of each of the three units had developed slightly differently. Number 14 was slightly narrower with a pathway visible along the boundary, while numbers number 12 and 16 had verandas at the rear. All the homes had a water tank, a washhouse and water closet on the rear boundary with access via a laneway alongside number 16. The building was connected to the mains sewerage system in 1950. By 1979, the front verandahs of all the units were partially enclosed.
This place was included in the list of heritage places in the City of Fremantle identified by the Fremantle Society (1979/80) - PURPLE - of architectural and historic significance in its own right. It was also included in the 'North Fremantle Heritage Study' (1994) as a place contributing to the development and heritage of North Fremantle.
A Heritage Assessment was prepared in March 2010 by the City of Fremantle for a DA submission to Council for the proposed demolition of the existing outbuildings to facilitate the single storey additions at the rear.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability, restored).
High degree of authenticity with much original fabric remaining.
(These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as fair to good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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