Kings Road Heritage Area, Subiaco

Child Places

• 26038 House
• 26033 House
• 24187 House
• 24185 House
• 26029 House
• 26041 House
• 26032 House
• 24186 House
• 26031 House
• 26039 House
• 24188 House
• 26025 House
• 26024 House
• 24189 House
• 26018 House
• 26017 House
• 26035 House
• 26047 House

Statement of Significance

Kings Road is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons:
• The existing development along Kings Road continues to represent the rapid development of the higher parts of Subiaco (near Kings Park) with good quality Federation Queen Anne houses during the early the twentieth century (with a particular focus on the c.1901-1914 period).
• The defined period and nature of development along Kings Road resulted in a complementary palette of materials and design idioms, enlivened by a diversity of individual details. Unlike many other local streets, the majority of the properties have retained a medium to high level of authenticity. Collectively they provide a good representative collection of middle-class Subiaco houses dating from the early twentieth century (extending from c.1901-1923).
• The character of the Kings Road streetscape epitomizes the general character of what is now known as the City of Subiaco’s Triangle Precinct.
• The history of the houses along Kings Road helps to demonstrate the original settlement of this part of Subiaco as a solid middle class area, in which the family residences of more senior white-collar workers existed side by side with the smaller, but still well-built, houses of more junior white-collar workers, retail employees and tradespeople.
• The history of the subdivision and early sale of residential lots along Kings Road helps to illustrate the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant interest and investment from the eastern states.

Physical Description

Public Realm
Kings Road is approximately 18.5m wide, with a sealed road surface of approximately 7.7m, flanked by grassed verges and concrete footpaths. Historical aerial photographs confirm that there was some established street planting in 1948, but that it was of inconsistent spacing and maturity. More regular street planting had been re-established by the mid-1960s and this almost certainly included some of the brush box trees (Lophostemon confertus) that are now mature and prominent elements of the streetscape. However, since the 1970s there has been a focus on the planting of alternative street trees, including a variety of eucalypts, and the present planting scheme is mixed in terms of both species and maturity.
Footpaths and cross-overs are of varied finishes and quality along the length of the street. Verges have varied treatments, predominantly neat lawns, but with some planted garden beds.
All of the houses are served by rear lanes, which are approximately 3m wide.

Residential Lots and Setbacks
The original subdivision created lots measuring approximately 350m2 (with 10m wide frontages), but several of these were amalgamated to create larger allotments for more substantial villas (particularly along the western side of the street), and the present size ranges from approximately 10 x 35m up to 22 x 35m (the latter being #22 Kings Road).
Traditional front setbacks along the western side of the street are in the order of 5.5 to 6m, while on the eastern side of the street they range from approximately 2.5 to 6m, and are most typically in the order of 3.5 to 5.5m.

History

Subdivision and street names
On 13 March 1883, the Western Australian government announced it would survey a section of the Perth Commonage into suburban lots and that these would then be made available for private sale. The Study Area subsequently formed part of Perth Suburban Lots 244 to 246.
Perth Suburban Lots 243 to 246, bounded by Townshend Road, Bagot Road, Thomas Street and Hamersley Road, were purchased by James Mackray of Perth in November 1888. This land parcel was transferred to James Fleming of North Carlton, Melbourne, in September 1891, and lots in Deposited Plan 352 began to be sold from that time. This subdivision had created 141 residential allotments with frontages to the southern side of Bagot Road, eastern side of Townsend Road, north-western side of Thomas Street, northern side of Hamersley Road, and to both sides of Francis Street, Park Street (now Kings Road) and Market Street (now part Bedford Avenue). The Study Area for this report includes the area laid out as Lots 45, 64-77 and 84-96 of DP 352.
After selling approximately half of the lots within the first year, Fleming sold the remainder of the subdivision to Patrick Callaghan of Melbourne, agent, in October 1892, who in turn continued to market the subdivision.
While the sale of land proceeded rapidly, these blocks were typically purchased for investment purposes (with a significant proportion of the purchasers being Victorian based) and development did not proceed to any significant extent prior to 1900 (as discussed in more detail below).
By the early twentieth century, private subdivisions had created a number of duplications of street names across Subiaco, including three named Park Street. To resolve this, the Subiaco Council officially changed the names of several streets in late 1901:
The general purposes committee submitted a report on the nomenclature of streets in the suburb, and it was resolved that the names should be as follows - …….. Park-street, in the North Ward, to be known as King's road; Park-street, in the South Ward, to be called Austin-street; Park-street in the Central Ward, to retain its name …...

Early development (c.1901-1920s)
The research undertaken for this report indicates that the first two houses were constructed in the Study Area in c.1901, being 5 Kings Road (since demolished) and 28 Kings Road. These were followed by 4 more houses in 1904-1905, being #s 3, 15, 19 and 21. By 1906, measures were being taken to ensure that Kings Road (together with adjacent streets) was developed with good quality housing:
A special committee of the Council recommended that the following thoroughfares should be added to the list of streets in which the erection of brick and stone buildings alone was permitted, subject to the proviso that the Town Clerk should have power to issue building permits to those desirous of building weatherboard houses of approved design, of the value of not less than £250 in any of the streets in question:- Barker-road, Mueller-road, King's-road, Coghlan-road, Bedford-avenue, Hersham-street, Heytesbury-road (from the Park to Hensman-road), Bagot-road, Thomas-street, Francis-street, Townshend-road, Chester-street, and Hamersley-road. An amendment to the effect that the erection of weatherboard houses of the value of not less than £150 should he permitted, was carried.
Public works undertaken during that year also supported “good quality” development. In January it was reported that Kings Road was one of several local streets where preparations were in place for providing a permanent water supply via extensions to the water mains; while in September, it was reported that it was one of several streets that had been topped with limestone ballast.
Development then progressed rapidly with a further 8 houses being built in 1906-1908: #s 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16 & 25.
After a short hiatus, the remainder of the street was gradually developed over an 11 year period, as follows:-
• 1911-1912: #s 4 & 10
• 1914: #s 18 & 20
• 1918: the shop and residence at 65 Bagot Road
• 1922: #s22 & 24
Public works continued to upgrade the street in the mid-late 1920s. In 1925 it was reported that Kings Road had been “tar-topped”, while in 1927 plans were in place for street planting:
The council recently intimated its willingness to plant the space between the footpaths and metalled roadway in residential streets with grass and palms, provided the ratepayers interested paid the bare cost. Among the requests for the formation of plantations were several from residents in Francis-street and King's-road, and it has been decided that the necessary work will be performed by the council at a cost 22/- per chain and to advise all residents in those thorough-fares accordingly.
Modern development (c.1985-2016)
No additional residential development took place until the mid-1980s when a new house was built as infill development at #17; and c.2006-2009, when the c.1901 jarrah weatherboard house at #5 was replaced by a modern dwelling.
Most of the current houses have only small side setbacks, and there are several properties along the eastern side of the street where the houses were built up to one side boundary with a parapet wall (#s 6 to 16). However, there were also some large side yards on the amalgamated lots and, in a small number of cases, these accommodated the development of side driveways as the use of motor cars became popular.

Residential Development
The majority of the houses within the Study Area were influenced by the popular Queen Anne style of the Federation era, although this was applied with a varying degree of decoration and detailing depending on the size and nature of each place. The two early-mid 1920s houses were more influenced by the Inter-War California Bungalow style, but with a similar use of materials and massing to their earlier counterparts.
This is consistent with the general character of the area now referred to as the Triangle Precinct, bounded by Churchill Avenue, Thomas Street, Nicholson Road and the rear of properties along the eastern side of Rokeby Road. In the City of Subiaco’s Triangle Precinct Planning Policy (Policy 4.8), this area is now described as follows:
The Triangle Precinct is a highly cohesive, inner urban residential area. It represents an excellent example of the 'classic' Subiaco residential character with high quality Federation style houses on small lots set in intimate streetscapes.
Of the 22 houses within the Study Area, 6 (approximately 27%) have been assessed as making a considerable contribution to its heritage values, while a further 14 (approximately 63%) have been assessed as making some contribution (the latter having undergone alterations such as changes to the original finishes and/or additions which have impacted on the streetscape character). Only 2 have been assessed as making no contribution (both dating from the post 1980 era.

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.