House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Union and Redfern Street Heritage Area is significant for:
Aesthetic Value:
The area contains aesthetically pleasing streetscapes with a strong heritage character. In particular, cohesive streetscapes have been created by a limited palette of materials and styles.
The area contains many good, representative, suburban examples of Federation Queen Anne houses and Federation Bungalows. These include both gentlemen’s villas and modest suburban houses, and collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing of these places between 1899 and the early Inter-war years.
Historic Value:
The residential subdivision of this area represents the early development activities of Sydney and Melbourne based real estate agents and property developers. In this context it 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.
The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to demonstrate the manner in which the family residences of professional men and business owners (such as senior civil servants and merchants) existed side by side with the smaller houses of semi-professional and tradespeople.
The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for these families in the early twentieth century.
The area was a place of residence for a number of people who were prominent in the local business community or were otherwise public identities of the early to mid-twentieth century.

Physical Description

A rendered brick and iron property with an asymmetrical façade. The centrally placed entrance door is flanked by three-section timber framed casement windows. The roof is predominantly a hipped form with a gable over the projecting wing. The verandah canopy is supported on simple turned timber columns with contrasting painted decorative details and extends across the entire width of the façade. The front door is a combination of timber and glazed panels with sidelights and fanlight. The gable detail to the projecting wing is rendered with timber battens and a timber gable screen attached to the eaves and a simple timber finial at the apex of the gable.

History

In June 1903, Sydney accountants William James Douglas and Frank Dyson purchased PSL 254 and portion of PSL 253. The land was subdivided into 36 lots and in August 1903, the pair divided the ownership of the lots evenly. Each owned half of the properties facing Rawson Street, Hamersley Road and Heytesbury Road. The lots were sold from 1904 onwards and the first home on Rawson Street, the subject area, was built by 1904. From the available evidence Douglas and Dyson never visited the properties in Subiaco and the sale of the land was managed by local land agents, Ebernezer Allen & Co.

The house was constructed in 1905 for Thomas McComish, a saddler. In 1906 he advertised the house for sale and it is unclear if the property was sold then or leased for three years.

Brick house for sale, 4 large rooms and kitchen, bath, copper, stove etc. cheap cash or terms. T. McCormish, Rawson St Subiaco.

By 1909, Robert Sexton owned and occupied the property. In 1920 Mr Thomas Taylor, a supervisor of works at the Subiaco Municipal Council, acquired and occupied the property. In 1949, following a separation from his wife, Mrs Philomena Taylor is recorded as residing at the property.

Occupants
1909-1920 Robert Sexton
1921- 1949 Thomas and/or Philomena Taylor

Integrity/Authenticity

Note: This place retains a high level of original external detailing and is a good example of the development of Rawson Street in the 1910s. The open railing of the front fence enables the house to be viewed and to contribute to the streetscape.

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.