House

Statement of Significance

A significant property of impressive size in the locality.

Physical Description

Large house, currently used as accommodation for psychiatric patients. The walls of the house are of brick, which has subsequently been rendered with cement and painted. The roof is clad in Marseilles clay tiles which were imported from France and carry the name of the French manufacturer. A new rectangular brick extension with a bow window on the north-eastern side was added at the back at a date not very long after the construction of the original house. The extension appears to have included a verandah along the north-eastern side which has since been enclosed. The verandah along the north-eastern side has also been partially enclosed. What appears to be one of the original verandah posts remains in this section. On the front and south-western sides of the original house the original verandah posts have been removed and classical columns in cement substituted. The original windows on the front elevation have been replaced with louvre windows. In spite of the changes which have been made, the house retains an air of elegance which derives partly from its garden setting.

History

The original house was roughly square in plan and had verandahs on at least three and possibly four sides. The house stands in a large garden which appears to have retained some of its early layout and contains many large trees. The property overlooks the wooded flood plain of the Swan and Helena Rivers. The land between the present lot and the edge of the Helena River was once part of the property, but has been resumed by the WA Planning Commission for conservation and parks and recreational purposes.

Integrity/Authenticity

Good

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update