HOUSE & LIMESTONE FEATURE(S), (DEMOLISHED), 42 JOHN STREET

Parent Place or Precinct

22385 North Fremantle Precinct

Physical Description

DEMOLISHED. Retained on MHI for historical information only.

History

This place was identified in the '19th century limestone walls and steps in Fremantle' report (1986). Limestone walls are common in Fremantle. They were a requirement under an early building regulation which was designed to keep sand drift under control. Most of the limestone in small walls such as this came from local quarries. The associated house has been relocated. John Street was the main road surveyed through the parcel of land granted to Lt. Con. John Bruce in 1857. The land remained undivided and undeveloped until after John Bruce’s death, when his widow arranged for it to be auctioned as residential lots. A land sale was held in October 1890 to dispose of the estate of John Bruce. A large attendance resulted in all 88 lots being sold, for sums ranging from £21 to £102, at an average price of £33/16/0, well above the anticipated price. Towards the end of 1891, the new owners approached the Fremantle Council requesting that scrub be cleared so that they could access their blocks, and it is likely that this is when John Street, which had been marked on survey diagrams from at least 1833, was actually created. The area at this time was known as ‘Brucetown’. Pensioner Road, which ran from Stirling Highway (then Bruce Street) to the ocean and beach along the route of current Tydeman Road between Stirling Highway and the railway, and continuing beyond this point at the same angle, was renamed John Street in the late 1890s, being the continuation of the current John Street. This name remained until towards the end of the twentieth century, when roads were realigned to accommodate the expansion of Fremantle Port, and the current alignment of Tydeman Road was constructed. The present John Street, from Stirling Highway to the Swan River, developed as a predominantly residential area, with the exception of the Gresham Hotel (to 1934) and the North Fremantle Oval (later Gilbert Fraser Reserve). At the western end of the street a number of prominent homes were built, while the eastern end was characterised by workers cottages. Long residential blocks on the south side of the street, east of the oval, had a number of cottages built along their rear boundary, facing the water. These were reported to have flooded frequently. The street overall fell into disrepair in the decades following World War Two, with many of the larger residences used as boarding houses and the cottages rented out. Many German and Polish migrants took up residence in this period. From the 1980s, gentrification of the area began, with older places either being restored or demolished to construct higher density housing. In the 1990s, most of the older houses at the eastern end of the street were demolished to allow for new waterside developments, most notably Pier 21. 42 John Street is contained in Lot 18, which was for many years associated with the house at 44 John Street. Stables for 44 John Street were reportedly located on Lot 18. Circa 1949, a timber-framed fibrous cement-clad residence with tile roof was built at 42 John Street for Albert Edward Moncrieff (shipwright) and his wife Irene. It included leadlight front windows and masonry colonnades to the entry porch. The Moncrieffs lived at the place until 1980, after which the property passed to their son Kenneth Albert Moncrieff. Kenneth did not live at the place, and c.1995 arranged for the house to be lifted from its stumps and relocated to his farm at Doodananning (between York and Quairading). This farm is now known as ‘John Street Farm’.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update