House

Parent Place or Precinct

26002 Kershaw Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance: • As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means. • As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Bungalow style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century. • For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses. The Kershaw Street Heritage Area is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons: • As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong heritage character, featuring a narrow avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and early Inter-War vials. • For its retention of many good, representative examples of Federation Queen Anne villas (which collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing between 1904 and c.1918). • For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles. • As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for the families of professional men, such as merchants, bankers and civil servants in the early twentieth century. • For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residences of senior professional men and business owners existed side by side with the smaller residences of more junior employees in early twentieth century Subiaco. • For its association with the subdivision of this area by James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, in 1892. In this context it also represents the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant investment from the eastern states. • For its association with the efforts of James Chesters as a local land agent and property developer, following his move to Western Australia in 1905. • For its association with Joseph (Joe) Totterdell, who was responsible for the construction of many Subiaco houses (including some in Kershaw Street), and who, for a brief period (1916-17), lived at 25 Kershaw Street (one of his development properties).

Physical Description

16 Heytesbury Road was designed as a large, single storey Federation Queen Anne style villa. It was constructed of red, stretcher-bond, face-brickwork and has a highly articulated, gabled-hipped, corrugated metal roof. The roof has two original gables, one over the slightly projecting window bay to the Heytesbury Road façade and the other to a projecting wing along the Kershaw Street facade. Each of these has a roughcast render and half-timbered effect to the face, over an elongated triangular base-board and decorative brackets. The other feature of the roof is a tall, painted-brick chimney with a moulded and rendered cap and terracotta pots. The Heytesbury Road façade is asymmetrical with a shallow projecting window bay towards the eastern end (under the gable). The verandah extends across the full width of this face, returning along the Kershaw Street frontage to abut the projecting gable wing. The walls to both street facades are tuck-pointed, with two plain rendered stringcourses, one at waist height, the other at door height. The double hung windows to the main facade are set in tall, paired openings which extend to just above the verandah floor level, and are finished with a timber panel and projecting timber sill at the base. The main entrance is located along the Kershaw Street frontage, adjacent to the projecting wing. This has decorative timber framing, sidelights, highlights, and stained glass detailing. The end of the projecting gable wing to Kershaw street has a triple casement window with stained-glass highlights and a raked awning with simple timber brackets. The return verandah is elevated on a sandstone block base. It has a bull-nosed verandah roof that springs from below a decorative bracketed panel to the underside of the main eaves line. The modern square timber posts have turned detailing and are linked by a simple timber balustrade with plain square balusters. The spacious corner yard has been laid out with a modern cottage garden. It is bounded by a timber picket fence with decorative capping to the timber posts and low clipped hedge along footpath. The corner entrance is defined by a timber lych-gate. The house has had major extensions to the rear (including a new projecting wing and garage to the Kershaw Street frontage, plus attic additions with dormer windows). Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition.

History

James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, purchased Perth Suburban Lots 249 and 250 in 1891. In the following year he had this area laid out as a new residential estate (Deposited Plan 504), which included the creation of Lots 144 and 145 (16 Heytesbury Road). These two lots were amongst the early land sales by James Chesters, being purchased by John Richard Beckingsale (a Victorian investor) in March 1892. However, these were speculative purchases and no development took place until the early twentieth century. By 1915 the property was in the ownership of Hugh Helsham and this was the first year that #16 was listed in the Post Office Directories. However, prior to a period of regional postings with the Western Australian Bank, Hugh Helsham had been listed as the occupant of a house at or near the corner of Kershaw Street in the period 1906 to 1908. This was shown in the Post Office Directories as #18, but with only two houses between Kershaw and Chester Street this may have been an earlier numbering system. In 1908, Hugh placed the contents of his home up for sale, and it is interesting that the location was clearly described as the corner of Heytesbury Road and Kershaw Street: Mr. Chas. Sommers announces that he will sell to-day (Friday), at 11 o'clock, at corner Heytesbury-road and Kershaw-st., near Home of Peace, Subiaco on account of Mr. H. F. Helsham, who is leaving for the goldfields, the whole of his furniture and effects …. Based on the available information, it appears likely that the house was first built and occupied by Hugh Helsham in c.1905, and that he returned here in 1915, after his regional postings. Occupants of the property from its time of construction until 1949 included: 1906-1908 Hugh Francis Helsham (Bank Official) (listed in the Post Office Directories as #18 Heytesbury Road)(no listings for #16 or 20) 1909-1912 John Pilgrim (listed as 18 Heytesbury Road, no listings for 16 or 20) 1913 M Madelstan (listed as 18 Heytesbury Road, no listings for 16 or 20) 1914 William Morrison (listed as 18 Heytesbury Road, no listings for 16 or 20) 1915-1924 Hugh Francis Helsham (Bank Official) (listed as 16 Heytesbury Road) (no further listings for 18 Heytesbury Road until 1919) 1925-1926 Edward Elliot 1927-1944 Llewellyn Horace Spencer (Shipping Manager, Johnson & Lynn Ltd, Fremantle) 1945-1949 Edith Annie Luetchford Information in the Electoral Rolls indicates that Edith Luetchford lived here with her husband, Edward (a carpenter). She remained at this address until at least the early 1970s.

Integrity/Authenticity

While the house has had some external alterations, including a prominent new garage, it still retains clear evidence of the original design.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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