House, 115 Townhend Rd, Subiaco

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style Based on contemporary houses of a similar form, it is likely that 115 Townshend Road was influenced to some degree by the Federation Queen Anne style. However, the rendering of the walls has obscured key detailing. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen. Plan form at the street frontage • Asymmetrical façade. This features a projecting wing on the southern side, with a verandah across the remainder f the frontage. Roof form and materials • Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. • Prominent verge gable with a roughcast rendered face, set with a simple pattern of vertical timber battens. • Bullnose verandah roof. Wall materials and finishes to the main facade • Main façade fully rendered (probably original face brick, possibly tuck-pointed with contrasting rendered detailing). Other detailing to main facade • Raked window awning to the projecting wing. This has panelled cladding with some evidence to suggest that it may have previously been detailed to imitate shingles. • Triple casement window to the projecting wing. Each window has 4 small rectangular panes over a larger bottom pane. Projecting rendered sill. • Entrance door located adjacent to the projecting wing. Highlight, no sidelights. • Triple casement window opening on to the verandah, with detailing matching the window to the projecting wing. • Turned timber verandah posts with carved timber brackets. Streetscape setting • House set back approximately 3.3m from the Townshend Road frontage. • Lot width approximately 10.1m. • Built up to a parapet wall on the southern side. Setback of approximately 600mm to the northern boundary • Front yard enclosed by a low, rendered masonry wall, with tall rendered piers.

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949. Perth Suburban Lot 221 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1535 in 1896 and advertised as the “Salisbury Estate”. This comprised 42 lots, including 14 lots along the western side of Townshend Road between Barker and Bagot Road. The Post Office Directories did not include street numbers for Townshend Road prior to 1906. However, the readily available information indicates that #115 was almost certainly the house that had been occupied by a person with the surname ‘Grant’ by 1903 (with no houses being listed along this block in 1902). It is possible that this was either Donald Grant (mason) or Alexander Grant (printer), both of whom were listed as residents of Townshend Road in the Electoral Rolls of 1903. The next known occupants were Joseph Edward Jones (carpenter) and his wife, Ann (home duties, later ‘teacher of painting’) who settled here in c.1903-1904 and remained until 1911, when Joseph Jones offered the contents of their house for sale, prior to departing for Sydney. During this period the Subiaco Rate Books identified Mrs Jones as the owner. In early 1913 the property was offered for sale on behalf of the mortgagee: BRICK HOUSE. 115 TOWNSHEND-ROAD, SUBIACO .….. All that Piece of LAND, being Lot 13, of Perth Suburban Lot 221, having a frontage of 33ft. to Townshend-road, Subiaco, by a good depth, upon which is erected a Brick Villa, No. 115. The next owner was C Finn, changing to Ella Paull in c.1915-1916. The property continued to have a high turn-over of occupants until the late 1930s, which suggests that it was primarily being used as a rental property. A review of the Post Office Directories at 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the primary residents during this period included:  1915: Sydney McGregor Provis (clerk)  1920: James Kirkpatrick Darlington (clerk)  1925: Albert Edward Strother (motor mechanic)  1930: Mrs Alicia Williams  1935: William Joseph Martin (labourer) In c.1937/1938, 115 Townshend Road became the long-term home of Dennis James Fairhead (motor driver) and Victoria May Fairhead (nee Lukeis), who were married in Perth in c.1937. Victoria was still listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls of 1980. An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs indicates that this house was extended to the rear and fully re-roofed and in c.2009/2010. However, the footprint of the front portion of the house has remained relatively unchanged.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the rendering of the main façade. However, the original form and scale of the place is still clearly recognisable.

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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