Houses & Shops

Parent Place or Precinct

26003 Rokeby Road & Hay St Conservation Area

Statement of Significance

The place represents the historic development of Rokeby Road as a commercial street from the 1890s and early 1900s. It is significant as a pair of attached two storey shops with original shop fronts and significant face brick facades at first floor level.

Physical Description

79-81 Rokeby Road is a two-storey commercial building comprising two shops, which have been defined by the separation of the main façade into two matching bays. The walls are face-brick, with a tuck-pointed finish and contrasting rendered detailing to the main façade. At first floor level, the two bays are framed by distinctive stepped pilasters. Each bay has a pair of 6/1 timber-framed windows, linked by a slender rendered string course. Horizontal rendered panels sit above and below each pair of windows and the top of each bay is capped by a triangular pediment with a moulded shield motif at the centre. A photograph of Rokeby Road dated 1955 shows the northern shopfront as having a distinctive 1930s style stepped display window with a tiled stall and an entry on the southern side. Both shopfronts have since been fully reconstructed in different styles. The place now has verandah with turned timber posts. However, a photograph of Rokeby Road dated 1955 (a time when most of the verandah/balconies were still in-situ) shows this building with a suspended awning. At that time the awning roof was set at a lower level, revealing another pair of horizontal rendered panels. Other than the above, the upper facade appears to have remained largely unchanged since at least the mid-twentieth century.

History

This site was originally developed in the period c.1902-1906. In March 1931, a newspaper article about Subiaco included a photograph of Woodrow & Reilly’s grocery store (79-81 Rokeby Road), which showed a traditional early twentieth century single storey building with a double shopfront and central recessed entry. In September-October 1932, advertisements were placed for: TWO NEW SHOPS AT 79 AND 81 ROKEBY-RD., SUBIACO. MODERN SHOP FRONTS AND UP-TO-DATE LIVING ACCOMMODATION. Gallon Licence Attached to One Shop. Applications are invited from suitable tenants for these premises. THE PERPETUAL EXECUTORS, TRUSTEES and AGENCY CO. (W.A.), LTD. This suggests that the existing two-storey brick shops at 79-81 Rokeby Road were constructed in mid-1932. Over time, some of the occupants of the current shops included: 79 Rokeby Road  1935: Lee & Grover Ltd, grocers Note: In 1935 there were four Lee and Grover stores in Subiaco: 167 Hay Street; 217 Heytesbury Road; 79 Rokeby Road & 193 Rokeby Road. In c.1936-1937 these were taken over by Central Provisions Stores Ltd.  1940, 1945, 1949 & 1955: Central Provisions, grocers  2012: OPSM, opticians  2022: Shop for lease 81 Rokeby Road  1935: Roy Taylor, mixed business  1940: Charles Alfred Shaw, smallgoods dealer  1945: Mrs Christina B French, confectioner  1949: John Christou, refreshment rooms  1955; Nick and Lou’s Snack Bar  2012: Subi Kebabs and Il Gelato  2022: Subiaco Pizza Cafe

Integrity/Authenticity

The first floor façade retains a high level of authenticity. The verandah and shopfronts have a low level of authenticity.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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