St George's House

Statement of Significance

1891/2, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • The place is a fine example of the Federation Queen Anne style and is an important example of the work of John Talbot Hobbs -one of the key practitioners of this style in Western Australia; • The place is associated with the Perth Diocesan Trust of the Anglican Church and characterises the pre­ eminence of the Anglican Church in Western Australia for many years; • The place is a tangible reminder of the former residential nature of development on St George's Terrace of \.\ hich this place is the only remaining element; • The place has landmark qualities derived from its prominent comer location near the head of St George's Terrace; • The place was saved from demolition by Lord Alistair McAlpine (property developer, treasurer of Britain 's Conservative Party and Chairman of St George's Investments (ACP); and, • The place is in good condition as a result of extensive restoration, and whilst its authenticity is somewhat reduced, it exhibits aesthetic characteristics valued by the community. The carport at the rear of the building and the fence and plantings at the front of the building are of little cultural heritage significance

Physical Description

St George's House is located at 235-239 St George's Terrace, Perth near the comer of Mount Street. It is a two­ storey brick and corrugated Colorbond steel Federation Queen Anne style building set back from the footpath behind a fence of limestone piers and wrought iron pickets. Gardens are set out in a formal manner with limestone paths and retaining walls, and plantings of agapanthus, roses, azaleas, wood violets and climbing vines. The site slopes gently down towards the east. The main entrance to the building is centrally located and two additional entries are located along a verandah on the eastern facade and through a small annexe located on the western side of the building. Each entry has a corresponding gate and pathway leading from the footpath; however, the two additional gates are not currently in use and are padlocked. BP House, a mu lti-storey brick office building is located to the west, and to the east is the St George's Square office tower. At the rear of the building is a long timber-framed carport with a hipped corrugated iron roof that flanks the eastern wall of BP House. Vehicular access to this parking area is via Spring Street and a brick paved turning circle. Further landscaped gardens are located at the rear of the building. The northern (St George's Terrace) facade of the building consists of three gable fronts. The central gable is smaller than the other two and is flanked by two small skillion roofed verandahs, all of which sit above an arcaded porch containing the main entry. The floor of the porch is finished in new tessellated tiles dating from the 1987-88 campaign. These were chosen to match the colour and design of the few remaining original tiles. 1 The ceiling is finished in reeded timber boarding. The floor on the first floor is oiled tongue and grooved boards and the ceiling is ripple iron. The three gables have simple bargeboards, finials and brackets and two gable vents are located in each of the larger gable ends. Timberwork to the verandahs is also simple consisting of cross-braced balustrade and arched verandah beams on the upper level. Decoration of the timber is limited to stop chamfering. The brick work to the front and sides of the building is tuck-pointed Flemish bond and rendered dressings have been applied to quoins, string courses, external skirtings, window and door surrounds, around gable vents and to the columns, face, keystones, astragals and frieze of the arcaded porch. Much of the tuck-pointing was redone during the 1987-88 campaign,2 and has involved a considerable amount of re-facing of the brickwork . The rendered dressings have been painted. Six chimneys protrude through the roof. All are face brick with intricate corbelling and an unpainted rendered band. The entry to the western side of the building is located in a small two-storey, hipped-roofed annexe that protrudes from the western fa9ade. A timber-framed verandah, in similar detail to the front of the building, shelters the entry. The verandah floor also has tessellated tiles and the ceilings of both the ground and first floor levels of the verandah are finished in ripple iron. The eastern entry is located on the first level of a two-storey verandah that runs the entire length of the eastern fa9ade. The timber structure of the verandah is supported on a limestone footing that also serves as a retaining wall compensating for the substantially lower ground level of the adjacent St George's Square development. A short flight of timber stairs leads up to the first level of the verandah at the north and south ends. On both levels the flooring is oiled tongue and grooved boards and ceilings are ripple iron. Detailing of the posts, beams and balustrades is the same as the western entry. All entry doors are six paneled and surrounded with sidelights and highlights. The uppermost panels are glazed with diamond pattern leadlight except for the eastern entry which has a clear glazed door and sidelights and a large arched highlight in obscure glass. Windows are predominantly double hung sashes with clear glazing. With the exception of those windows facing St George's Terrace, each sash is divided in two by a vertical glazing bead. A number of sashes were replaced or substantially reconstructed during the 1987-88 campaign.3 A large arched window located on the first floor above the eastern entry is divided into small panes and is not original. A number of the large sash windows have timber panels below sill height that extend to the floor. Although now fixed in position, there is evidence that these once would have opened to allow access on to the verandah. Part-glazed French doors open onto a verandah at the rear of the building, which is set back between the two protruding wings of the east and west elevations. The brickwork is face brick in an English bond and shows evidence of changes to openings and re-pointing of mortar. Verandah detailing is similar to elsewhere with the exception that the ground level floor is brick paved. A verandah post and two beams have recently been replaced and are currently unpainted. Eaves are timber battened and gutters are an ogee profile in Colorbond finish to match the roof. All external fabric appears in good condition. Internally the building is consistently detailed with painted hard plastered or plasterboard walls, deep coved plaster cornices, decorative ceiling roses, decorative timber picture rails, skirtings and architraves, and timber mantle pieces in a variety of designs. Most floors are carpeted with the exception of the bathrooms, which have marble tiles, and the first floor kitchen and two short corridors on the ground floor, which have proprietary timber flooring. Finishes are generally of a high standard and in good condition. Much work is reproduction rather than restoration of original fabric. The design intent of the building as three separate dwellings is identifiable from the existence of three grand entry foyers with elegant staircases leading to the first floor, and also by openings cut through two 350mm (approximately) thick dividing walls nmning north-south through the building. Large rooms are generally located at the front of the building; however, original layout and function of each separate dwelling unit is difficult to determine due to changes in openings and the addition of stud framed walls. The three staircases have turned balustrades and newel posts in a dark stained and oiled finish. The fabric of the staircases is origina l. The below-stair spaces are enclosed with timber paneled walls forming storage spaces. The stairs servicing the east and western side of the building have corridors extending southward from the landing as a result of lower ceiling heights in the ground floor rooms at the rear of the building. The upper flight leads to a further corridor and rooms that extend over the grander rooms at the front of the building. This is also evident when viewing window head heights on the eastern elevation of the building. The landing of the central staircase has only a French door leading onto the verandah at the rear of the building and all rooms of the first floor of the central space are at the one level.

History

Assessment 2001 Construction:1891/2. Additions/alterations:1912, 1939, 1060s, 1986/7 Architect/designer" John Talbot Hobbs St George's House is a two-storey building constructed in Federation Queen Anne style in 1891/92. It faces St George's Terrace on Perth Town Lot L26 and Pt Lot L25 and is situated within an area known as the Bishop's See, which is bounded by St George's Terrace, Spring Street and Mounts Bay Road and contains St George's House, Bishop's House and BP House. In 1856, Bishop Hale, Perth's first Anglican Bishop, purchased five allotments on St George's Terrace in order to build a residence for himself and his family. Hale favoured this location because of the large grounds and natural spring that flowed all year round, and there were also some buildings on the site which could be utilised and incorporated into his residence.4 The land purchased included Pe11h Town Lots L25, L26, L261/4 (purchased from Edward Hamersley) and L24 and L24 l/2 (from Alfred Hillman). Hale purchased additional land including L26 l/2 (from Lawrence Welch) in 1858 and was granted L263/4 after a section of Milligan Street was rezoned between Spring and Mount Streets.5 These lots formed (and still form) the Bishop's See. Hale built several buildings on the Bishop's See out of his own income including Bishop's House (1859; also known as Legacy House), Bishop's Cottage (1860; also known as Clergy House), Hale House (1872; also known as the Native Mission Cottage and Hale Cottage). The Bishop's See, comprising all these buildings, with the Bishop's House being the central focus, was to become one of the chief centres of Perth's social, intellectual and religious life for nearly a century.6 In 1875, Bishop Hale handed all his Perth properties over to the Perth Diocesan Trustees, leaving Western Australia to take up his appointment as Bishop of Brisbane.7 Other buildings built on the Bishop's See by the Perth Diocesan Council after Hale's departure included St George's House (1891/92; also known as Bishop's Grove, Cardigan and Ingle Hall), St George's Mansion (c. 1930) and Bishop's Court (1935; also known as Bishop's Grove). All these residential properties were leased to private tenants to provide an income for the Diocese. Of all the buildings built on the Bishop See, both by Bishop Hale and the Perth Diocesan Council, only Bishop's House and St George's House are extant in 1998.

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