House, 133 Kenny Street

Statement of Significance

• This place has aesthetic value as a predominantly intact example of the Federation style. • The place has historic value for its association with the development of this area of Bassendean in the Inter War period. • This place has social value as the house demonstrates the form and scale of housing for working families in the inter war period.

Physical Description

Single storey timber framed and weatherboard cottage with hipped roof. The property presents in a symmetrical plan form to the façade with the centrally placed entrance flanked by windows. The entrance comprises a timber panelled and glazed door with side panels and lights and fanlights. The windows to the façade are arranged in paired sashes with each tall narrow window being a 6-over-1 sash with unified timber sill. The roof is hipped clad in short sheet corrugated iron sheeting and extends down for form the verandah canopy with a subtle break of pitch. Tall brick chimney projects from the south-east plane of the roof. The verandah canopy is supported on turned timber posts with non-original decorative timber brackets. The verandah deck is timber. The verandah wraps around to the south elevations which overlooks Reid Street. The south-eastern corner of the property is clad with larger profile weatherboarding and incorporates a timber framed multi-paned casement opening.

History

This portion of Bassendean was subdivided by a group of investors in the early 1900s under the promotional name of 'Tanner's Estate' or the 'Tanner's Extension Estate'. The group of investors included some of the most well-known members of colonial society: S.H. Parker, G.H. Leake, H. Anstey, Dr D. Kenny, J. James, J. Grave, H.E. Parry, Dr. J. Hope and W. Paterson. Three of these men; Parker, Leake and Paterson; were at various times members of parliament. Kenny Street was named after Dr Daniel Kenny (1860-1915), born in Ireland and trained as a medical doctor at Trinity College; he achieved several prominent postings in medical, political and business life in Western Australia. The street began to be settled in the 1910s with most intense development in the Inter War period. From the available evidence in the Post Office Directories, this residence was constructed c1917 for labourer Charles George Townsend (1884-1958) and his wife Ellen (née Wallace). The couple had married in the goldfields and moved to Bassendean (West Guildford) where Ellen's parents lived in Kenny Street. The Townsend family consisting of George, Ellen and two children Mary (1914-1994) and Charles (1918-1943), lived at the house until the 1980s. Information from the owners c2004 stated that the building was constructed c1910 however no origin for this statement was supplied. At that time the residence had been extended but the original front rooms were intact.

Integrity/Authenticity

High High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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