Duplex House, 109 Park St, 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 107-109 Park Street were designed as a mirror image pair of cottages, which were embellished with restrained detailing derived from the Federation Queen Anne style. They were of a scale and form generally considered suitable for rental properties, attracting tenants such as office workers, retail employees and both skilled and unskilled tradesmen, as well as retired people and widows. Plan form at the street frontage • The overall design of 107-109 Park Street is symmetrical, with a stepped single fronted (asymmetrical) for each individual house. These feature a gabled front wall with a setback to the entry. Roof form and materials • Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. • Single gable over the front wall of each house, creating an ‘M’’ shaped double gable to the overall frontage. • Roughcast rendered finish to each gable, set with a pattern of vertical and diagonal timber battens and finished with a turned timber finial. • No extant chimneys to the front portion of the property (as visible from the street). • Bull-nose verandah roof. Wall materials and finishes to the main facade • Rendered brick (originally face-brick, possibly tuck-pointed). Other detailing to main facade • Entrance located at the rear of the setback on the western side. Highlight (no sidelight). • Single double-hung window to the front wall, set over a plain rectangular sill. • Square verandah post at the eastern end. Shallow, wave pattern timber frieze. Streetscape setting • House set back approximately 3m from the Park Street frontage. • Overall lot width of 10.1m, with each house occupying half. Narrow side setbacks. • Front yard enclosed by a rendered courtyard wall.

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 220 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1552 in 1896 and advertised as the “Parkerville Estate”. This comprised 38 lots with frontages along the eastern side of Townshend Road (between Barker and Bagot Roads), part of the southern side of Barker Road, part of Salisbury Avenue (renamed as part of Park Street in 1901) and part of the northern side of Bagot Road. An analysis of entries in the Post Office Directories and Rate Books suggests that the duplex at 107-109 Park Street may have been the first property developed between 93 and 111 Park Street. In the Rate Books of 1905 the houses were recorded but the owner’s name is indecipherable. They were listed in the Post Office Directories from 1906, when #107 occupied by James V Jensen and #109 by a person named O’Shannesy. By 1908-1909 the owner was identified as A McDonald. The design of these places, and the high turnover of occupants, indicates that they were primarily used as rental properties until at least the mid-1930s. 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 of #109 included:  1910: William Russell  1915: Charles Buckingham (labourer)  1920: Clifford Viziet Bache (shop assistant) Bache lived here for around 6 years, c.1916-1922. The property was advertised for sale in February 1921: “INVESTMENT Brick. semi-detached, Nos. 107 and 109 Park-rd., Subiaco, 3 rooms and bathroom in each; close tram.  1925: John Bailey (engine driver)  1930: John Platt (carpenter)  1935: Listed as ‘vacant’ in the Post Office Directory Other than as noted above, the occupants typically stayed here for around 1-3 years. The first longer-term residents were Edward Sydney Dray (c.1889-1965) and his wife Mabel Amelia (‘Millie) (c.1895-1953). They appear to have lived at 109 Park Street from c.1940 until around the time of Millie’s death. By 1954 Edward had moved to Inglewood. An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (dated 1927, updated 1955) and historical aerial photographs shows that additions have been undertaken at the rear, but that the original footprint of the front portion of the house remains clearly recognisable.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the rendering of the brickwork. A tall courtyard wall restricts views to the main façade.

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):

Last Update