House

Parent Place or Precinct

26077 Salisbury and Rupert Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance: • As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means. • As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century. • For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses. • For its association with the rapid development of Subiaco in the early 20th century.

Physical Description

• Asymmetrical stepped facade. • This has a projecting wing on the southern side, with an abutting verandah extending across the remainder of the frontage (matching the layout of #99). • Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. • This has a prominent gable over the projecting wing and a smaller gable over the verandah. The main N-S ridgeline to the hipped section of the roof has small gablet with a finial facing the street (which is a later alteration). • Dropped, bullnose verandah roof, with vertical balusters to the end panel. • Two tuck-pointed brick chimneys, with slimline moulding above and below a roughcast rendered cap. • Tuck-pointed brickwork. • Roughcast rendered eaves panel. • Two contrasting smooth rendered stringcourses, one at window sill height and the other at door head height. • Roughcast rendered face to the main gable, with a decorative scrolled leaf moulding to the centre, and a slender turned-timber finial. Rectangular window bay to the front of the projecting wing. • Triple casement window to the window bay, with floral pattern stained glass panels to the highlights. • Moulded, rendered window sill over a curved under-sill panel. Corrugated metal, bullnose window hood, with square balusters to the end panels, decorative carved brackets and a frieze of turned timber balustrettes. • Main entrance set under the verandah and abutting the projecting wing. This features traditional moulded timber architraves, narrow sidelights, and a highlight. • Second rectangular window bay under the verandah (to the room on the northern side of the entrance hall). This is capped by a small roughcast rendered gable with a finial (but no rendered decoration). The window to this bay has detailing matching that to the window to the projecting wing. • Turned timber verandah posts, decorative carved timber brackets and a verandah frieze of turned timber balustrettes. • House set back approximately 5.5m from the Salisbury Street frontage. • Lot width approximately 12m. • Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence.

History

The following extract has been taken from the Heritage Assessment of the Southern End of Subiaco's Triangle Precinct, Greenward Consulting, August 2018. No development took place in the study area until late 1891, when Lots 278, 279, 280 & 281 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 353 (later referred to as DP 2808). This subdivision included 138 building lots, with frontages to Heytesbury Road, Thomas Street, Nicholson Road, Rokeby Road, Mackay Street (later renamed as part of Rupert Street), Paterson Street (later renamed as part of Salisbury Street) and Finlayson Street. These lots were progressively sold from December 1891 (many to eastern states investors), but construction on these sites was initially slow. A plan dated c.1902 shows that, while the Rokeby Road frontage had been largely developed by that time, only about 15 buildings had been erected along the other frontages (only 1 of which was in Salisbury Street). The Subiaco Rates Books of 1905 and 1913/14 show that Lots 67 to 71 of DP 2808 were owned by S. Chesters for several years and that these were re-surveyed as Lots 1 to 5, DP 4234, at the end of that period (creating 5 lots at 422m2 each where there were originally 6 lots at 352m2). S. Chesters was almost certainly Sith Annie Chesters, the wife of a prominent local real estate agent and developer, James Chesters. Houses were built on all five sites (93 to 101 Salisbury Street) in c.1914-1915 and it seems likely that 99 & 101 Salisbury Street were among the many developments undertaken by James Chesters in Subiaco in the early twentieth century (together with 96 & 98 Salisbury Street, which were also built in c.1914). The first owner listed in the Subiaco Rates Books was William John Robertson (engine driver) who, at that time, was living in Kalgoorlie with his wife, Franziska (aka Frances). The Robertson’s rented 101 Salisbury Street to William Morrison in c.1916- 1918 and then lived here in c.1918-1920. A new Certificate of Title was issued in Franziska’s name in November 1919 and this was transferred to John Thomas Roberts in April 1920. It seems likely that William and Franziska moved to the east coast at around that time as Franziska died in Victoria in 1921 (aged 43 years). In April 1923 the Certificate of Title was transferred to Katherine Lucy Porritt and she retained ownership until the time of her death in June 1957. Katherine Lucy (nee ?) (c.1874-1957) had married William Porritt (c.1853-1931) in c.1911-1912 (following the death of his first wife in 1910). Newspaper advertisements and reports show that Mrs K L Porritt (who had previously lived in England and who was described as a “London and Paris Art Milliner”) had a shop in Hay Street, Perth, in c.1913-1916. In 1917 she took charge of Boan’s Millinery Parlour, but she re-established her own business in Hay Street in 1918 and continued trading there until 1922. Katherine and William Porritt lived at 101 Salisbury Road from c.1924 and Katherine remained here until c.1932, after which she moved next door to #103. From that time until 1958, 101 Salisbury Road was occupied as a rental property. Multiple names in the Post Office Directories for individual years also suggest that the house may have been subdivided into flats or occupied as a boarding house from c.1936- 1941. In January 1949 the elderly owner (presumably Katherine Porritt) was advertising for tenants who would allow her to live in the house: COMFORTABLE Home, good locality, for middle-age couple, must be non-drinkers, non-smokers, willing to board elderly lady (owner). 101 Salisbury-st., Subiaco. However, in the Electoral Rolls, Katherine Porritt continued to be listed at 103 Salisbury Street until at least 1954.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - Authenticity -

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

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