Eagle Towers

Statement of Significance

House, 192 Spencer Street (Eagle Towers), a single-storey brick and iron residence has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place is valued for its aesthetic characteristics demonstrated in the well proportioned, simple form enhanced by the use of interesting construction details and decorative elements; the place was associated with the Bunbury Diocese of the Anglican Church between 1928 and 1971, first as a convent and then as a rectory; the place is valued for its religious associations, especially its association with the Sisters of St Elizabeth of Hungary; the place was associated with the Sisters of St Elizabeth of Hungary, as their home convent in the South-West of Western Australia, between 1928 and c1952; the place has social value to the Bunbury community in its function as a restaurant from 1979; and, the place has landmark value with attractive landscaping enhancing the corner location and contributing to the local and wider community’s sense of place.

Physical Description

House, 192 Spencer Street is a single-storey building located on the corner of Clarke and Spencer streets in an area known as South Bunbury. The main building has a rectangular plan form and is constructed in brick with a corrugated iron, hipped roof and bull-nose verandah. Interest in the roof form is created by a small gable over the former front entrance and a prominent brick chimney with a course of angled brickwork penetrating the northern hip. An exhaust flue from the restaurant kitchen area is visible from the rear of the building. The verandah currently extends around the north and east elevations with the bull-nose canopy separate from the main roof form. The iron fringe and brackets under the canopy were introduced by the current owner. It has not been established whether cast iron work was part of the original fabric. Extensions to the rear of the building and south elevation, incorporated as part of the change of function in the late 1970s, have been built in a variety of materials, predominantly brick and fibre cement boards. A clear and singular expression of style is not evident although the main building displays construction and details characteristics of both the Victorian Georgian and Federation Bungalow styles. The main external walls are constructed in stretcher bond brickwork. The east elevation appears to feature tuck-pointing beneath the current paint layers. Portions of the north walls display headers in every sixth course, a style of brickwork known as Common bond, demonstrating a solid wall unlike the cavity wall of stretcher bond construction. This differentiation in technique may be indicative of different periods of construction. The solid brick wall preceded the tuck-pointed cavity construction which was not prevalent until the early years of the 20th century. Window and door openings in the north and east external walls feature cambered arch soldier course lintels with the exception of the current main entrance doors. The original front entrance appears to have been located in the east elevation; however, the restaurant is now entered through French doors located on the north face of the building. The latter exhibit dissimilarities in construction to the adjacent French doors and are unlikely to be original. The glazed fanlight is absent and the panelling is not as elaborate. This description is based on the Physcial Evidence in Heritage Council of Western Australia, ‘Register of Hertiage Places Assessment Documentation: Eagle Towers – Below Threshold’, 1997. The place is now a residence and the land has been subdivided into 5 strata title lots plus common property.

History

House, 192 Spencer Street, was probably constructed in the early 1900s. Physical evidence suggests there may have been an earlier structure that was incorporated in the building. The place was occupied as a convent from 1928 to 1952, and as a rectory for the Anglican church from 1956 to 1971. From 1979, the place was occupied as a restaurant and was named after owner, Audrey Eagle. Local tradition states that the house was built in 1877, on 20 acres (8ha) of land owned by a British army officer from India, who equipped the land with stockyards and stables for horse breeding to supply horses to the Indian army. There is no documentary evidence of anyone occupying this portion of land, for any purpose, however, and no evidence of a residence on the land at time of subdivision. However, there is physical evidence of an earlier structure of some sort having been incorporated into the current building. Originally part of the Stirling’s Location 26, the land on which the place is located became part of the Mangles Estate subdivision in 1899. The subdivision was named for George Mangles, a cousin of Lady Ellen Stirling. In 1900, Alice Edith Speed purchased lot 13 and it is thought that the house was built at this time. In 1907, Alfred Stuart Teede a farmer and grazier from Balingup became the owner of Lot 13. Teede was the youngest of the 11 children of George and Mildred Teede who had come to Bunbury aboard the Diadem in 1842 to be part of the settlement at Australind. Ownership was transferred to Alfred’s wife, Emma Russell Teede, in 1910. Emma also owned Lots 14-17 of the same subdivision on the south-west corner of Clarke Street and Vasse Road. Alfred’s brother Ernest was the occupant from 1914 to 1916. Alfred and Emma lived there from 1917 to 1927. After Alfred’s death in 1928, the place was sold to Walter Shirley Hayes, Secretary of the Bunbury Anglican Diocese. The sale was financed by a £900 mortgage to Emma Teede. The house then became the home convent of the Sisters of St Elizabeth of Hungary for the next 24 years. In late June 1928 the Convent of St Elizabeth was blessed. The Order of Sister of Elizabeth of Hungary was founded in London as an offshoot of the Confraternity of Divine Love in 1916. Both were founded by Reverend Mother Elizabeth (Elizabeth Hodges) and the Order was named for the 13th century saint and princess Elizabeth of Hungary (Elizabeth of Thuringia). The Western Australian Chapter was set up to provide “spiritual encouragement” to young English women, in particular those who had come out as part of group settlements. The Sisters arrived in Bunbury in March 1928 and soon established houses at Margaret River and Busselton. They raised funds for small churches to be built in the group settlements. The Sisters lived their lives according to the Franciscan tradition and as they wore a habit of grey, they were often referred to as St Francis’s “little grey sparrows.” As well as providing support for the group settlers they also comforted many in the community through the Great Depression and World War II. The Sisters also helped the clergy with parish duties and ran a Correspondence Sunday School throughout the Great Southern. Due to an increase in numbers, the Sisters purchased a bungalow diagonally opposite the convent for extra accommodation. The Sisters opened the Mary Clementina Hostel for high school girls next door to the convent in 1932. The hostel was named for its benefactor, Miss Mary Clementina Benthall. In the first year the hostel was fully occupied and places were in high demand as a result the bungalow was requisitioned for the senior girls. In the 1940s the hostel was closed and the Sisters moved in, making it their new convent. The Chapel was also moved to the new convent and enlarged and the old home (later Eagle Towers) was used as summer holiday accommodation for the clergy and their families. In 1954 the Sisters sold the bungalow and their Busselton house and in 1957 they withdrew from Western Australia. One of the reasons given for their withdrawal was that their work with the English amongst the group settlers was finished. Lots 13, 14 and 15 were sold to the Bunbury Diocesan Trustees. The old house was then occupied by the clergy of the South Bunbury Parish as their rectory. In 1971, it was purchased by William Alfred Potter Garland, a cabinet maker. It was sold again in 1977 to Thelma Rowe, Colleen Haese and Audrey Eagle. Rowe withdrew from the partnership and Haese and Eagle established a restaurant calling it Eagle Towers. Extensive renovations were undertaken to convert the place in to a restaurant. Eagle became the sole owner in 1989. The place changed hands in 1998 and the name was changed to Connors Restaurant. This history is based on the Documentary Evidence in Heritage Council of Western Australia, ‘Register of Hertiage Places Assessment Documentation: Eagle Towers – Below Threshold’, prepared by Irene Ham- The place is now a residence and the land has been subdivided into 5 strata title lots plus common property.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium degree of integrity (original intent partially clear, current use different to original but compatible, high long term sustainability). Medium degree of authenticity - alterations but with much original fabric remaining (These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as fair to good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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