Brookman & Moir Streets Precinct

Statement of Significance

The Brookman and Moir Streets Group is a complete and intact residential development of 1897, undertaken by prominent citizens under William Brookman. The intact working class semi detached houses were constructed in the Federation Queen Anne Style. It demonstrates the social mores and way of life in the developing area north of Perth, at the commencement of the Gold Boom period. It provides a notable example of a late 19th century townscape with its repetitive building forms and development patterns. It is a unique example of a housing estate that includes. The scale of the subdivision and development by a speculative development company is a notable historic and social event of its time. Duplex, 2-4 Brookman Street are integral elements of the Brookman and Mori Streets Group. The form and scale of the typical Federation Queen Anne workers housing was varied in the case of this duplex, with the introduction of the bay windows. This differientiated the duplex pair from the other semi-detached workers housing within the development. It demonstrated the possibility of personalising properties without distrubting the consistent development patterning of the whole development.

Physical Description

An intact residential development dating from 1897 consisting of pairs of attached one storey houses originally built with tuck-pointed red brick and stucco banding, pairs of windows on the gable fronted projection, chimneys and decorative cornices under the eaves line, the houses have undergone degrees of modification from minor to major. With the exception of 2 & 4 Brookman Street, which have bay windows, the houses were originally identical, with identical street setbacks. The one storey duplex pair at No. 2 & 4 Brookman Street are mirror images of eachother. Each double fronted duplex has large faceted bay windows under half timbered and stuccoed gables with finials. The verandahs feature decorative timber valances. The two houses have stucco decorated brick chimneys. The front elevation was originally tuckpointed, with stucco banding. Medium density residential setting comprising small garden or paved front setbacks. Some houses have been rendered and/or painted, original windows and openings have been modified, and chimneys and gable treatments removed or modified.

History

The single-storey duplex dwellings on Brookman and Moir Streets, together with the single residence at 40 Forbes Rd, and the two-storey terraces at 156-184 Lake Street, known as 'Baker's Terrace', were constructed as a single development from 1897. The 15 identical houses in the latter block comprise 'the longest row of two-storey terrace housing in Western Australia' (HCWA). The estate was sited on land reclaimed from Lake Thomson, and was developed by the Colonial Finance Corporation, under William Brookman, a mine developer and Mayor of Perth from 1900-1901. Brookman was interested in the town planning ideas of the time and in his role as mayor helped promote general interest in town planning. Baker's Terrace was named after Robert Baker a cartage contractor who lived opposite at No. 163 Baker, who employed three drivers as well as his three sons, rans his business from his home. There were stables erected at the rear of the property for his horses and a large chaff house in which to store their feed. Forbes Road was not listed in the Wise's Post Office Directories until 1988 and then only as having one resident, William N. Mansfield, a builder (no number). Moir Street was also not listed until this year, when it had residents in houses between numbers 14 and 30. No. 28 and 32 Brookman Street were listed for the first time then also and the occupants were Nathan Zukerman (No. 28) and Miss Elizabeth Kingston (No. 32). Baker's Terrace was constructed as a row of fifteen two-storey terrace houses on Lake Street for middle class residents. The 29 duplex pairs on Moir and Brookman Streets and the single residence on Forbes Road, were constructed for blue collar workers as they were close enough to the City to save on transport costs. The duplex pairs were of more modest size and design than the terrace houses, but the standard of workmanship was similarly high. The estate reflected social mores of the time, with the middle class residences in a prominent position and the working class homes in the smaller streets behind, although the occupations of the residents in 1900 only partially reflected this distinction. The City of Perth rate book listings for Brookman Street show such occupations as miner, accountant, baker, civil servant, engine driver, inspector, painter, lamplighter, government house orderly and barman. In Baker's Terrace, some of the occupations listed are importer, hotel proprietor, contractor, traveler, widow, clairvoyant and labourer. Owner occupancy was, in fact 70 per cent in 1921. It dropped much lower during World War 11 but was well on the increase by 1980 and continued to climb back to 70 per cent in the 1990's. Moir Street was a little slower to regain the 1921 figure. In 1965 the residents of Brookman Street included a mechanic, a stone worker, waitress, wood cutter, factory hand and number of labourers and housewives. The residents of Moir Street were two businessmen and there were less labourers. The other residents included a machinist, a packer, a parts assistant and again several housewives. The surnames on the WA Electoral Rolls indicate that many of the residents at the time were from migrant families. By 1896 the residents of Brookman still bore many names of European origin but now there were some Asian ones amongst them. Their occupations had changed in that were were two lecturers, a teacher, a programmer and a real estate agent amongst them and only one labourer. Moir Street had two journalists, a teacher, solicitor, a grocer, a housewife and also one labourer.

Integrity/Authenticity

Intact or redeemable

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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