Local Government
Subiaco
Region
Metropolitan
177-191 Rokeby Rd Subiaco
Subiaco
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1898, Constructed from 1904
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage List | Adopted | 25 Nov 2008 |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHP - To be assessed | Current | 30 Jun 2006 |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Place within a Heritage Area | Adopted | 15 Oct 2013 | Considerable contribution | |
| Local Heritage Survey | Adopted | 04 Feb 2003 | ||
26003 Rokeby Road & Hay St Conservation Area
The place represents the historic development of Rokeby Road as a commercial street from the 1890s and early 1900s. It is a significant example of a two storey Federation Free Classical style building with the unusual feature of an arcade at first floor level. The place is a landmark in the Rokeby Road commercial area.
The original section of what is now known as Doyle Court appears to have been designed as a modest single storey pair of shops (at the northern end of the present building), later adapted to match the two storey section. The main two-storey building, which was constructed a few years later, was designed as 5 shops of varied widths (adapted as 6 shops, c.1916), with associated residences at first floor level. The Rokeby Road façade is fully rendered and painted, while the Bagot Road façade has a mixture of painted brick and render. The main first floor façade features a distinctive arcaded balcony. This has 12 large rendered arches with moulded heads, which spring from square posts with moulded caps. Moving from south to north there is one bay with three balcony arches, one with two balcony arches, another with three, and then two more with two. The spaces between the posts are faced by a simple spear topped metal balustrade. Across the front of the building the arcaded balcony is linked by plain arches that penetrate through the dividing walls between the original 5 premises. At the same level, the eastern façade features a mixture of open arches (providing access to the stairs), double-hung windows, and French doors. The single story section now includes one shop and one of the stairs to the first floor. The parapet has been reconstructed to match the two storey section. All shopfronts have been replaced, and two modern staircases, accessed off Rokeby Road, provide access to the arcaded balcony. A continuous suspended awning extends over the shopfronts. A large pediment has been removed from the middle of the elevation and urns removed from the parapet walls. Windows have been let into the southern façade to extend retail exposure and the shop on the Bagot Road frontage has been extended to the west.
It appears that part of this site had already been developed by 1898: Situate in Subiaco, being Lot 40 of Perth Suburban Lot 225, containing thirty-one and five-tenths (31 5-10th) perches, having a frontage of 100 links to Bagot-street and of 198.7 links to Rokeby-rd, being the whole of the land comprised in Certificate of Title Vol. CXXIX, fol. 97, plan deposited No. 1,178; and on which is erected TWO SHOPS (insured for the sum of £200) and also a DWELLING HOUSE (insured for the sum of £100). A plan of Rokeby Road dated c.1904 shows a pair of semi-detached shops at the southern end of the Rokeby Road frontage of this site (in the general vicinity of what was originally known as 177-179 Rokeby Road), with a separate development at the corner with Bagot Road (in the vicinity of what was originally known as 185-193 Rokeby Road). In c.1905-1906 shopkeepers took up leases in a group of 5 shops at what was then known as 181-189 Rokeby Road (later occupied as 6 shops). This suggests that the two storey section of the building now known as Doyle Court was constructed in c.1904/1905, while the single storey section may be part of the original pre 1899 development of the site. The property extending between 177 and 193 was sold by John Manners Hill in late 1923: Subiaco Property Sale—Mr L. S. Dale, of Wagin, has bought from Mr J M Hill, contractor, of Keane-street [Cottesloe], a row of seven large shops at the corner of Rokeby and Bagot roads, Subiaco, being those extending from Pope's grocery store [#193] to Fraser's drapery shop (late Pat's Stores) [#177]. The price, we understand, was in the vicinity of £10,000. Note: Mr Hill had previously been identified as the owner at the time of a fire at #185 in 1914. Over time, some of the occupants of the property included: 177 Rokeby Road (single storey shop) 1904: Possibly Richardson Brothers, grocers 1906-1917: Elias Andrews, bootmaker 1918-1922: Henry Nelson Williams, draper (occupying 177-179) 1924-1933: Kenneth Fraser, draper (occupying 177-179) 1934-1942/1943: Bassett’s Drapery (occupying 177-179) 1943/1944-1948: Dale’s Drapery (occupying 177-179) 1949: Woolworths (occupying 177-179) Note: In December 1950, a newspaper article reported that Woolworths had opened stores at Perth, Fremantle and Subiaco, with a fourth branch due to open in 1951. 2022: Shop for lease 179 Rokeby Road (single storey shop) 1904: Possibly Miss C Piggott, storekeeper 1906: Holding & Bradley, fruiterers 1907-1918: Charles Lincoln Bradley, fruiterer 1918-1949: see 177 Rokeby Road, above 181 Rokeby Road 1906: George Nichol, butcher 1910: George Lee Bond, butcher c.1911 until at least 1945: Simpson Beecroft, butcher 1949: Frederick Roland Beecroft, butcher 2012: Weekends Boutique, women’s wear (occupying 181-183) 2022: Shop for lease 183 Rokeby Road 1906: Conrad Henry Francis, decorator 1910 & 1915: Alfred Buxton, chemist 1920 & 1925: Edward Raymond Brawn, fruiterer/greengrocer 1930: George Henry Roberts, greengrocer 1935: R W Sherwood, greengrocer 1940: Ernest Avery Luckly, hairdresser 1945: John Lawley Ltd, drapers 1949: Dale’s Drapery Store 2012: Weekends Boutique, women’s wear (occupying 181-183) 2022: Shop for lease 185 Rokeby Road 1906 & 1910: Alexander & Company, drapers c.1915-1938: Alfred Buxton, chemist 1940 & 1945: Elliot’s Pharmacy 1949: Alfred Michael Steinthal, chemist 2022: Marie Claire, shoes 187 Rokeby Road (from c.1919) In the period around 1916 the numbering system for this group of shops was changed, with new premises being identified immediately north of Cadman’s stationary store. It seems possible that this was a result of subdividing the wider central shop, #185, after this was damaged by fire in 1914. 1920: Charles Wittner, tearooms 1925: William Brice Hughes, confectioner 1930: Charles J Larkin, confectioner 1935: Edgar Copley Adams, confectioner 1940: Mrs M Wray, confectioner 1945 until at least 1953: Domenico Rechichi, fruiterer 2012: TS (Taking Shape), women’s wear 2022: Marie Claire, shoes 187/189 Rokeby Road (known as 189 Rokeby Road from c.1916/1917) c.1905-1921: William Cadman, stationer & confectioner 1925: Tobin & Purtle, mixed goods 1930: Aubrey Robinson, hairdresser & tobacconist 1935: Mrs M Spargo, confectioner 1940: John C Choffin, insurance agent 1945 & 1949: Leonard & Elsie Olive Wornes, mixed business 2012: vacant at December 2012 2022: Marie Claire, shoe outlet 189/193 Rokeby Road (known as 193 Rokeby Road from c.1916/1917) 1906: Richardson Brothers, grocers 1910-1923: Bennett & Burnside, grocers 1925 & 1930: Charles George Pope, grocers 1935: Lee & Grover, grocers 1940-post 1949: Central Provisions Ltd, grocers Note: In 1940 the PO Directories listed 18 Central Provisions branches, including 4 in Subiaco. 2012: Flower, women’s wear 2022: Issie, women’s wear It is unclear when the building received its current name, which is believed to honour Henry Doyle, the first mayor of Subiaco (1897/1898). Doyle, a builder, had been declared bankrupt by 1899 and had moved to Collie by 1900. Further research would be required to determine if Doyle had been the owner of the property (and responsible for its original development with 2 shops) before it was offered for sale by the mortgagees in April 1899. Note: an early twentieth century photograph of a small section of the building shows that the original bas relief name on the building started with an ‘A’.
The first floor and parapet of Doyle Court have a high level of authenticity. The shopfronts, awnings and stairs have a low level of authenticity.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review of the Rokeby Road and Hay Street Heritage Area | Stephen Carrick Architects | April 2026 |
Very important to the significance of the Rokeby Road and Hay Street Heritage Area.
Doyle Court has a high level of authenticity to the upper façade, and its scale and distinctive detailing make it an important landmark at the intersection of Rokeby and Bagot Roads. In this regard it is of particular significance for the manner in which it identifies the entrance to the town centre from the south.
The scale and detailing of the place also helps to illustrate the development of Rokeby Road as an important suburban commercial centre in the early twentieth century, with particular reference to its rapid development as “a popular business thoroughfare” in c.1904-1906.
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | COMMERCIAL | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Commercial & service industries |
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Settlements |
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