House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

For information on the significance of the Union and Redfern Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

120 Heytesbury Road was designed in the Federation Queen Anne style. Key elements include the: • Asymmetrical façade. • Gable-hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. This features a short, east-west ridgeline with louvered gablets and a prominent street front gable with a timber finial and a highly decorative pressed metal and mini-orb panelled face. • Painted brick chimney with a projecting rendered cap. • Rendered façade. This was almost certainly originally tuck-pointed face-brick, probably with contrasting rendered stringcourses. Parapet wall along the western side of the house (where the house abuts the side boundary). Projecting wing on the western side of the main façade (set under the gable end). This features a pair of casement windows flanking a wider central panel of fixed glass, over a tiled raked sill. The detailing of this opening is consistent with a mid-twentieth century renovation. Over the window there is a raked awning with larger carved bracket panels. Raked verandah (springing from the eaves line), which abuts the projecting wing and returns towards the street as a gabled carport. This has square timber posts and carved brackets. The face of the carport has a simple battened gable end with a timber finial. Entrance door abutting the projecting wing. This is flanked by a single narrow sidelight (with no highlights). Rectangular window opening, divided as a single casement and a wide, fixed pane of glass, and set over a raked tiled sill. Like the other front window, the detailing of this opening is consistent with a mid-twentieth century renovation. The house is set approximately 4m back from the front boundary, which is defined by a timber picket fence.

History

On 13 March 1883, the Western Australian government announced it would survey a section of the Perth Commonage into suburban lots and that these would then be made available for private sale. Perth Suburban Lot 256 was purchased by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Ltd of Sydney in August 1890. No development was undertaken at that time and, in June 1896 the whole of the property was transferred to James Thomas Peet and Austin Bastow of Melbourne, Estate Agents. By September of that year, Peet and Bastow had subdivided this land as Deposited Plan 938, with 42 residential allotments laid out along parts of Hensman Road, Hamersley Road, Beryl (later Redfern) Street and Heytesbury Road. Lots 37 to 42 of this subdivision were later developed as 116 to 122 Heytesbury Road. Information in the Subiaco Rates Books indicates that 120 Heytesbury Road was built in c.1906, at which time the owner/occupier was listed as Ann Marcussen. Peter Daniel Marcussen (carpenter) was identified as the primary occupant until c.1909 and, given that two of Peter’s sons (Albert and Louis) were carpenter/builders, it seems likely that the house was constructed by members of this family. The next owner was another builder, William Phippard, who lived here until his death in 1913 (aged about 54 years). The other occupant at that time was Miss Daisy Phippard (dressmaker) who continued to live here until the early 1920s, sharing the house with her brother William, jnr, until around the time of his marriage in 1918. 120 Heytesbury Road appears to have been divided into two flats in around 1920 and it was still being advertised in this manner in 1930. The occupants changed every few years and when the property was offered for sale as a deceased estate in June 1952 the wording of the advertisement suggests that it was still in two parts: 120 HEYTESBURY RD. This comfortable brick home is offered with part vacant possession and comprises 5 rooms plus kitchen and bathroom and usual conveniences. Well situated and in good order throughout. By 1954 the house had been occupied by Colin Smith and his mother, Clara. 120 Heytesbury Road subsequently became the family home of Colin and his wife Mae, who were married in the mid-1950s and remained here until the late 1970s (after which they moved in with their son at 110 Heytesbury Road). A comparison of current and historical aerial photographs (the earliest of which is dated 1948) suggests that the building envelope at the front of the house has remained largely the same, with the exception of a carport at the front of the house (first added in the 1960s). Over time, additions have been made to the rear of the house, including major works in c.2006.

Integrity/Authenticity

Note: The rendering of the façade, alterations to the windows and construction of a front carport have impacted on the authenticity and traditional character of the place. However, the original design can still be readily understood.

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

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