House

Statement of Significance

The house at No 105 Walcott Street is a good and comparatively intact example of the Interwar Mediterranean style, which is comparatively rare within the district.

Physical Description

The residence was constructed in the Interwar period as a symmetrical building with a triple arch portico and central front entry. The roofline of the building is hipped over the original part of the house with a front gable built into the hip, which then forms a skillion over the kitchen, with a flat roof over the laundry and wc's at the rear. The large side gables formed by the original hipped roof are infilled with timber battens. There are four roof gables and each has a ram's horn finial at its apex. The portico has a gabled roof with a battened gable end. There are two sets of three-paned casement windows on the front elevation. The front entry is recessed under the portico and comprises a pair of timber framed glazed doors. There is a sleep-out along the south eastern side, which is part of the original dwelling. Internally the place has had adaptations, however, there are numerous original elements, including all of the original ceilings featuring ornate Interwar patterns, and French doors connecting interior and exterior spaces. The lot on which the building is situated is spacious, however, its triangular shape means that most of the open space is situated to the north-west of the dwelling. To the rear there is a small courtyard area and a small rear yard containing a hills-hoist clothesline. The rear yard areas are mostly paved. A red brick garage at the back of the lot is accessed from Alma Road. A low limestone fence to Walcott Street enclosing a mostly grassed front yard. A vehicular access from Alma Road serving a rear garage. Internal alterations and additions in 1977.

History

The place is situated on Lot 1, with a street frontage to Walcott Street. The site is one half of a larger triangular lot (289) formed by the intersection of Walcott Street with Alma Road and Forrest Street. When the City of Perth was established in 1871 as a result of the Municipal Institutions Act, Walcott Street was designated as the north-eastern boundary of the municipality. Walcott Street remained the north eastern boundary of the City of Perth for a period of more than a century and in 1994, it became the north-eastern boundary of the Town of Vincent, following the splitting of the City of Perth into a series of smaller municipalities. Walcott Street has been regarded and utilised as a major thoroughfare since early in the twentieth century. The installation of a tramline along Walcott Street in 1906 was an impetus for residential expansion. The subject dwelling replaced an earlier dwelling which was built on the subject lot in 1901. The Wise's Post Office Directories indicate that the original dwelling was occupied by Herbert Crossley between 1901 and 1910, then Mrs. Alice Sarah Crossley between 1913 and 1920. In 1917, the street number of the place changed from No. 31 to No. 105. Henry P. Ford lived at the dwelling after Mrs. A. Crossley and stayed until 1936 when R. Kenny took up the residency. In 1935, Roderick Kenny, a railway inspector, purchased the property and it was then subdivided onto two smaller triangular parcels of land, numbered Lots 1 & 2 respectively. In 1936, R. Kenny was the owner of the subject site and was issued with a building licence for the subject dwelling. It is inferred that R. Kenny demolished the original dwelling and constructed the house which is extant today. In 1943 Olive Isabel Reilly became the new owner and retained it for a period of almost twenty years. In 1962 the property was sold to Florence Mary Lethbridge, a widow and resident of the property. Upon her death in 1972, ownership was transferred to Lloyd and Allan Lethbridge and Dawn Stamford. Later that same year the property was bought by Harold Waler Scott and his wife Yvonne May Scott. In 1977 they undertook additions and adaptations including a new kitchen, laundry and two water closets to the rear of the dwelling and a brick garage that accessed Alma Road. Since 1998 Mrs Scott has been registered as the sole owner. In 2003, alterations and additions to the existing single house at Lot 1 have been approved by the Town.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate to High

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update