House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Physical Description

16 Union Street was designed as a modest, single storey Federation Queen Anne house. It has tuck-pointed face-brick to the main (Union Street) façade with two plain rendered string courses – one at window sill height and the other at door head height. The secondary (Rawson Street) façade has plain face brick walls, with no ornamentation. The gabled-hipped roof is clad with corrugated metal sheeting and features louvered gablet vents at either end of the main east-west ridgeline, and a prominent street front gable. The latter has a roughcast rendered face and timber battens set out in a “sun-ray” pattern. There are two tuck-pointed, face brick chimneys with plain rendered string courses and projecting rendered caps. The street-front gable sits over a projecting wing on the southern side of the main façade. This wing has a pair of individual double hung windows, set over projecting rendered sills with curved under-sill panels. These windows are shaded by a bull-nosed awning, with curved timber brackets and a frame of lattice panels. The front verandah abuts the projecting wing and extends across the remainder of the façade. This has a dropped, bullnose roof, and turned timber posts, linked by deep semi-circular, lattice, valance panels. Under the gutter line the verandah detailing is completed by a slender ‘zig-zag’ fretwork. The main entrance to the house is located under the verandah, adjacent to the projecting wing. This features traditional moulded timber framing around an early twentieth century style, 5-panel door, with a highlight and single sidelight. The glazed panels all feature stained glass detailing. The verandah area also features another pair of double hung windows with detailing to match those to the projecting wing. The house is set back approximately 5m from the front boundary, which is defined by a low, limestone wall and piers. There are no infill panels, and the well-maintained informal garden is visually open to the street. Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition.

History

Perth Suburban Lot 255 was purchased by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Ltd of Sydney in August 1890. Two years later it was transferred to James Chesters of 155 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, estate agent. By 1894 Chesters had subdivided this land as Deposited Plan 899, with 42 lots laid out around Queen Street (soon renamed Union Street). Chesters sold Lots 30 to 32 to William James Douglas in September 1901, shortly before Douglas and his partner, Frank Dyson, purchased the adjacent Perth Suburban Lot 253 and subdivided that area around Rawson Street. Initially Rawson Street did not officially connect to Union Street, but the Subiaco Council purchased part Lot 31 and part Lot 32 to extend Rawson Street in 1913/14. The Subiaco Rates Books indicate Lot 30 and part Lot 31 were acquired in 1913/14 by William Bushell (carpenter) and that the house was built at about this time. In 1916 the electoral roll listed William’s profession as builder, so it is quite likely that he was responsible for the construction of 16 Union Street as a family home for himself and his wife, Mary. 16 Union Street was advertised for sale in January 1919: TENDERS are invited until 5 p.m. on FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, for the CASH PURCHASE of Brick Villa Residence, 16 Union-st., Subiaco, containing 6 rooms, pantry, and bathroom, back and front verandahs, washhouse, c and t., shed, motor garage, etc., e.l. lawns, hedges, corner block. No tender will necessarily be accepted. 16 UNION-ST. SUBIACO, off Hamersley-rd., near Bowling Green. The new owner appears to have been John Watson Henderson (consulting engineer), who settled here with his wife, Marguerite, and, for part of this time, their daughter Olive. Following John’s death in 1939, the house continued to be occupied by his widow, Marguerite, until she moved to 21 Bagot Road in c.1941. 16 Union Street was then taken over by her daughter, Olive and son-in-law, Ronald Boyes (storeman), who remained here until the early 1970s. Occupants of the property from its time of construction until c.1972 included: 1914-1918 William Bushell, (carpenter/builder) 1919 Mrs Sims 1920-1938 John Watson Henderson, consulting engineer 1939-1941 Mrs Marguerite Henderson, widow 1942-post 1971 Ronald Thomas Boyes, storeman

Integrity/Authenticity

The external streetscape character, finishes and detailing of this place are largely consistent with its original design.

Condition

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

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update