DUPLEX, 15 COMMERCIAL ROAD

Statement of Significance

Duplex, 15 - 17 Commercial Road is a typical rendered brick and iron single storey duplex pair dating from the 1904. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical building stock located within the residential areas of South Fremantle. it is historically significant as a representation of typical workers' houses in the South Fremantle area.

Physical Description

Duplex, 15 - 17 Commercial Road is an attached duplex pair of single storey rendered masonry and iron houses. Roofs are hipped corrugated iron with dividing masonry parapet wall between visible through roof. Verandahs are under a separate corrugated iron hipped roof continuous across both duplexes and supported by rendered brick columns. The walls are rendered masonry. Each house has a single front door and a window to the front elevation. Each being of a single room and entry/passage width. There are small gardens to the front of each terrace house and a high level rendered masonry fence to the front boundary.

History

In the early 1900s, Sub Lot 35 of Town Lot 14/15 (later 15 and 17 Commercial Road) was a vacant lot owned by John Callan. Two cottages (a duplex) were built in 1903/04 and were occupied by William Trewlett, a cabman (then 35 Commercial Road; later 17 Commercial Road), and Donald Dungey, a grocer (then 33 Commercial Road; later 15 Commercial Road). In 1920/21, the property was owned by E J Martin and occupied by Edward Turnbull (#17) and John McIntyre (#15). The property changed hands several times over the coming decades and appears to have continued to be rental property. A diagram dated 1954 shows the duplexes at 15 and 17 Commercial Road as a mirror pair. The brick cottages both had full length front verandahs, shortened rear verandahs with galvanised iron laundries attached. In 1966, an application was made for a new bathroom and laundry for the duplex pair. The brick and corrugated iron building was valued at $3,000. The owners at the time were B M & P G Garbutt, who lived in Willagee. The following year, another application was made for new windows, a verandah and laundries. This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Brown: "Positively contributing to the built environment") It was also included in the "Heritage Study South Fremantle", prepared by John Taylor Architects, for the City of Fremantle, June 1993. A two storey timber addition to the rear was completed in the early 1990s at a cost of about $22,000. The toilet and laundry outbuildings were retained to form one side of the courtyard.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium degree of integrity (original intent partially clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability). Medium degree of authenticity with some original fabric remaining. (These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as good (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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