House

Parent Place or Precinct

26335 Hamersley Road Group Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Hamersley Road Group heritage area is of: Aesthetic Value • As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and Inter War residences. • For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1890s and the 1940s. • For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles. Historic Value • As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century. • For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees. • For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1890s to the 1920s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in the gold boom period and shortly thereafter. Representativeness • As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services. Physical Form in the Public Realm • The houses, which (with the exception of two modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1898 to 1921, (and one in 1946) have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, with a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Traditional single storey brick and iron house of asymmetric planform to the façade. The house originally presented with a tuckpoint finish to the brickwork but this has subsequently been painted over which impacts on the authenticity and presentation of the place. The place is of traditional asymmetric planform with prominent gabled wing and recessed section of elevation. The gable has a roughcast render and timber detail. The window contains three or four casements with planting obscuring the exact form of the window arrangement. Each casement has a toplight and is protected by a skillion window canopy. The recessed section contains the entrance and a pair of 1-over-1 timber framed sash windows. The door could not be clearly seen but it is expected to contain a timber and glass panelled door, sidelights and fanlight. The roof is predominantly hipped in form with gablet detail and a gable to the wing. Each gable detail contains a timber finial. Two corbelled brick chimneys extend to the east and west planes of the roof. The verandah canopy is a separate bullnose canopy supported on turned timber posts with timber frieze between the posts. The deck is concrete. A separate carport has been constructed to the west of the property, utilising similar design details as the main house. The garden is enclosed by a timber picket fence and brick retaining wall.

History

The parcel of land of approximately four acres designated as Perth Suburban Lot 232 was purchase by NSW gentleman Issac Singlehurst Ponder in 1885. The plan for the subdivision of this portion of Hamersley Road was formally approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1898. Eight lots on the north side of Hamersley Road west of Federal Street were purchased by local real estate agent Alfred Henry Kearns Axon in June 1898. Lot 28 and part of lot 29 which were the site of this future residence were purchased by Sarah Gladden in February 1904. In April 1905, it was transferred to Anna Emily May Lay (c1887-1960), the wife of builder Walter Lay (c1867-1953). The 1904 Rates Books record the owner and occupier as Walter Lay which suggests the residence was built during this year before the formal transfer of the property in 1905. According to items in the local newspapers Walter Lay was responsible for the construction of several residences in Subiaco in the 1900s. This residence and those at HN262 and 266 are on lots that are larger than those of the original subdivision and of the majority of the nearby properties. They represent one and a half of the original lot sizes. In 1916, the property was transferred to Subiaco Draper, Ernest Ward and in 1920, to Harcourt Lawrenson Swaine, Electric Wire Man. Harcourt Swaine (c1884-1931) married Daisy Bamford in 1926. Sadly, Harcourt Swaine died in 1931 leaving Daisy with a three year old daughter. She remained at the property until c1935 when the property was transferred to the War Services Commission. The property was subsequently leased to ex-servicemen. The PO Directories listed the following occupants: • 1937 – Alex Baird • 1939/40 Albert Buktin • 1940/41 – 1949 Joseph Stone An aerial photograph of the property in 1964 shows the extent of the original residence. The place has had a series of additions to the rear of the building from c1970 onwards. The roof line has been significantly altered from the ridge line towards the rear to accommodate these changes. A new residence was constructed in the rear of the lot in c1990 and a strata plan for the property was created in 2009.

Integrity/Authenticity

The property presents in a largely intact manner however the altered finish to the façade impacts on its authenticity. The original design intent of the place remains evident.

Condition

Good

Creation Date

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