House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • As a good representative example of a well designed and detailed bungalow of Subiaco dating from the early twentieth century. • For its historic value as a demonstration of the period in which Subiaco underwent rapid development in the early 20th century. • For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact streetscape of early twentieth century houses.

Physical Description

Single storey red brick and iron dwelling with hipped roof form incorporating small gablet to the front. The building is narrow and the front elevation contains a single tall timber framed sash window and the entrance door to the western edge of the façade. The brick façade is enlivened by a high-level stringcourse which is rendered and painted. The house has been reroofed together with a new bullnose verandah canopy to match the main roof. The canopy is supported on simple timber columns with carved timber brackets. The verandah extends across the full width of the façade with a return leg along the western side of the house. A tall brick chimney is situated on the western side of the roof, constructed predominantly from brick with a cement corbel and terracotta ‘honey pot’ flue.

History

In June 1903, Sydney accountants William James Douglas and Frank Dyson purchased PSL 254 and portion of PSL 253. The land was subdivided into 36 lots and in August 1903, the pair divided the ownership of the lots evenly. Each owned half of the properties facing Rawson Street, Hamersley Road and Heytesbury Road. The lots were sold from 1904 onwards and the first home on Rawson Street, the subject area, was built by 1904. From the available evidence Douglas and Dyson never visited the properties in Subiaco and the sale of the land was managed by local land agents, Ebernezer Allen & Co. This house was constructed in 1905 for Octavius Percy James (1872-1939) a printer who at one time worked for The West Australian and named the house ‘Octavia’. James had married for the second time to Alice Langden in 1903 and they had a child Octavius in the same year. Samuel Fever (traveller) owned and occupied the dwelling from 1913-1918. Other owners and occupants included: Charles Ibbotson – Brass Polisher (1919-1924); Mary Nicholson (1924-1926); A Alymore (1927); David Baird (1928) and Ethel Haines (1929-1949). Mr Charles William Haines an electrical fitter for the WAGR died in 1930 aged 67. He was originally from Victoria but travelled throughout Australia with his wife Amelia and their family of seven children. Amelia died in South Australia in 1925, which may have prompted the move to Western Australia by the family. Following the death of Charles Haines in 1930 his daughters, Ethel a teacher, and Dorothy Haines lived on at 10 Rawson Street. Occupants 1905-1912 Octavius P James 1913-1918 Samuel Fever 1919-1923 Charles Ibbotson 1924-1925 Mrs Mary Nicholson 1926 Mrs Mary Seals 1927 Arthur Alymore 1928 David W Braid 1929 Underwood 1930- Charles Haines 1931-1933 Reginald Edward Thompson 1934-1949 Miss Ethel Haines

Integrity/Authenticity

Note: While the place has been altered and extended, it retains clear evidence of the underlying design and detailing. It continues to illustrate modest Federation style of the period.

Condition

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

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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