Brown's Drapery Emporium (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Brown’s Drapery Emporium (fmr) has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • The place has aesthetic value as a representative example of a modest commercial building constructed during the Federation period of architecture. • The place has historic value for its association with the rapid development of Midland in the early 20th century. • The place has historic value as a representative example of the expansion of commercial properties in Midland Junction. • The place has social significance for its associations with Midland News Agency for more than 60 years.

Physical Description

Brown’s Drapery Emporium (fmr) is a two-storey commercial face brick building with a corrugated steel hipped roof displaying characteristics of the Federation period of architecture. The place has a symmetrical form with zero setback to the street. The front facade has simple detailing with exposed guttering and downpipes. The northeastern facade has a raised brick parapet with simple rendered capping. A cantilevered box awning extends above the front footpath and is supported to the building by steel tie rods. The external walls are face brick. The first-floor features three French doors with highlights, brick voussoirs and steel Juliet balustrades. The doors previously provided access to the front verandah which was removed in the 1970s. The ground floor features one large commercial shopfront with a recessed entry and glazed shopfront windows. The shopfront is not original.

History

In 1886, the Midland Railway Company took up significant landholdings in this area and established its operations to build its planned railway north of Geraldton. The townsite of Midland Junction was gazetted in 1890 and a private investor, James Morrison, subdivided and sold large parcels of land to new settlers. With gold discoveries in the 1890s, Midland Junction became a hub of the state road and rail system and was the chosen site for the government railway workshops, which relocated there in 1904. The Great Northern Highway was previously Newcastle Road. The name Great Northern Highway was gazetted in 1944 to identify the main route from Midland Junction to Geraldton, previously known as Midland-Geraldton Road or North Road. In the early 1990s the northern end of Great Northern Highway, at the intersection of Morrison Road was blocked off as a part of the new City of Swan Administrative Centre redevelopment. The remaining section of Great Northern Highway from the intersection of The Avenue, in the north, to the intersection of Great Eastern Highway, in the south, was renamed Old Great Northern Highway. Research via Post Office Directories indicates that 15 Old Great Northern Highway was constructed in c.1911.1 The building was known then as 15 Newcastle Road however was unnumbered on the SROWA map from 1939.2 The building was one of the many commercial premises erected in response to the increased population as a result of the expanding industry in Midland Junction. From 1911-1937 it was occupied by Brown’s Drapery Emporium. From 1937-1958 and again from 1972-2013 it was occupied by Midland News Agency after relocating from Connolly’s Buildings in 1937. Historical imagery indicates that in the 1970s the original two storey verandah was removed and replaced with a large, framed advertising hoarding which largely obscured the building. The structure remained until c2001 when it was de-constructed, and the extant box awning retained.3

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - Moderate: The place has undergone some changes including the removal of the front verandah and alterations to the ground floor shopfront. Authenticity - High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update