House

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance: • As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means. • As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century. • For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses. For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style Typical of many well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 74 Olive Street incorporated elements of the Federation Queen Anne style. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as small business owners, office workers, senior retail employees and skilled tradesmen. Plan form at the street frontage • Symmetrical double fronted house. This features a recessed central entrance door, flanked by shallow rectangular window bays to each of the front rooms. Roof form and materials • Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. • North-south ridgeline with gablets at either end. • Chimney to either side of the ridgeline. • Gables over the window bays, each with a rough cast rendered face set with a pattern of vertical and diagonal timber battens. • Hipped, bull-nose verandah roof. Wall materials and finishes to the main facade • Pained brick walls (originally tuck-pointed). • Painted stringcourses (not original). Other detailing to main facade • Central entrance set back slightly from the main fade, under an arched porch. • 5-panel door; traditional moulded architraves, sidelights; highlight; and stained glass panels. • Two double hung windows to each rectangular window bay. • Moulded, rendered sill, with a decorative under-sill panel, extending across the full width of the bay. • Turned timber verandah posts; carved timber brackets; and a frieze of turned timber balustrettes. Streetscape setting • House set back approximately 4.m from the Olive Street frontage. • Lot width approximately 12.2m. Setback of approximately 1.8m to south boundary, minimal setback to north boundary. • Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence.

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949. Perth Suburban Lots 218 and 219 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 214 in the early 1890s. This comprised 52 lots, including 24 lots with frontages to Ivy Street, which extended between Barker and Bagot Roads (renamed as part of Olive Street in c.1901). Lot 22 was identified as vacant land in the Subiaco Rate Books of 1905, but a house was listed here in the Rate Book of 1908-1909. This was owned by a Mrs (Emma) Shaw, who was also the owner of Lot 21 (the adjacent block to the south, which was developed and occupied by Mrs Shaw and her daughter in c.1909). Based on an analysis of the entries in the Post Office Directories of 1906-1915, the house on Lot 22 was originally known as 76 Olive Street (changing to #74 by 1913) and was first listed in the Post Office Directories in 1910. 74 Olive Street had a high turn-over of occupants until at least the mid-twentieth century, which suggests that it was primarily used as a rental property. A review of the Post Office Directories at around 5-yearly intervals (together with reference to contemporary Electoral Rolls) indicates that some of the primary residents during this period included:  1910: John Emanuel Polak (contractor/ builder) In the Subiaco Rate Books of 1910-1911 the owner/occupier was identified as George Gough. Septimus George Francis Gough (carter) lived here for a short time only, c.1911-1912.  1915: Walter Draine  1920: Henry Andrews Ranford (civil servant)  1925: Sidney James Snow (clerk) In the Subiaco Rate Books of 1929-1930 the owner/occupier was identified as Mrs Hilda Johnston.  1930: Mrs Mona Johnston  1935: Samuel John du Rieu (retired)  1940 & 1945: Mrs Blanche Haywood  1949: Mrs Daisy Kennedy A plan of the lot prepared in 1927 and reviewed in 1955 for the purpose of planning sewerage and water supply services shows that the footprint of the cottage has almost doubled since that time. Aerial photographs of the place since the mid 20th confirm that the addition at the rear of the cottage was undertaken in the early 1990s. The former roof cladding appears to have been green corrugated iron. 74 Olive Street was adopted on the City of Subiaco Local Heritage Survey in 2003. It has been assessed as level 3 (contributes to the heritage of the City of Subiaco).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High: The place continues to be used as a private residence. Authenticity - Moderate - High: The original external form and detailing of the building is largely intact (with the exception of the painting of the former face brickwork).

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

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