Duplex House, 164 Barker Rd, Subiaco

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

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 164-166 Barker Road were designed as a simple mirror image pair of cottages, which do not clearly represent any of the major architectural styles of the period. They were of a scale and form generally considered suitable for rental properties, attracting tenants such as office workers, retail employees and both skilled and unskilled tradesmen, as well as retired people and widows. Plan form at the street frontage • Each cottage had an asymmetrical façade, with an entrance door adjacent to the central dividing wall and 2 windows to the single front room. • The overall form of the two cottages was symmetrical. Roof form and materials • Hipped roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting (no visible parapet wall). • Raked verandah roof. • Painted brick chimney (originally face-brick) with a simple corbelled cap. Wall materials and finishes to the main facade Painted brick walls (originally tuck-pointed brick). Other detailing to main facade • Entrance door with highlight, but no sidelights. • Two double hung windows to the front room, set over a plain continuous rendered sill. • Chamfered square timber verandah posts. • Lacework frieze and brackets. • Tiled verandah floor. Streetscape setting • House set back approximately 4.5m from the Barker Road frontage. • Overall lot width approximately 12.6m (including both cottages). Frontage of 164 Barker Road approximately 5.9m. • Minimal setback along eastern boundary. • Front yard partially enclosed by a high painted brick wall.

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 Lot 208 was subdivided as Deposited Plan 1125 in the mid 1890s. This comprised 42 lots of which Lots 39 and 40 and the Subiaco Rate Books confirm that these had been developed with three houses by 1903, including an attached pair of brick houses (164-166 Barker Road) and a freestanding timber cottage (168 Barker Road). The owner at that time (and through until 1915-1916) was listed in the Rate Books as ‘McMahon’. An analysis of entries in the Post Office Directories suggest that houses were located here by 1901, and possibly in as early as 1900. 164 Barker Road 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:  1902: Benjamin Baker  1905: Francis Denis Fogarty (sewing machine agent)  1910 & 1915: Bertha Mailer and James Mailer The Mailer family appear to have been living at 168 Barker Road in c.1900-1909, and at #164 in c.1909-1918. In a newspaper article in 1906, Bertha Mailer stated that she had settled in Subiaco in c.1899 when her husband, James, went to the goldfields. The main subject of this article was that James had travelled to Scotland in 1903 to pursue a claim to the Scottish title of Duke of Gordon. He had returned to Subiaco by c.1909 and no further information about this claim had been found. In the Rate Book of 1916-1917 the new owner of 164-168 Barker Road was listed as ‘E Barker’. In c.1919, 164-166 and 168 Barker Road appear to have been sold to different owners.  1920: Frederick H Brock  1925: Mrs Ellen Mary Parry  1930: Alfred James Owen (baker) By 1929-1930 the owner of 164-166 Barker Road was listed in the Rate Books ‘A Brittain’.  1935: William Bell Mason (labourer)  1940: Mrs Lilian Pearce  1945: Charles A Gillies  1949: Alfred John Bisby (labourer) In July 1919, the group of three residences at 164, 166 and 168 Barker Road were advertised for sale: CHARLES HODD and CO. have been favoured with instructions from the owners to SELL by PUBLIC AUCTION… Potion of Perth suburban lot 208, being lots 39 and 40, being, the whole of the land comprised in Certificate of Title reg. vol. 478, folio 130, oh which land is erected a 5 roomed jarrah residence known as 168 BARKER-RD. Subiaco. It is faithfully built; lathed and plastered throughout, with bathroom and pantry, and is worth 15s. per week rental. Also Nos. 166 and 164 BARKER-RD., Subiaco, being a pair of semidetached brick cottages, each containing 4 rooms and domestic conveniences, producing £1 12s. 6d. weekly. In April of the following year 164-166 Barker Road were offered for sale again (this time as part of a group of properties which also included a house in Perth, and three shops at 272, 274 and 276 Hay Street, Subiaco): TWO VILLAS, semi detached, Nos. 164, 166 BARKER ROAD. SUBIACO each containing three rooms, kitchen, bathroom, copper and troughs, and let at a rental of 16s. 6d. per week each. Land 50 x 185 links. This is an attractive little security. An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (revised March 1954) and historical aerial photographs indicates that additions were undertaken at the rear in c.1980, but that the footprint of the front portion of the house remains clearly recognisable.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the painting of the main facade. Its presentation to the street has been diminished by the construction of a high masonry wall along the front boundary.

Condition

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

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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