House

Parent Place or Precinct

26002 Kershaw 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.

Physical Description

10 Kershaw Street was designed as a modest, single storey Federation Queen Anne house. It has stretcher-bond face-brickwork walls and a gabled-hipped corrugated metal roof. There are two tall face-brick chimneys, one either side of the main ridgeline, each featuring projecting, rendered stringcourses and terracotta pots. A plain brick chimney also remains towards the rear. The main facade features tuck-pointed brickwork with two plain rendered stringcourses, one at window sill height, the other at door head height. On the southern side of the façade there is a projecting wing, which features a gable end, with a panelled face and simple timber battens (probably originally roughcast rendered with detailing similar to #10 Kershaw Street). Beneath this gable there is a shallow projecting bay with a triple casement window, shaded by a bullnose awning with carved brackets and decorative frieze (to match the verandah). These windows have small panes of coloured glass to the highlights and a projecting moulded sill (in line with the lower string-course). Abutting this wing, and extending across the remainder of the main façade, there is a bull-nosed verandah roof springing from a plain brick corbel below the line of the main roof. This is supported on tapered square posts, with turned detailing, and features decorative carved brackets with a frieze of turned balustrettes. The main entrance to the house is located under the verandah, adjacent to the southern wing. This is a traditional early twentieth century style door with narrow sidelights and highlights, featuring stained-glass panels. This area also includes a pair of double hung windows with a moulded projecting sill. The house is set back approximately 4m from the boundary and the front yard has been laid out with a modern cottage garden, bounded by a scalloped picket fence with square posts. The original house retains a moderate-high level of original external detailing, although some elements, such as the main gable end, have been altered. Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition.

History

James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, purchased Perth Suburban Lots 249 and 250 in 1891. In the following year he had this area laid out as a new residential estate (Deposited Plan 504), which included the creation of Lot 167 and Part Lot 168 (10 Kershaw Street). Chesters applied for a separate title for the enlarged allotment in 1910 and it is possible (but not confirmed) that the house was one of a number he built as speculative development at that time. The property was subsequently transferred to Archibald Learmonth (clerk), who lived at this address with his wife, Thirza, from 1912 until at least the 1960s.

Integrity/Authenticity

The street facade retains a moderate-high degree of authenticity and the house is a good example of the many modest Federation Queen Anne ‘villas’ built in James Chesters residential estate in the period c.1905 to 1914.

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

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