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. • As an example of the type of residence designed and built by Subiaco builders Totterdell Bros in the early 20th century. The Kershaw Street Heritage Area is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons: • As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong heritage character, featuring a narrow avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and early Inter-War vials. • For its retention of many good, representative examples of Federation Queen Anne villas (which collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing between 1904 and c.1918). • For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles. • As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for the families of professional men, such as merchants, bankers and civil servants in the early twentieth century. • For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residences of senior professional men and business owners existed side by side with the smaller residences of more junior employees in early twentieth century Subiaco. • For its association with the subdivision of this area by James Chesters, an investor from Melbourne, in 1892. In this context it also represents the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant investment from the eastern states. • For its association with the efforts of James Chesters as a local land agent and property developer, following his move to Western Australia in 1905. • For its association with Joseph (Joe) Totterdell, who was responsible for the construction of many Subiaco houses (including some in Kershaw Street), and who, for a brief period (1916-17), lived at 25 Kershaw Street (one of his development properties).

Physical Description

29 Kershaw Street was designed as a single storey house in the Queen Anne style. It has stretcher-bond, face-brick walls and a gabled-hipped, red tiled roof with curved terracotta finials. The roof extends in a broken-back alignment over the front verandah and streetscape views include a single painted-brick chimney, with a moulded and rendered cap and terracotta pots. The main façade centres on a return verandah that wraps around the north-east corner, and abuts projecting, gable-roofed wings at either end. Each of these gables has wide slatted eaves, a roughcast render face and a diamond-pattern, half-timbered effect. Immediately below each of the gables, there is a deep rendered panel that caps a shallow projecting window bay. Each bay has two double-hung windows set over a continuous moulded sill that caps a shaped, roughcast render base. The other feature of each of the gable wings is a raked awning, with flat terracotta shingle cladding and curved brackets – the eastern (front) gable having a shallow concave profile. The main facades have tuck-pointed brickwork, with two wide, rendered stringcourses under the verandah, one at window sill height and the other at door head height. The former continues around the bay windows, intersecting with the moulded window sills. The return verandah features prominent curved valances springing from decorative caps half-way up the square timber posts. The vertical timber detailing to the balustrade matches the valances and helps to focus attention on the wide corner opening. The entrance door is set on the northern wall, at the western end of the return verandah, and the main streetscape element under the verandah is a splayed corner window bay, which is boxed out with three casement windows to the front and one to either side. This has a finely detailed pointed lancet pattern as an under-cill panel. The house is set back approximately 5m from the front boundary, which is defined by a timber fence with continuous, wide horizontal boards. The front yard has been laid out with lawns and garden beds, while the side setback, to the north, has been paved as a driveway to a rear garage. A common access lane runs along the southern boundary. 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 146 and Part Lot 417 (29 Kershaw Street). Lot 416 was amongst the early land sales by James Chesters, being one of four blocks purchased by John Hugh McLeod in June 1895. However, these were speculative purchases and no development took place for over 20 years. In 1915 Chesters sold Lot 417 (and the adjacent Lot 418) to Joe Totterdell (a local builder), and Totterdall subsequently combined these with Lot 416 to create two, larger, building blocks. 29 Kershaw Street was transferred to Michael Joseph Doherty in 1917, and he was the first person listed in the Post Office Directories as living at this address. By 1919 it was occupied by Alexander and Florence McLaren and this family remained here until the early 1940s. During this period the house was known as “Canowie”. From the late 1940s until the late 1960s it was occupied by the Langthorn family. Occupants of the property from its time of construction until 1949 included: 1917-1918 Michael Joseph Doherty (French Polisher) 1919-1941 Alexander John McLaren (1887-1969)(Accountant, of McLaren, Coulton and Meagher, public accountants and auditors). A.J. McLaren also undertook a variety of public roles including inaugural president of the WA branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (1927) and treasurer of the Sustenance Men's Relief Fund (early 1930s). 1942-1946 Vacant 1947-1949 Allan William Langthorn (Area Rep)(In 1947 he was more specifically described as the Shell Company Divisional Sales Supervisor) Allan and his wife, Gladys, lived here until the 1960s.

Integrity/Authenticity

The street facades retain a high degree of authenticity and the house is a good example of one of the later Federation Queen Anne villas built in the area.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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