House

Parent Place or Precinct

25394 Union and Redfern Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Union and Redfern Street Heritage Area is significant for: Aesthetic Value: The area contains aesthetically pleasing streetscapes with a strong heritage character. In particular, cohesive streetscapes have been created by a limited palette of materials and styles. The area contains many good, representative, suburban examples of Federation Queen Anne houses and Federation Bungalows. These include both gentlemen’s villas and modest suburban houses, and collectively illustrate a gradual evolution in architectural detailing of these places between 1899 and the early Inter-war years. Historic Value: The residential subdivision of this area represents the early development activities of Sydney and Melbourne based real estate agents and property developers. In this context it helps to illustrate the status of Western Australia as a place of opportunity during the gold rush era of the late nineteenth century – attracting significant interest and investment from the eastern states. The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to demonstrate the manner in which the family residences of professional men and business owners (such as senior civil servants and merchants) existed side by side with the smaller houses of semi-professional and tradespeople. The collection of houses in the heritage area helps to illustrate the scale and standard of housing considered appropriate for these families in the early twentieth century. The area was a place of residence for a number of people who were prominent in the local business community or were otherwise public identities of the early to mid-twentieth century.

Physical Description

Asymmetric single storey dwelling with painted brick façade and face brick side elevations with metal hipped and gabled roof. A wide projecting bay occupies the majority of the frontage with steep gabled roof. The gable is roughcast render with timbered details. The verandah extends across the bay with a return along the eastern side to the recessed entrance. The bullnose verandah canopy is supported on turned timber columns with a timber frieze between the columns. The verandah floor is tessellated tiles. The front projecting wing further incorporates a floor to ceiling timber sash window within a bay feature with timber framed casement windows either side. Two rendered string courses extend around the front and side elevations corresponding to the sills and glazing bar heights. A simple planted garden to the front of the house is enclosed by a high masonry wall.

History

In June 1903, Sydney accountants William James Douglas and Frank Dyson purchased PSL 254 and portion of PSL 253. The land was subdivided into 36 lots and in August 1903, the pair divided the ownership of the lots evenly. Each owned half of the properties facing Rawson Street, Hamersley Road and Heytesbury Road. The lots were sold from 1904 onwards and the first home on Rawson Street, the subject area, was built by 1904. From the available evidence Douglas and Dyson never visited the properties in Subiaco and the sale of the land was managed by local land agents, Ebernezer Allen & Co. This house was constructed in 1906/07 for Augustine Benedict Rieusset. Rieusset was an architect who had trained in England before migrating to Melbourne in 1883 with his wife and two sons. In 1895, he relocated to Perth to seek work in the gold boom economic conditions. He initially worked for the Public Works Department then established his own practice in 1901. Rieusset was a resident of Subiaco for several years and designed the Kings Hall on Rokeby Road which was completed in 1902 and was the premier venue in Subiaco for a range of events including dances, receptions, balls and sporting events. In the early 1900s Rieusset designed several residences in Subiaco and Claremont. In 1905, he designed four villas in Subiaco which were built by his long-time collaborator, builder Daniel Hehir. One of these residences was likely to be the residence at 9 Rawson Street. The occupant from 1906-1910 was Augustine’s son, Benedict Rieusset, who had married the niece of Daniel Hehir in 1906. The young couple lived at 9 Rawson Street until 1910. The location of the house on the lot suggests that it was intended to build another house alongside the existing property making a semi-detached pair. Mrs Alice Stubbs, wife of Bartholomew J Stubbs MLA, acquired the house in 1909 and resided there until approximately 1913. The subsequent owner was Frederick Richardson and then in 1919-1920 two different people resided there until it was listed as vacant in 1921. Mrs Mary Wall purchased the property in 1922 living there until her death in 1938. In 1925, the electoral rolls indicate that four women from the Wall family were living at the house. Following the death of Mary Wall, her daughter Gladys Wall, occupied the house until 1946 when the Post Office Directories list Mrs Gladys Stephenson as the occupier. This is likely to have been the daughter of Mary Wall. In the 1990s the verandah floorboards were replaced with tessellated tiles and the form of the bullnose verandah was altered slightly. Occupants 1906-1910 Benedict Rieusset 1911-1912 Bartholomew and Alice Stubbs 1913-1918 Frederick Richardson 1919 Mrs Louisa M Broun 1920 George T White and Gerald Finlay 1921 Vacant 1922-1938 Mrs Mary Wall 1939-1945 Miss G Wall 1946-1949 Mrs Gladys Stevenson Associations Bartholomew Stubbs (1872-1917), Stubbs was originally from Victoria before settling in WA in 1894. He worked as a tailor and established his business and home in Subiaco. He became involved in the union movement and was elected to the Legislative Council for the seat of Subiaco. During World War One he took the unusual step of enlisting at the age of 44 and was killed in Belgium in 1917, aged 45,whilst still the elected representative for Subiaco. Stubbs Terrace is named in his honour. Augustine Benedict Rieusset (1854-1935). Rieusset was an architect who had trained in England before migrating to Australia in 1883 with his wife and two sons (the couple subsequently had five more children). In 1895, he relocated to Perth no doubt seeking work in the gold boom economic conditions. He initially worked for the Public Works Department then established his own practice in 1901. He worked extensively in Western Australia and one of his designs, of the All Saints Church in Donnybrook is included on the State Register of Heritage Places. When the church was complete in 1906 The Bunbury Herald describes Rieusset’s recent design as deserving the ‘greatest credit’. Rieusset was a resident of Subiaco for several years and notably designed the Kings Hall on Rokeby Road which was completed in 1902 and was the premier venue in Subiaco for a range of events including dances, receptions, balls and sporting events. In the early 1900s he designed several residences in Subiaco and Claremont and he undertook a variety of work throughout Western Australia. He and his wife Jane lived at Riversdale Road Belmont until her death in 1914. Augustine then relocated to Victoria Park and continued to work until his death in 1935.

Integrity/Authenticity

Note: This place retains a high level of original external detailing and is a good example of the development of Rawson street in the 1910s. The location of the house on the lot indicates that it was intended for another house alongside. It is of interest for demonstrating the staged development of property in the early 1900s.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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