House

Parent Place or Precinct

26335 Hamersley Road Group Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The Hamersley Road Group heritage area is of: Aesthetic Value • As an aesthetically pleasing streetscape with a strong identifiable character, featuring an avenue of mature street trees, which frame views of the largely intact Federation and Inter War residences. • For its collection of many good, representative examples of Federation and Inter War cottages and villas which collectively illustrate a range and evolution of detailing between the 1890s and the 1940s. • For the cohesive streetscape created by a limited palette of materials and styles. Historic Value • As a representative collection of houses that illustrate the scale and standard of housing for the homes of unskilled workers to semi-professional and tradespeople, in the early twentieth century. • For the evidence it provides about the manner in which the residence of semi-professional and tradespeople existed alongside the residences of working people and employees. • For its association with the subdivision and rapid settlement of the area from the 1890s to the 1920s which demonstrates the rapid change of the district in the gold boom period and shortly thereafter. Representativeness • As a good representative collection of early twentieth century housing developed within walking distance of transport and services. Physical Form in the Public Realm • The houses, which (with the exception of two modern dwellings) were developed predominantly in the period 1898 to 1921, (and one in 1946) have largely retained their original external detailing and form. The defined period and nature of development has resulted in a consistent palette of materials and form, enlivened by diversity of individual details, with a cohesive streetscape.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and zincalume house of symmetrical planform to the façade. The house is of brick construction with tuckpoint finish. The roof is hipped and has been reclad in zincalume. The original chimney towards the rear of the roof has been retained but cannot be seen from the street. A separate bullnose verandah canopy extends across the full width of the façade, supported on timber posts and has a timber deck. The symmetrical façade consists of centrally placed entrance door which is timber panelled with leaded and coloured glass panels and fanlight above. The entrance is flanked by single 1-over-1 timber framed double hung sashes with rendered and painted sills. The garden is enclosed by a low stone wall with 1.8m piers and palisade style panels. The house is in good condition.

History

This portion of Subiaco bound by Hamersley Road, Derby Road, Heytesbury Road and Federal Road was designated as Perth Suburban Lot 260. This large landholding of five acres was acquired by the Intercolonial Investment Land and Building Company Limited in 1890. This company was based in New South Wales but was very active in the development of Perth’s metropolitan area in the 1890s. The plan for the subdivision of this portion of Hamersley Road was approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1904. However, the land had been subdivided for residential sale some years previously as the Certificate of Title for this site shows that the three lots on the south west corner of Hamersley and Federal Street (lots 6, 7 and 8) were transferred to labourer John Darby of Wilcannia, NSW in 1893. In May 1903, lot 6 was transferred to civil servant, John Augustus Connolly and he was living at the house in 1903 according to the Electoral Rolls. The Rates Books note that Connolly and his wife Annie Theresa Connolly lived at the house for only a short period before transferring the ownership to Mrs A Rooke and the occupant was Arthur Rooke (ironmonger). The Rate Books record the following changes in ownership: In 1910/11, A Tubbs (commercial traveller) was listed as the owner/occupier. By 1913/14, ownership changed again with Shenton listed as the owner/occupier. In 1914/15, Frederick Hunton was listed as the owner/occupier and in 1917/18 Mabel Dutton-Smith was the new owner/occupier. The PO Directories list the following occupants: • 1903 Augustus Connolly • 1904 J H Teague • 1905 John Connolly • 1908 Arthur Rooke • 1910 – 1913 Augustine Tubbs • 1914- 1915 Edward Hunton • 1916 – 1917 Frederick Hunton • 1918 J Dutton-Smith • 1919 Mrs Edith Lamont • 1920 A Cornish • 1921 Jos Keogh • 1922 Harold Kingston • 1923 – 1927 Thos Ellett • 1928 – 1949 Ernest Whitcombe The 1929/30 Rate Books list Ernest Whitcombe (telegraphist) as the owner/occupier. Ernest Whitcombe (c1884-1964) married Edith Ellen Hornsby (c1896-1974) in 1907. Ernest Whitcombe’s work as a telegraphist saw the couple living in many parts of Western Australia before settling in Subiaco where they remained until the mid 1950s.

Integrity/Authenticity

Although the house has been reroofed, the change of material has minimal impact on the presentation of the place and its contribution to the Hamersley Road heritage area

Uses

Creation Date

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