House

Statement of Significance

The house at No. 18 Stuart Street is a fine example of a corner model of Federation Queen Anne bungalow which retains a high degree of integrity.

Physical Description

The house is a corner model, mirrored around the leading corner. The Town of Vincent, like the City of Subiaco, had several models of housing that were designed to address the corner. Each principal façade has a gabled protruding front room against which the return verandah terminates. The roof is hipped with gabrel ventilators. The separate skillion verandah is supported by simple timber posts and bressemer. The protruding rooms have bay windows with two double hung sashes. The flying gables above the protruding rooms have a simply bracketed finial which provides drama and emphasis. The house retains its original chimneys with corbelled heads. The uniform pale colour scheme and plant screening detracts from the place as a fine example of its style. Corner property with picket fence to both frontages. The garden has large shrubs and small trees that screen the house. All finishes painted uniformly.

History

Stuart Street was named after Councillor Stuart of the Governor Broome Hotel in William Street, Perth and Orange Avenue was named because it was made through an old orange grove in 1896. It was part of Walter Edward Joseph (Joseph) Gallop's market garden. In 1885 Joseph Gallop was granted four acres fronting Lake Street as compensation for the resumption of part of his allotment W1 to round off the corner of Beaufort and Wellington Streets and eliminate an awkward break in the continuity of Barrack Street. It was declared a public road at the request of the City of Perth on 3 June 1905. No. 18 Stuart Street was just a street block east of Robertson Park, a natural wetland known originally as Lake Henderson. The lake was first drained in 1852 for market gardening. Farm buildings were erected there in the 1890s and in 1903 Dr Kenny built a four-roomed cottage there. A Chinese market gardener (Lee Hop) then lived I the cottage and worked the land with the aid of about five other Chinese men. The section of Stuart Street between Lake and Palmerston Streets was part of the Brooking Park Estate, which was developed in 1896. The estate, which consisted of nine lots in the area around Palmerston Street and Orange Avenue, was named for surveyor J. S. Brooking, whose home, 'Lakeside', was on part of the estate, in Palmerston Street. No. 18 Stuart Street was not shown on the 1900 PWD Perth City & Suburbs sewerage plans, and neither Stuart Street nor Orange Avenue appeared in the 1905 Wise's Post Office Directories. In 1906 the street was listed and there were just two houses and in 1907 there were six. Street numbers were listed for the first time in 1908 and No. 18 was occupied by Edward Butt senior. In 1910, the occupant was George Watson and in 1919 Thomas G. Hamilton. John Bridgeman was listed as the resident in 1930 and S.P. Nicholas in 1949. Robertson Park was declared a Council Reserve in 1913 and further filling took place in the 1920s. By 1929 when tennis courts were established and a pavilion erected, market gardening had ceased. Many local residents played tennis on the courts there or hockey on the oval and the children's playground attracted many of the younger residents. In 1990 and 2004 there were extensive upgrades made to the tennis facilites and conservation work and re-creation of a wetland began in 2002. No. 18 was also fortunate in having the Stuart Street Reserve across the road, which was established in later years. In 2008 this park had a children's playground and a bicycle track.

Integrity/Authenticity

High

Uses

Creation Date

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