HOUSE, 12 CORKHILL STREET

Parent Place or Precinct

22385 North Fremantle Precinct

Statement of Significance

House, 12 Corkhill Street, a single storey house constructed with timber framing with an iron roof has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place has some aesthetic value as a very late and simple example of an Victorian Georgian that contributes to the quality of its setting along Corkhill Street and the surrounding area; the place has some historic value as an very early twentieth century residence that demonstrates the settlement and development of the North Fremantle area, and; it is representative of the typical workers' houses in the North Fremantle area.

Physical Description

House, 12 Corkhill Street is a single storey timber framed and iron clad cottage with a symmetrical facade designed as a late example of the Victorian Georgian style of architecture. The walls are clad with weatherboard. The roof is hipped and clad with corrugated iron sheets with no eaves. The verandah is under a separate corrugated iron bullnose roof and is supported by square timber posts. There are contemporary two storey additions at the rear accessed via a link from the original house. The painted timber picket front fence has a garden behind. The house has also undergone alterations internally, including replacement skirting boards and architraves. A Heritage Assessment was prepared in Nov 2009 by the City of Fremantle for a DA submission to Council for proposed alterations and conservation of the original cottage.

History

Corkhill Street was originally gazetted as Elizabeth Street, with the name change occurring in the 1930s. The majority of the street north of Harvest Road has no facing lots. It runs along the side boundaries of properties facing the perpendicular streets and was not included in early surveys for the area. A 1904 plan shows only one house in the street between John Street and Harvest Road, but by about the end of the decade, the entire west side of the street in this section was occupied by residences. The east side of the street, where the land backs onto the river and Point Direction, was the site of Browns Shipyards in this period. A.E. Brown had a large Federation-style residence at 1 Elizabeth Street (corner of John Street), which was later demolished, and used the grounds of this house as a holiday camp for disadvantaged children. Rate books of the 1920s and 1930s suggest that a number of the Corkhill Street houses were primarily rented out rather than being occupied by their owners. The land bounded by Harvest Road, Corkhill and John Streets was entirely taken up with sheds and shipyards for most of the twentieth century, with occupants including Northwest Whaling Company, Bradfords Insulation (1954 to 1970s), Precision Marine (late 1970s), and the Public Works Department. During World War Two these shipyards were used for the construction of timber vessels for the Australian Navy. No evidence of the shipyards now remains, as the area was subdivided in the late 1990s and redeveloped as a high density residential area. House, 12 Corkhill Street was constructed c.1910 for Thomas Venus, who lived at the place until 1920. After this time, the place was owned by Ethel Venus until at least 1930, but she does not appear to have resided there during this time. A long-term tenant through the 1920s was A.W. Brown. This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Brown: "Positively contributing to the built environment") This place was also included in the 'North Fremantle Heritage Study' (1994) as a place contributing to the development and heritage of North Fremantle. A Heritage Assessment was prepared in Nov 2009 by the City of Fremantle for a DA submission to Council for proposed alterations and conservation of the original cottage.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate degree of integrity (original intent clear, current use compatible, high long term sustainability, partially restored, some loss of fabric and previous unsympathetic alterations). Moderate degree of authenticity with basic original fabric remaining.Some loss of fabric. (These statements based on street survey only).

Condition

Condition assessed as fair (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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