A. R. Bovell & Son

Author

City of Busselton

Place Number

18164

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Location

42 Queen St Busselton

Location Details

Local Government

Busselton

Region

South West

Construction Date

Constructed from 1920

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
Heritage List	YES	13 Aug 2014

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Local Heritage Survey	YES	16 Oct 2024	Category 4	Category 4 These places are owned by the City and should be conserved, but special action is not required because the sites are mainly of historic and social value without built features. Some of the sites in this category are largely natural features and simply need to be managed in the ordinary sense of maintenance. Conservation actions may be limited to interpretation and/or site signage.
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	13 Sep 2006	Category 2	Category 2 These places are also important places in the Shire, and generally have built features as part of their significance. These places should be retained on the list and conservation encouraged.

Statement of Significance

• The remaining building façade is associated with the Bovell family who were prominent business and community leaders in Busselton in the 20th century.
• The site is associated with the development of Busselton in the 1920s when the region was developing with new settlers including the Soldier Settlement and Group Settlement schemes.
• The shop front has value for the community as it has been a continual presence in the streetscape since the 1920s.

Physical Description

This single storey brick shop addresses the north west corner of Queen and Duchess Street. The main entrance presents on an angle to the corner and is a glass panel set into a timber frame that features a stepped detail and a fan light above. The entry door on Duchess Street features the same detail. The large shop front windows have divided panes above the main panel, below the main panel is a low masonry wall clad with painted square tiles that may be a remnant of the original finish. The steel framed awning is a later addtion

History

From the readily available information this shop premises was built in the early 1920s for Alexander Robert Bovell (1873-1951). Alexander Bovell and the Bovell family were influential in the development of Busselton in the 20th century, with many members of the family undertaking community service and working in the Shipping industry. Alexander Bovell was Mayor during World War I and for many years was a Justice of Peace.
Alexander Bovell worked as a Shipping Agent, Land Agent and branched out into auctioneering. Items in the local press indicate the business operated from Queen Street in the 1920s. It was during this period that the Soldier Settlement and Group Settlement schemes were enacted. It is not known who designed or built the shop premises.
The property remained in the hands of the Bovell family until the late 20th century and for many years the place was unoccupied. Aerial photographs indicate that the awning wrapping the two main elevations of the building was removed in 2012. In 2014, all of the building structure was removed apart from the facades facing the streets. A new structure was built inside the remaining walls. The doors have been retained and the window locations reflect the Inter War style but may be replacement inserts.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low/Moderate

Condition

Good

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	Battye J. S. (ed.);"The Cyclopaedia of WA: A Historical and Commercial Review, Vol. 2",	Hesperian Press WA	1985

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Original Use	COMMERCIAL	Shopping Complex

Architectural Styles

Style
Vernacular

Construction Materials

Type	General	Specific
Wall	BRICK	Other Brick
Roof	METAL	Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General	Specific
OCCUPATIONS	Commercial & service industries
PEOPLE	Early settlers

Creation Date

06 Sep 2007

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

18 Jul 2025

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.