House

Parent Place or Precinct

25912 Kings Road Heritage Area, Subiaco

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance:
• As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means.
• As a good representative example of the application of materials and detailing which were derived from the Federation Queen Anne style, but which were applied in a more restrained manner that suited the budgets and expectations of the middle classes in Subiaco during the early twentieth century.
• For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses.
• For its association with the rapid development of Subiaco in the early 20th
century.

Kings Road is of cultural heritage significance within the City of Subiaco for the following reasons:
• The existing development along Kings Road continues to represent the rapid development of the higher parts of Subiaco (near Kings Park) with good quality Federation Queen Anne houses during the early the twentieth century (with a particular focus on the c.1901-1914 period).
• The defined period and nature of development along Kings Road resulted in a complementary palette of materials and design idioms, enlivened by a diversity of individual details. Unlike many other local streets, the majority of the properties have retained a medium to high level of authenticity. Collectively they provide a good representative collection of middle-class Subiaco houses dating from the early twentieth century (extending from c.1901-1923).
• The character of the Kings Road streetscape epitomizes the general character of what is now known as the City of Subiaco’s Triangle Precinct.
• The history of the houses along Kings Road helps to demonstrate the original settlement of this part of Subiaco as a solid middle class area, in which the family residences of more senior white-collar workers existed side by side with the smaller, but still well-built, houses of more junior white-collar workers, retail employees and tradespeople.
• The history of the subdivision and early sale of residential lots along Kings Road 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.

Physical Description

Architectural style
• Federation Queen Anne
This is of a scale and form typical of a well-built (but not ornate) suburban villa of the era.
Plan form at the street frontage
• Asymmetrical stepped façade.
This has a projecting wing on the southern side, with an abutting verandah extending across the remainder of the frontage.
Roof form and materials
• Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
This has a pyramid apex, which replaced a short north-south ridgeline as part of alterations undertaken in the early twenty-first century.
Attic style dormers have been constructed on the side (north and south) roof planes.
• Dropped, raked verandah roof
• Painted (originally face-brick) chimney with a corbelled brick cap.
Wall materials and finishes to the main façade
• Painted brick (originally tuck-pointed face-brick) walls with two deeply textured string courses, one at door head height and the other at window sill height.
Detailing of main façade
• Prominent gable over the projecting wing, with a roughcast rendered face divided by curved timber battens.
• Raked window hood below the gable, with corrugated metal cladding.
This features projecting shaped rafters, carved timber brackets and square balusters to the triangular side panels.
• Two individual double hung windows to the projecting wing, each with a small square highlight. Set over a continuous, moulded, rendered sill.
• Main entrance under the verandah, abutting the projecting wing.
This has traditional moulded timber architraves; highlight; narrow sidelights; and stained glass panels
• Two full-height double-hung windows opening onto the verandah
Streetscape setting
• Main façade set back approximately 5m from the front boundary.
• Front boundary defined by a high, rock-faced stone fence.
General condition
Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in good condition.

History

This part of Subiaco had been laid out as a residential subdivision by September 1891, but there was only one resident listed along the street in the Western Australian Post Office Directory of 1901 (referring to Park Street) and 2 in 1905 (referring to King’s Road). This was followed by a rapid period of development and by 1910 there were 14 houses within the Study Area, being 73 Bagot Road (now known as 3 Kings Road), #s 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21 Kings Road, 12 Hamersley Road (now 28 Kings Road) & 14 Hamersley Road (now 25 Kings Road). Steady infill continued after that time and the street was fully developed by the mid 1920s.
An analysis of information in the Rate Books, Western Australian Post Office Directories and Electoral Rolls indicates that 21 Kings Road was developed by Charles Mews Sherwood in c.1905 and remained the Sherwood family home for 30 years.
Online family trees and newspaper notices suggest that Charles (c.1878-1932), who was a clerk in the Mines Department, married Annie Tassie (c.1882-1953) in Subiaco in 1905 and that they had four children: Jeffrey (born c.1906), Beryl (c.1907), Jack (c.1909) and Mary.
In 1936 the contents of the house were offered for sale with a note that:
THIS RESIDENCE (frontage over 70 ft), 5 rooms, kitchen, bathroom, garage, etc. in good repair, is to let at £2/2/ per week.
In c.1938, 21 Kings Road became the family home of the Ryan family, with Patrick Ryan, bootmaker (c.1867-1940) and his wife Julia (c.1880-1965) being identified as the primary occupants.
The house then had at least two short term occupants in the early 1950s before being again offered for sale:
SUBIACO, NEAR KING’S PARK and Thomas-st. BRICK RESIDENCE. 21 Kings-rd, Well situated so close to city this property is keen value at £4,500.
A review of historical aerial photographs dating from 1964 and 2004 shows that the house previously had a short north-south ridgeline flanked by gablets at the apex of the main roof. This was replaced by a pyramid hip as part of new rear additions in mid-2006. A simple raked verandah addition had been built along the southern side of the house by the mid 1960s.
1906-1931
1932-1936 Mrs Annie Sherwood, widow
1938-1940 Patrick Ryan, bootmaker, and Julia Ryan, married woman
1940-c.1949
Mrs Julia Ryan, widow
Mrs Ryan shared the house for part of this time with her daughter Patricia Marguerite Ryan, clerk
Note: During this period, Mrs Ryan was listed at #25 in the Post Office Directories. Other information confirms that she actually remained at #21.
c.1951 John Rikkers
c.1952 Eleanor McDonald, widow

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium to high authenticity
The authenticity of the main facade has been diminished by the painting of the original tuck-pointed face brickwork, and by alterations to the roofline as part of attic and rear additions. The high courtyard fence limits public views of the main façade.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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.