Straughair's House

Statement of Significance

Straughair's House is associated with the market garden and orchard industries, which were significant to the development of Spearwood in the early 20th century.
Straughair's House is a good example of a simple Georgian-style cottage.
Straughair's House is associated with early settlers, Robert Rigby and William Straughair. Rigby built the house for his family and was also a significant contributor to the community of Spearwood.
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Straughair was significant for his contribution to local government over seventeen years.
Straughair's House is significant for its use of ‘brick-nog’ construction internally, illustrating the innovative approach of early settlers in overcoming the problems of available materials.

Physical Description

Straughair's House is a single-storey limestone, asbestos, timber and iron Georgian-style cottage built by the owner and occupant Robert Marsden Rigby, a carpenter and market gardener.
The place is a two bedroom cottage, with brick quoins and a low pitched corrugated iron roof. There is a verandah across the front façade, under a separate bull-nosed roof. The front is symmetrical with a central entrance and two double-hung sash windows. Interior walls use ‘brick nogg’ construction. Later additions are in weatherboard and timber. The bathroom which was at the rear was removed to allow for subdivision of the block. Internal features include c.1930s ceiling roses, jarrah floorboards and joinery, leadlight windows, a cast iron fireplace and jarrah fireplace surrounds.
In 2007, refurbishment work was undertaken by the owners to bring the cottage up to modern living standards. It was the intention of the owners to conserve as much as possible the extant original fabric of the cottage.

History

Robert Rigby came to Western Australia in the wave of immigration in the early part of the 20th century. The Rigby family occupied a timber cottage on Lot 10, but this house burnt down. Straughair’s House was built as the permanent home for the Rigby family after the fire.
Rigby developed the land as an orchard, planting peach and apricot trees across the majority of the lot. Much of the crop was exported overseas and Rigby received a medal for his efforts from the district industry group. Rigby was also significant to the growing Spearwood community for his contribution as a carpenter and builder. In 1913, together with Charles Green, he built the local Methodist Church, a project instigated by Sarah Straughair. Rigby also worked as a building contractor and is known to have built a timber house for returned serviceman, George Aberle in 1921.
William and Isabel Straughair moved into Straughair’s House in 1923 and raised their two daughters.
As a local councillor, in 1956 William Straughair instigated the renaming of the street on which Straughair’s House is located to Rigby Avenue. The renaming was to honour the contribution of Robert Rigby in the settlement of Spearwood.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: Good
AUTHENTICITY: Painted weatherboard extension added

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

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.