House

Statement of Significance

The place is a good representative example of a villa of the early 20th century designed to a style and scale to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means.
This place has aesthetic value as a good representative example of the application of the materials and details of the Federation Bungalow style in the early 20th century.
For its association with the rapid development of Midland in the early 20th century.

Physical Description

Brick and iron former residence showing elements of the Federation Bungalow architectural style.
The place has a symmetrical planform to the façade with a central entrance flanked by bays with gables. The roof is hipped with tall brick and render chimneys. The verandah canopy which extends across the full extent of the façade is separate to the main roof, positioned approximately 3 brick courses below the eaves. The skillion canopy together with the main roof and the gables are all clad with corrugated metal sheeting.
The gables have a roughcast render finish with timber details and project above the verandah canopy. The windows below are a three section arrangement of a large 1-over-1 timber framed sash with flanking side lights. The sashes are separated by turned timber mullions. The main entrance is a traditional single timber panelled and glass door with side lights and fanlights.
The verandah canopy is supported on a rendered brick balustrade with doric style posts above which is likely to be an inter-war alteration.
The brickwork to the front of the house has been painted covering the original tuckpoint finish whilst the side elevations are face brick with cement rendered plinth. The rear section of the house is a fibro and weatherboard addition. A single pitch roof extends over the rear part of the house with a further canopy added for shade over the parking spaces.
Internally original features and early alterations from the 1920s-1930s have been retained including fireplaces, ceilings, cornices, plaster ceiling roses, timber floor boards, skirting and timber panelled doors. A number of art deco style changes include ceiling roses and cornices in some of the front spaces. Towards the back of the house ceilings have been replaced with plasterboard and new cornice.
The planform to the front section of the former residence appears to remain intact. A central hallway leads through to the rear of the property with an archway midway with decorative plaster mouldings. Rooms extend to either side of the hallway.

History

In 1886, the Midland Railway Company took up significant landholdings in the area and established its operations to build its planned railway north to Geraldton. The townsite of Midland Junction was gazetted in 1890 and private investor James Morrison, subdivided and sold large parcels of land to new settlers. With gold discoveries in the mid 1890s, Midland Junction became a hub of the state road and rail system and was a logical site for the government railway workshops which relocated there in 1904.
This portion of Byers Road was formally subdivided in 1904 but homes had been constructed prior to this date. Byers Road was named in honour of William Byers Wood, successful butcher and business man of Guildford who was Mayor of Guildford between 1891 and 1892. This house was previously designated as being located on Woodbridge Terrace (now Morrison Road).
From research supplied by local historians and readily available sources, this residence was built in 1904 for George and Seabright Diffen. George Diffen was born in Northern Ireland in 1866, arrived in Western Australia in 1889 and began his long career on the WA railways at the loco sheds at Beverley in 1891. He married Seabright Edwards (c1866-1939) at Beverley in 1892 and the couple had six children and three survived to adulthood. George Diffen (c1866-1940) was well respected as an engine driver and was selected to undertake prestigious tasks, such as driving the Duke and Duchess of York from Albany to Perth in 1901. The couple lived at this house until Seabright died in 1939, then George moved to the local Freemason's Hotel and he died in 1940.
The house was subsequently occupied by storeman John Edward McCarthy (1895-1967) and his wife Ruby Ruth Rebecca, nee Crawford (1897-1976) until his death in 1967.
A survey of the property prepared in 1939 for the purpose of planning water and sewerage services and aerial photographs since the mid 20th century indicate that the form and extent of the place has changed minimally since construction although the skillion roof addition is likely to have been constructed in stages. The roof cladding was originally red corrugated iron and changed to corrugated galvanised sheeting in the early 1990s.

Integrity/Authenticity

Authenticity: Moderate to high
Integrity: Low to moderate as the place is currently used as offices.

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.