Shenton Park Hotel

Statement of Significance

203 Nicholson Road, Subiaco is of cultural heritage significance: • For its aesthetic qualities as an important landmark building in Shenton Park. • As evidence of the early suburban development of Shenton Park – at a time when calls for a railway station at what was then known as West Subiaco anticipated the closer settlement of the area. • For its historical and social significance as a meeting place and social centre for the residents of Shenton Park from 1907 to 1999. • For its historical significance as one of three hotels that were developed to serve the emerging suburb of Subiaco in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.

Physical Description

The Shenton Park Hotel (fmr) was constructed in the Federation Filigree style, although Post WWII alterations to the balcony removed the characteristic timber and iron filigree detailing. Key elements include: • Asymmetrical plan; • Gable-hipped tiled roof; This was originally enlivened by terracotta cresting and ball-topped terracotta finials (see 1942 photo, above). To the primary façade the slatted eaves are set over carved timber brackets separated by rectangular timber panels. • Prominent corner statement defined by a corner parapet with classical motifs, set over a projecting splayed balcony; The face of the parapet formerly displayed the name “Shenton Park Hotel” (see 1942 photo, above). • Prominent chimneys with projecting caps; These feature decorative ‘classical’ detailing comprising a slim ‘egg and dart’ frieze and an ‘acanthus leaf’ at each corner. The face of each chimney, between the rendered cap and rendered base was originally tuck-pointed face brickwork (now painted). • Projecting wing with a prominent gable at the eastern end of the main (Nicholson Road) façade; This also features some classically inspired detailing including paired rendered pilasters, which support large paired brackets to the projecting eaves. These brackets frame a rendered panel with a stucco detailing in a floral design. Above the eaves the face of the gable has a slatted vent at the apex and a half-timbered face, with a central stucco “shield”. • Return verandah with a projecting corner bay; This has square brick columns, a deep lattice frieze to the ground floor level and a mid/late twentieth century balustrade with slimline vertical balusters and a pair of slender decorative panels to each bay. The current detailing to the balustrade has greatly diminished the authenticity of the place as a Federation Filigree style building, by using heavy masonry columns and over-simplifying the effect of the traditional iron filigree. The 1942 photographs confirms that the hotel previously had slender, classically inspired columns and highly detailed iron lacework balustrades. • Tuck-pointed walls to the first floor balcony area, now painted white. • Rendered walls to the face of the projecting bay and to the ground floor verandah area. • A combination of rendered and painted brick walls to the western (Derby Road) façade. • Traditional, vertically proportioned, double hung windows to the first floor, with moulded rendered sills to the balcony area and plain rectangular sills to the western façade. • Three sets of French doors to the balcony. • Modern doors and windows to the ground floor. The former hotel was extensively renovated as part of its adaptation as a retirement village in c.2000-2003 and, based on a streetscape inspection, appears to be in good condition. As part of the adaptation of the place, the former carparking and rear hotel areas on the eastern and southern sides of the site were fully redeveloped with three storey residential units. These all sit within a one-two storey commercial streetscape that has been progressively developed along this part of Nicholson Road since the interwar era. The Nicholson Road/Derby Street corner has a commercial character, but to the south this changes to an inter-war residential streetscape.

History

The first hotel to be opened in Subiaco was the Subiaco Hotel on the corner of Broome (Hay) and Rokeby Roads (c.1897), followed by the Victoria Hotel (1900). In 1901 the population of Subiaco was recorded at approx. 3,000, but by 1906 this had more than doubled to approx. 6,800. This encouraged commercial development and, while the area that is now Shenton Park was only lightly settled at that time, calls for a railway station at what was then known as West Subiaco anticipated closer residential development. The architect for the Shenton Park Hotel, Harry Jefferis, called for tenders for the erection of this building in October 1906: TENDERS Are invited until noon on Monday, 29th inst. For-the ERECTION of a Two storey Brick Hotel At Corner-of Nicholson-road and Derby road, Subiaco For George Smith. Esq. At about the same time, Joseph David Davis took out a five year lease for these premises from George Smith (who was the General Manager of the Midland Railway Co) and successfully applied for a publican’s licence for the place. The new hotel had opened with little fanfare by mid-1907, when a number of advertisements were placed in the WA newspapers: Shenton Park Hotel Nicholson Road Subiaco (New main road to Fremantle-three miles from Perth). Now open for the reception of visitors and the travelling public. Newly erected, 30 rooms, electric light, most perfect sanitary arrangements, septic tank, etc. Close to Subiaco tram. J. D. DAVIS, Proprietor. However, this area was still only very lightly settled and in late 1908 Davis launched a series of “entertainments” on the site in an attempt to attract custom: A free open-air concert will be given tomorrow, night (Wednesday) and Saturday evening at Shenton Park Gardens, adjoining the Shenton Park Hotel, Nicholson-road, Subiaco. The programme is a particularly good one, and seven well-known artists will assist. It is the intention of the promoter to hold these concerts every Wednesday and Saturday evening. The gardens can be reached either by tram or train. By May 1909 Davis was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, during which he gave evidence that the “business at no time succeeded under his management” chiefly due to “insufficient business”. The next licensee was John Byrne and in his application for a publican’s licence it was stated that the hotel contained “three sitting-rooms and ten bedrooms, exclusive of those required by my family” and that the premises were “owned by Swallow Brewery, Limited (in liquidation)”. Byrne died in 1914, but his wife, Mary Byrne, carried on the business until c.1922. During that period the surrounding area had begun to be more heavily developed, supported in part by the opening of the West Subiaco Railway Station (1908), the activities of the Workers Homes Boards (post 1912) and the activities of the War Service Homes Commission (post 1919). This demographic placed it as a local workers hotel and it continued to trade successfully until the end of the twentieth century. When internal alterations were undertaken in 1923 it was stated that the owner was Castlemaine Brewery Ltd., but by the time of further “structural alterations and improvements” in 1937, ownership had been transferred to the Swan Brewery Company. During this period there were at least five different licensees, but (with the exception of 1942-1945) the place was then managed by the Lightly family until the late 1970s: William (Bill) Norman Lightly and his wife, Ada Lyla May Lightly. The property was sold by the Swan Brewing Company in 1981 and then changed hands on two more occasions before it closed in 1999. The plan was to develop the site for a retirement village, but this project initially struggled to succeed and the partly developed property was acquired by the State Housing Commission from the manager/receiver in July 2000. It was finally officially opened as ‘Shenton Village’ in April 2004, with the aim of providing affordable housing for the aged. At that time a press release issued by Nick Griffiths, Minister for Housing and Works, stated: The location of the Shenton Village units in Nicholson Road is well served for shopping, community and health facilities and public transport.” At a cost of $14million, the complex consists of three one-bedroom units, 50 two-bedroom units and 13 three-bedroom units, with the former hotel providing 22 rooms …. The provision of upgraded Homeswest seniors’ accommodation in this area marks another small step toward caring for long-term residents of the neighbourhood by providing a balanced community.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity Moderate: The place is no longer used as a hotel but its original use can be readily understood through an interpretation of the external design. Authenticity Moderate: The original external detailing of the building has been modified by upgrades to the hotel over time and by its adaptation as part of a retirement village in c.2003.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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