House

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • As a 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 historic value as a demonstration of the period in which Subiaco underwent rapid development in the early 20th century. • For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact streetscape of early twentieth century houses.

Physical Description

82 Heytesbury Road was designed as a modest single storey Federation Queen Anne house. It has tuck-pointed face-brick walls with a plain rendered string course at window sill height. The gabled-hipped roof is clad with corrugated metal sheeting, and features gablet vents at either end of the main east-west ridgeline and a prominent street front gable. The latter has a rough cast rendered face and timber battens in a vertical, diagonal and stepped horizontal pattern. The roofline retains a single face brick chimney with a rendered cap and terracotta pots (located behind the gable). The gable sits over a projecting wing on the western side of the main façade. This wing has a shallow rectangular window bay with a raked awning over a triple casement window. The awning has ‘sun-ray’ pattern end panels and carved timber brackets. The windows have square highlights (each divided into four panes, fitted with red, blue, orange and green textured glass), a projecting rendered sill and a curved under-sill panel. The front verandah abuts the projecting wing and extends across the remainder of the façade. This has a raked roof that extends from the main roof in a broken-back alignment, chamfered timber posts and simple diagonal timber brackets. The main entrance to the house is located under the verandah, adjacent to the projecting wing. The five-panel door is famed by highlights and a single narrow sidelight (all fitted with vertically patterned textured glass). The verandah area also features another pair of individual double hung windows set over a continuous moulded rendered sill with a decorative under-sill panel. The house is set approximately 3.5m back from the street frontage, which is defined by a low timber picket fence.

History

In June 1903, Sydney accountants William James Douglas and Frank Dyson purchased Perth Suburban Lot 254 and a portion of Perth Suburban Lot 253. The land was subdivided into 36 lots and in August 1903 the pair divided the ownership of the lots evenly. In May 1904 Dyson’s portion of the subdivision (including Lots 28 to 31 on Heytesbury Road) was transferred to Ebenezer Allen of Perth, auctioneer, and the individual lots were sold from August of that year. Lots 29, 30 and 31 were sold to Minnie Lloyd in March 1906 (together with Lots 34, 35 and 36 in Douglas’ portion of the subdivision). Minnie’s husband, William Lloyd, was a builder (based in Rokeby Road), and newspaper advertisements calling for experienced tradesmen confirm that he was active in building in Subiaco from at least 1902. Based on the following advertisement it seems likely that this Lot 30 was being cleared in May 1906: MAN wanted for clearing stumps off land. Lloyd, Heytesbury-rd., 6 doors from Rokeby-rd., Subiaco. The new house was rented out in that year and the first known occupant was Mrs Elizabeth Ann Hall, a widow, who shared the house with James Oates, engine driver and Mrs Eva Oates (who were both living here in 1907). However, it appears that Minnie Lloyd over-extended her finances as a developer as, in December 1906, “32 new, well-built, and finished Villas and Houses, situated in the best localities of the popular suburb of Subiaco” (valued at a total of £20,765), were offered for sale under the Bankruptcy Act, as means of clearing her debts. These included houses at 80 (Lot 29), 82 (Lot 30), 84 (lot 31), 92 (Lot 34), 94 (Lot 35) and 96 (Lot 36) Heytesbury Road, as described below: Lot, 4.-Being Lots 30 and 31 of Perth Suburban Lot 254, Subiaco, having a frontage of about 80ft. to Heytesbury -road, by a depth of about 133ft on to r.o.w. at back, on which are erected two double - fronted Brick Dwellings. Valued at £1,400 Lot 4a.-Being Lot 29 of Perth Sub. Lot 254 having a frontage of about 40ft. to Heytesbury-rd., by a depth of about 133ft. on to r.o.w. at back, on which is erected a double-fronted Brick Dwelling. Valued at £550 Lot 5.-Being Lots 34, 35, and 36 of Perth Sub Lot 254, Subiaco, having a frontage of about 120ft. to Heytesbury-road, by a depth of about 133ft., on to r.o.w. at back, on which are erected three Brick Villas. Valued at £2000. 82, 84 and 94 Heytesbury Road were sold to Mrs L Abrahams, who rented them out, but in 1911 all three were offered for sale under a mortgagee’s sale: THREE HANDSOME BRICK VILLAS, Nos. 82, 84, and 94 Heytesbury-road, Subiaco, Close to Tram. CHAS. SOMMERS has been instructed by the Mortgagee to SELL as above: Lots 30, 31, and 35 of Perth Suburban Lot 254, each 40ft. by 132ft. to a right of-way, upon which are erected three handsome brick villa residences, each containing 5 rooms, kitchen, bathroom pantry, washhouse with copper and troughs, all let to good tenants at 22s. 6d. per week each. These houses are faithfully built, in good condition, and within one minute's walk of the Rokeby-road tram. They would form an excellent investment for capitalist's, and those in search of a good home in this favourite locality are strongly recommended to inspect. The new owner was T Bell, who continued to use the house as a rental property until about January 1921, when an advertisement was placed to advise that the house had again been sold. Note: It is possible that this was Mrs Teresa Bell, who was living at 71 Heytesbury Road during that period. 82 Heytesbury Road then became the family home of William Hackfath, a military instructor who had received a Distinguished Conduct Medal during service in WWI. Hackfath settled here in 1922 with his wife Myra, and their young children, Rose (born 1911) and Lennan (born 1912). After the Hackfath family left in c.1935 the house was occupied by a widow, Mrs Annie Maria Willshire, from 1936 to 1941 (the year in which she died). Occupants of the property from its time of construction until 1949 included: 1905-1908 Mrs Ann Elizabeth Hall, dressmaker, & James Oates, engine driver 1909-1910 Mrs Elizabeth Hall, dressmaker, and Mrs Eva Oates, dressmaker 1911 Archibald Lukyn, grocer 1912 Edward I Middleton 1913-1914 Joseph George Oliver, labourer (previously listed at 8 Campbell Street) 1915 Harry Reed 1916 Herbert Smith, engineer 1917 William Vincent Smith, bank officer 1918-1919 Joseph Harry Purser, tailers cutter 1921-1935 William Henry Hackfath, military instructor 1936-1941 Mrs Annie Maria Willshire, widow 1942-1944 ? 1945-1949 Mrs Watson

Integrity/Authenticity

The external character, finishes and detailing of this place are largely consistent with its original design.

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

Creation Date

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