Drabble House

Statement of Significance

Drabble House has aesthetic, historic, representative and social cultural heritage significance. The house is a fine example of a California Bungalow, an architectural style of house popular in the Inter-War period. Features of this style include wide gables and verandahs supported by solid pillars. The house was built by well known business people, Walter and Marion Drabble, who set up Drabble's Hardware in Claremont. It remained in their family until it was resumed by the Nedlands Road Board to be converted to a Community Centre. Drabble House has strong social heritage significance owing to die provision of community services associated with the house and land.

Physical Description

This Inter-War Californian Bungalow has heavy tapered brick verandah columns supporting a clay tiled roof. There is a wide entrance patio with a verandah around the main house. It has brick tuck pointing with render above eye level. It has timber hung side windows and simple windows sills.

History

Mr Walter Drabble was born in Perth in 1875. He married Marion K Corbett in 1900 and the couple came to live in what was then known as Claremont. They purchased land comprising lots 56, 51, 58, 60 and 61 and subsequently built a residence, naming it 'Carramar', an aboriginal word meaning 'shade of trees', which we now know as Drabble House. Walter and Marion Drabble set up a hardware business together in Claremont, though initially Walter was a painter/decorator and Marion a school teacher. While Marion ran the hardware shop, Walter became a developer, first building and then buying and selling properties. He was involved in building many shops in Bay View Terrace, Claremont. Drabble House was built in 1927. The building originally comprised an entrance hall, drawing room, lounge/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, three main bedrooms, maid's room and sleepout, surrounded almost entirely by a wide verandah. Upstairs there were two rooms, one used as a bedroom and the other a.• an office. Because of the ownership of the hardware business, the best materials were used in the construction of the family home which was built on foundations to caffY two storeys. Throughout the home there was extensive use of leadlights and quality timber such as Oregon, New Zealand kauri and jarrah, the latter also being used for the specially designed architraves. The four bevelled plate glass doors into the drawing room, with finger plates and brass locks, each cost 40 pounds, which was more than each block of land facing Webster Street. For ventilation and easy inspection, access was possible to the underneath of all ground flooring. There was also a wide catwalk above the ceilings, joined through a doorway from the upper floor, the whole being lit by electric light. There were a large number of native trees on the property, including an extremely large tuart which was quite a landmark. A number of opossums made their homes in the trees and were frequent visitors on the verandahs. In 1946 the Nedlands Road Board notified Mr Drabble that they were keen to purchase the land for use as an administrative centre/town hall site. Although Mr Drabble infonned the Board that he had a prospective buyer for the property, the Board advised that they would take steps to compulsorily resume the land. Notice of the compulsory resumption was published in the Government Gazette dated 3 January 1947. The minutes of the Road Board dated 18 February 1947 record that compensation of £6,250 was to be paid to the Drabble estate. Under the Public Works Act 1922, the property was then vested in the Nedlands Road Board for the purpose of'halt site and recreation ground' on 4 April 1947. No action was taken on developing the land until 13 February 1962, when an application for title to issue the Certificate of Title to the City ofNedlands was approved by the Registrar of Titles. At the end of 1964 plans were approved for an extensive modification to Drabble House to cater for community use. Meanwhile construction of the Nedlands Library on the two blocks facing Stirling Highway had commenced and on 23 July 1965, the Library was opened by the Governor, Sir Douglas Kendrew. Today Drabble House is still an active community centre with all bookings managed by the City ofNedlands Council offices.

Integrity/Authenticity

Fair - changes made in 1960s to allow for community centre

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

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