Three Houses, 55-59 Goderich St

Child Places

• 15884 House
• 15885 Two Houses

Statement of Significance

The place has aesthetic significance as an example of an early cottage dating from the nineteenth century, prior to the period of commercial expansion that followed the gold rush. The place has aesthetic significance as an integral component of a group of residential buildings representing the pattern of settlement in Perth from the late nineteenth century, prior to the period of commercial expansion that followed the gold rush. The place has historic significance because it reflects the way of life of the working people of Perth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The place is a representative example of a residential property in Perth dating from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. The place represents the changing character of the Perth community from the gold rush settlement period to the period of settlement by various ethnic communities, to the present.

Physical Description

External - The Conservation Management Plan for 55-59 Goderich Street, East Perth (prepared by Greenward Consulting for Chris Maher, March 2016) described these as follows: The main façade was constructed with tuck-pointed Flemish bond brickwork (now painted with a rendered skirt), while the end walls were constructed with a mixture of stretcher bond and Colonial bond brickwork. The gabled roof is clad with Zincalume sheeting (previously short-sheet corrugated iron sheeting). Unlike many terrace developments, the party walls extend only to the underside of the roof sheeting and the roofline is continuous. At either end of the building, a parapet wall extends up above the roofline, in the form of a triangular pediment with a rendered cap. Two original chimneys project up from the ridgeline, one serving #s 55 and 57 and the other serving #59. The raked verandah roof springs from immediately below the eaves line of the main roof and extends out over the footpath. Each house has a central door opening onto the entrance hall, flanked by a single double hung window to each of the two front rooms. The front façade has been painted (with different colour schemes for each house) and a concrete rendered skirt has been applied up to window sill height. The verandah has been fully reconstructed and features a rendered masonry balustrade, which supports fluted concrete columns that frame each entrance and align with the party walls. Pipe frame gates with wrought iron detailing and wire mesh infill are located at each entrance. Half-height masonry walls divide the verandah into separate areas for each house. To accommodate the slope across the site, the terrace was designed to be elevated above the ground level at Goderich Street and at grade at the rear boundary. As the verandahs have been built up to the front boundary, this means that the concrete access steps start on the footpath and then cut back into the verandah space, with a small landing at the front entrance. 55 Goderich Street is accessed via two steep narrow steps that are accommodated within the building line. The main variation between the main façade of 55 Goderich Street and the other houses in the row is the addition of fixed shutter panels as a modern decorative element to the window openings. Internal - The Conservation Management Plan for 55-59 Goderich Street, East Perth (prepared by Greenward Consulting for Chris Maher, March 2016) provides the following information about the interiors (supported by detailed photographic evidence): All of the houses have been refurbished over time. However, they still retain clear evidence of the original layouts and a considerable amount of original detailing is still insitu. The typical finishes and details are summarised below: • Original floors are finished with 5” butt-jointed jarrah boards, which have been revealed in #57 and variously carpeted or tiled in #s 55 and 59. • Walls are smooth plastered, with decorative wall vents to the front rooms. • The visual inspection suggests that all of the original ceilings have been replaced. • Some of the existing ceilings are panel and batten which is consistent with refurbishment during the inter-war era, while most of the others are flush panel with simple coved cornices, which is consistent with refurbishment in the mid-late twentieth century. • In #55 all of the main rooms have been refurbished with decorative plaster cornices and ceiling roses. This detailing is of a period style but its application is not consistent with the style and era of the terrace. • A single type of skirting has been used for all of the rooms under the main roof and the evidence indicates that this is original fabric (with the exception of small sections where repairs or alterations have been undertaken). • A single type of architrave has been used for all of the original internal single door openings under the main roof, and the evidence indicates that this is original fabric. • The internal single leaf doors are all low-waisted with four panels, and the evidence indicates that this is original fabric. Door hardware has been replaced in various styles. • The low-waisted four-panel door to the front entrance of #59 appears to be original, inclusive of the hinges. However, the facing of the architrave around this door has been altered. The other front doors have been replaced, but retain their original architraves (which match the detailing to the architraves of the internal single leaf doors). • The highlight windows above the front doors retain their original frames and architraves, but were originally horizontally pivoting (and would have been fitted with hardware to enable them to be easily opened). • The original windows are all double hung with a single pane of glass to each sash. They have narrow bull-nosed sills and architraves that complement those to the doors. All hardware has been replaced. • Each house had two formal fireplaces with timber mantles and surrounds. Only one of these has been removed and the opening plastered over (living room to #59). There is no visible evidence of the treatment of the original fire-grates and hearth surrounds. • Note: some of this fabric has little ‘patina of age’ suggesting extensive renovations or replacement. • Each house was also designed with a double bi-fold door between the front parlour and the living/dining room.

History

This property is located on part of original Town Lot E18 and was constructed as one of three attached houses. When street numbers were first allocated in c.1897, the terraces were numbered from east to west No. 324-322-320. In 1898 numbering changed to 129-127-125. Then from 1900 it was No 45-47-49, before being given the current numbers of 55-57-59 from 1908 onwards. From 1890, the Perth Rate Books had listed George Simpson as the occupier (and later owner/occupier) of a cottage on Part Town Lot E18, with a frontage to Cemetery Road. By 1896 the Simpson family were living at ‘Araluen’, 53 Forrest Ave, between Goderich and Wellington Streets. Tenders had been called for that house in September 1895 (The Inquirer and Commercial News, 6 Sep 1895, p 15), which indicates that the development of what is now known as 55-59 was intended as an investment. Various advertisements for tradesmen were placed in the West Australian in late 1895 for work at a location ‘opposite the Star and Garter.’ This was a hotel at 60-64 Goderich Street, directly opposite Simpson’s land. The terraces at 55-59 Goderich Street were built in a fairly typical style, with a simple rectangular plan form and gabled roof. The front facade was originally tuck-pointed. The roof was short sheet corrugated iron, which had recently become available in the colony. Advertisements from January 1896 in the West Australian show that the terraces were given names, which was likely due to no street numbers being allocated until later that year. No. 55 was ‘Como’, No. 57 was ‘Wollowra’ and No. 59 was ‘Moyne.’ When street numbers were first allocated in c.1897, the terraces were numbered from east to west No. 324-322-320. In 1898 numbering changed to 129-127-125. Then from 1900 it was No 45-47-49, before being given the current numbers of 55-57-59 from 1908 onwards. The first resident at No 55 was M. J. Fitzgerald. There were many tenants over the years. Some of the longer term tenants include: Simeon Rintel (saddler), his wife Bertha nee Waterman and daughter, Grace (1903-16); Joseph Harris, wireman, and Jessie Harris, home duties (1925-1944) and Norman Henry Wilson, labourer, and Edna Elsie Wilson, home duties (1945-c.1954).On 28 January 1898, Alice Simpson sold the terrace of three houses to Eliza Godolphin Merritt Oats (the wife of Captain William Oats). Eliza Oats then retained ownership until her death on 2 February 1911. The terraces were offered for sale in 1912:In the Estate of the Late Captain Oats.LEARMONTH, DUFFY & CO have been favored with instructions from the WA Trustee, Executor, and Agency Co, Ltd. (Administrators of the Estate of the late Captain Oats and the Estate of Mrs. E. G. Oats), to OFFER by PUBLIC AUCTION in their Rooms, Emanuel Buildings, St. George's-terrace, on above date. Part of Perth Building Lot E18, with 141 links frontage to Goderich street and 102 links to Forrest-avenue by a depth on one side of 162.4 links and on the other of 245 links with a brick residence on the Forrest-avenue frontage, let at 16/per week on a weekly tenancy, and three brick semi-detached Cottages in Goderich-street, let at 16/- per week on weekly tenancies. (Sunday Times, 14 July 1912, p 8) The 1954 sewerage plan shows the terraces and surrounding houses. Unlike houses either side, the terraces have bath and kitchen wings under the main roof, with a rear verandah running in between. Beyond the kitchen is a wash house, with the copper. Many of the surrounding houses show the copper being outside, or in a shelter away from the house, making the design for the terraces quite modern for the time. No. 59 has a galvanized iron shed between the washhouse and brick toilet. No. 57 has a brick shed and brick toilet. No. 55 has a wooden shed, and wc at one side, and it appears to also have a brick toilet in the opposite corner of the rear yard. The sewerage plan also records two dry wells in the yard of No. 55. In between Nos. 55 and 57 is marked ‘brick gully’ which is the drain for the back to back wash houses. On the street front, the alignment of 55-59 Goderich Street is closer to the pavement than the houses on either side. An aerial photograph taken 11 March 1965 shows kitchen wings and rear attached buildings. A photograph of the terraces dated 1970 (51882P, SLWA) shows a concrete balustrade extending the length of the three houses. The verandah posts are concrete pillars. The main roof at this time is short sheet corrugated iron. It seems that the verandah roof is newer. It is a separate raked roof. It appears that the façade is mostly unpainted; possibly rendered or painted up to window sill height. Windows are timber framed double hung sashes. On 11 March 1974 the properties were bought by Ermano Steffe, Company Director, and his wife Albina Steffe, of 9 Second Ave, Rossmoyne. On 17 July 1978 Ermano and Albina Steffe applied successfully for a Strata Plan, and the three properties were then sold into separate ownership, and remain so as at 2017. Aerial photographs are in black and white until 1981, after which the roof appears red. This was painted corrugated iron. Circa 1984 the roof was replaced. A photograph dated 1985 (313909PD, SLWA) shows that front façade has been painted. The side walls and chimneys remain unpainted red face brick, with rendered capping.

Integrity/Authenticity

High integrity. Authenticity - The main façade and building envelope of 55-59 Goderich Street has a medium degree of authenticity, but the verandah component is of low authenticity. Internally the plan form under the main roof retains a high degree of authenticity (comprising four rooms and a separate entrance hall), as does the joinery, while the ceilings have a low degree of authenticity. The rear wings have all been completely redesigned and/or rebuilt.

Condition

Good

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update