Commercial Building

Statement of Significance

The place has historical significance as a representative example of a commercial building constructed during the period of economic affluence and increased development that followed the gold boom. It has aesthetic significance because it contributes to the visual quality of its location. The building reflects the expansion and development of commerce and trade in the City of Perth in the early years of the twentieth century.

Physical Description

No.167-181 consists of two buildings, the federation era single storey section, and the more recent corner section. The Federation era section is a single storey rendered masonry building with several hipped and skillion roofs concealed behind a simple rendered parapet with moulded details. This parapet has been painted in recent times in a variety of colours. The corner building contains remnant portions of the previously demolished building, and a new facade has been constructed. The new facade on the corner of Roe and William Streets has been constructed of face brick and glass blocks, with metal clad arches located on the canopy above the two shop entries on Roe Street with simple brick arch motifs on the parapet. The Federation era section of the building has a variety of openings, including re-entrant doors to two William Street tenancies, roller door to one William Street tenancy, and contemporary metal-framed flush doors to remaining tenancies. Panang foods features the original stained-glass top lights, and portions of early timber joinery, in a re-entrant configuration. Cantilevered metal clad canopy with corrugated metal soffit. The older federation building appears to retain the early roof configurations and what appear to be early outbuildings. The tenancies in the newer portion comprise painted face brick and contemporary plasterboard walls and ceilings. Any remnant original material is not immediately visible. Turnstyle Collectables appears to comprise original materials, including face brick walls (face and painted), ripple iron ceilings, plaster and batten ceilings and timber-framed doors, with more recent materials. The entry door is a modified re-entrant configuration, with the door being in line with the front boundary. Penang Foods is currently fitted out as a restaurant. Although the fit out is not recent, it does not appear to be original. Any original fabric is not readily apparent. The Bird has been recently refurbished as a bar with decor which features exposed materials and structural elements which appear to be aged but may be part of the refurbishment. An examination of the construction drawings would be required to determine if original materials remain. In the rear courtyard, original outbuildings may exist as part of the current configuration. No. 167-181 William Street comprises six tenancies, two tenancies are located in the newer building with entrances off Roe Street and the truncated corner. Four tenancies are located in the older building off William Street.

History

The Northbridge area was a series of lakes and sandy swamps prior to colonisation. This area was used for market gardens from the 1830s. c.1845 William Street extended north from Wellington Street to Ellen Street (now Newcastle Street) and was named Hutt Street. Although aligned with William Street to the south, passage was not possible through Gooloogoolup (Lake Kingsford) to Hutt Street at the time. In 1873 the lakes were drained and in the late 1870s work began on the Fremantle to Guildford railway line with the Perth railway station constructed on the drained site of Lake Kingsford. In the late 1880s Hutt Street was on the periphery of the town with few buildings. The gold rushes of the 1890s had a profound effect on the state's economy and Hutt Street was one of the many streets of Perth that was heavily developed as a result. In 1897/8 Hutt Street was renamed William Street and by the turn of the century William Street south of Aberdeen Street was a busy commercial district. The construction of the Horseshoe Bridge in 1903 had a major impact on the role of William Street as an arterial road. A mixture of commercial, cultural and 'immoral' activities formed William Street's character. The present diverse social, cultural and commercial mix is a continuation of the character established around the turn of the century. The row of single storey shops dating from c. 1900 from No.161-181 William Street have a long history of use and occupation. The Metropolitan Water Supply Survey plan dated 1949 shows brick and iron buildings at the front of the lots (facing William Street) with attached brick and iron residences at rear. They also show a variety of outbuildings and rear verandahs, some of which are still extant. The post office directory from 1895 show that Gutteridge H & Co 'Product Merchants' owned the corner lot, with a grocer and boarding house next door. By 1905 this section of William Street housed several grocers and a butcher. A photograph from c.1905 shows a verandah supported on timber posts extending to the pavement with advertising on the canopy sides. During the 1910s and 1920s several of the tenancies started to be used as cafes, such as No.177 which was ANA Cafe, and No.167 was Shanghai Cafe. The other tenancies were still being used as grocers, fruit shops and other business aimed at providing for the needs of nearby residents. During the Inter-War period the tenancies began to be used a photography office, a tobacconist, and a motor tyre shop. The Westeralia Cafe occupied No.181.Following World War II there were a number of waves of Polish refugees, many of whom moved to Northbridge, living and working there. Amongst the many tenancies of this group were several catering to Polish people, particularly the Echo Company at 167, which assisted with shipping parcels to Poland and sold Polish books and newspapers; and the White Eagle butchers, catering to a Polish clientele. The tenancies appear to have featured tiled re-entrance shop front configurations. A series of 1966 photographs show that the tenancies at No.169, 173 and 175 featured central re-entrant doors, with No.171 and 177 with side entrance doors. There appear to be no Roe Street entrances, with entry to this tenancy via the corner entrance. Roe Street was widened during the 1980s, resulting in the southern most portion of the buildings being demolished, and the corner tenancy and Roe Street portion being substantially rebuilt. The re-entrant doorway are apparent along William Street but the ground floors are modified. The brick parapet is simple and undetailed, and the suspended awnings are not original. Lot 116 originally had a single house (No. 10 Roe Street) that was demolished in 1984.

Integrity/Authenticity

High level of integrity. High level of authenticity.

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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