Avro Hospital

Statement of Significance

The group of three buildings at 2 Nicholson Road, Subiaco, are collectively of cultural significance because: Of the long-term association of the site with Frederick and Agnes Jacoby, who were a prominent hotelier and business family who also played a primary role the establishment of Lemnos Hospital. The place is a prominent Subiaco landmark, hospital and medical facility. It is a significant site for the history of women in the community, including their management of private hospitals and employment in the roles of nursing, cleaning and cooking. It is socially significant to families of those who were born, treated or died here following its conversion to a hospital in 1922. The place is a good representative example of the conversion of large houses into private hospitals in Perth in the inter-war years, and the growth of private and maternity hospitals established or run by women. The 1908 and 1918 buildings are excellent examples of well-designed villas established by affluent Subiaco families in the Federation Queen Anne and Interwar Bungalow styles respectively. The 1918 building ‘Avro’ is a good example of the residential work of architect William Wolf, who designed His Majesty’s Theatre and Hotel in Hay Street, Perth. The 1936 building is a good representative example of a successful purpose-built interwar hospital that continued use until 2019.

Physical Description

This assessment covers three separate buildings. The original building on the site near the corner of Nicholson Road and Thoma St known as 'Balquhidder' (c1908), A building on the corner of Nicholson Road and Salisbury Street known as ‘Avro’ (1918) and a building between these two facing Nicholson Road and built as a hospital in 1936. Locally the entire place is known as ‘Avro’ and is entered in the City of Subiaco Town Planning Heritage List as such

History

Original Owner: Frederick William Jacoby and Agnes Jacoby Construction date: 1908,1918 & 1936 Original use: house COMPARATIVE INFORMATION There are 218 hospitals on the HCWA inherit database. There are 6 records of hospitals with ‘private’ in their title – two of which are on the State Register of Heritage Places. The following is a selection of private hospitals all of which have a similar path of conversion from nineteenth and early twentieth residences. Woodside Hospital, 18 Dalgety St, East Fremantle, was built in the Federation Free Classical style as the residence of William Dalgety Moore, a successful businessperson and Fremantle identity, in 1896. The house was converted into a hospital in 1924 and continued under the direction of nursing sisters until 1942. In 1948 it was bought by the Crippled Children's Seaside Home Society for their use. It was converted by the WA government for use as a maternity hospital in 1953. Inherit Nº P00792 and Classified by National Trust 1979. Undercliffe Hospital, 22 Coongan Av, Green Mount, was a home constructed circa 1901, in the Federation Queen Anne style, by Edmund Gilyard Lacy – sawmiller and brickmaker - and acquired by his son in law Percy Ford Robinson in 1902. It remained a family home until the depression when it was given over to the church as a home for the poor. It was a convalescent home for soldiers during World War 2 and continued as a nursing hospital until redeveloped as a general private hospital in 1979. It is now demolished. Inherit Nº P08547 Rotunda Maternity Hospital, 6 The Avenue, Midland, built c1906 as a residence in the Federation Bungalow Style and converted to a small-scale maternity hospital sometime in the early twentieth century. Inherit Nº P26178. Annesley, 49-51 Lawley Cr Mount Lawley, was built for Percival Armstrong and his wife, Grace Throssell in the Federation Queen Anne Style. They resided there 1914 to 1927. It had a number of owners until 1953 when it became a C Class hospital known variously as Annesley Rest Home, Annesley Private Hospital and Annesley Nursing Home until 1983 when it regained use as a residence. Inherit Nº P08035. Nurse Lloyd’s Private Maternity Hospital, 23 Coolgardie Street, Subiaco was rendered in the Federation Queen Anne Style. Although built as a residence in 1908 it was never used as such and in 1909 was occupied by Nurse Minnie Lloyd as a lying-in hospital. Lloyd died in 1924 and the hospital changed several hands until 1937 when it was divided into residential flats. Inherit Nº P25983 Otago, 15 Falcon Street Narrogin. Built in 1910 in the Federation style for Narrogin resident A.P. McCormick it was later the home of prominent local identity A.E. Hardie. In 1938, Sister Monger (no first name available) took over the premises as a maternity hospital which operated until 1952 when it became the Narrogin Maternity Hospital under government ownership. Inherit Nº P01825. Comparative evidence for ‘Avro’ indicates that private hospitals were common over the interwar period and later. Many were simply converted homes, albeit, usually the large homes of wealthy families so were often rich in style, design and detail like the buildings at Avro. While hospitals such as Avro were relatively common, it is unique as it still clearly shows the mark of its use as a National Trust of Western Australia Avro House, Subiaco WA. 4 Western Australian family home, family tragedy, development from residence to medical facility and the development of private medical establishments from 1922 to the present so is important as WA heritage

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