House

Parent Place or Precinct

27310 Park Street Heritage Area

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance: • As a good representative example of the many 4-5 room brick homes which were built in Subiaco during the early twentieth century to meet the needs and aspirations of middle-class residents such as public servants, senior office workers, small business owners, skilled tradesmen and single/widowed women of private means. • As a good 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 aesthetic contribution to a largely intact group of early twentieth century houses. • For its association with the rapid development of Subiaco in the early 20th century. For information on the significance of the Park Street Heritage Area refer to the Local Planning Policy for the Heritage Area.

Physical Description

Architectural style Typical of many well built 2-3 bedroom suburban houses of the early twentieth century, 3 Kings Road incorporated elements of the Federation Queen Anne style – in this case including picturesque decorative plaster detailing. It was designed to a scale and form generally considered suitable for occupiers such as professional men, office workers, retail employees and skilled tradesmen. Plan form at the street frontage • Asymmetrical stepped façade. This has a projecting wing on the western side, with an abutting verandah extending across the remainder of the frontage. Roof form and materials • Hipped-gabled roof clad with corrugated metal sheeting. This has a short east-west ridgeline at the apex, flanked by small louvered gablets; and a prominent gable over the projecting wing. • Roughcast rendered face to the main gable, finished with a square pattern of timber battens with decorative corner details. Small rendered shield and scroll at the apex of the gable, finished with the moulded face of a woman. • Battened eaves with decorative paired brackets along both street frontages. These are set against a rendered eaves panel with a slender moulded detail at the base. • Two tall chimneys serving the main part of the house, with decorative roughcast arched panels to each face and stepped rendered caps. Wall materials and finishes to the main façade • Painted brickwork (originally tuck-pointed). • Two contrasting smooth rendered string-courses along the Bagot Road and Kings Road frontages, one at window sill level and the other at door head height. The upper string course steps up to frame the heads of the windows and doors. Detailing of main façade • Shallow rectangular window bay to the front of the projecting wing with a pressed metal window hood. • Main entrance set under the verandah and abutting the projecting wing. This has traditional moulded timber architraves; a highlight; narrow sidelights; and traditional stained glass detailing featuring a floral motif. • Projecting rendered window sills to the windows along the Bagot Road facade, each set over a decorative under-sill panel. • Triple casement window to the rectangular window bay, with traditional stained glass detailing to the square highlights. • Single double hung window under the front verandah. • Three single double hung windows along the Kings Road façade, each with shallow arched heads. • Arched niche to the eastern face of the projecting wing, with a smooth rendered surround and decorative sill panel. • Bullnose verandah roof, turned timber posts, carved timber brackets and a turned timber verandah frieze. • Wrought iron verandah balustrade. Streetscape setting • Main façade set back approximately 3.5m from the Bagot Road frontage (with a side setback of approximately 1m from the Kings Road frontage). • Front yard enclosed by a scalloped timber picket fence, set behind low shrubs. • Side (Kings Road) boundary defined by a high limestone block fence. • Double garage with a flat parapet wall at the rear, south-east, corner of the site (opening onto Kings Road).

History

Subiaco's population increased significantly in the 1890s due to an economic depression in the eastern states and the discovery of gold in Western Australia. During the 1890s property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The original subdivisions in Subiaco were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots suitable for occupancy by working families. However, the more elevated parts of the suburb, particularly towards Kings Park, also attracted business and professional men and some lots were later amalgamated to accommodate their larger homes and gardens. Mixed development occurred and within the Park Street Heritage Area this ranged from narrow, single storey terrace housing through to a large 2-storey house set in spacious grounds. The readily available evidence indicates that the number of houses within this area increased from around 24 in 1901 to 72 in 1906; 86 in 1910; 91 in 1915, 94 in 1920 and 13 by 1925. Development then stabilised, with 106 houses and 1 block of flats identified in 1949. Perth Suburban Lots 243 to 246 were subdivided as Deposited Plan 352 in the early 1890s. This comprised 141 lots of which Lot 45 was developed as 73 Bagot Road. An analysis of the Post Office Directories and Electoral Rolls indicates that Joseph Simon Buckley (plasterer) and Nora Buckley (home duties) were the first occupants of this property, living here from c.1905-1907. The Rate Books confirm that J Buckley had purchased the vacant site by 1903 and newspaper notices placed in June 1904 suggest that the house was built at around that time: TENDERS Wanted for STONE FOUNDATION, labour only. J. BUCKLEY, Corner Bagot and King’s rds., Subiaco. Joseph Buckley had sold the house to Percy Patten (traveller) by 1907/08. Percy Harry Patten (c.1875-1945) and Alvina Julia Krummel (c.1880-1961) were married in SA in 1907 and they lived at 73 Bagot Road (3 Kings Road) until c.1916. The house was then advertised to let, before being offered for sale in late 1917: FOR Private Sale.— Subiaco, Well built Brick Cottage, corner Bagot and King rds., 6 rooms, sheds, e.l., gas, galv. iron tank, 1,000 gallons. Very nice home, in good repair, garden and fruit trees. Apply W.L. The first long-term owner/occupants were Arthur and Eva Gray, who lived here from c.1918 until the 1940s. During this period, Arthur Gray became one of the founding partners of Musgrove’s Ltd., musical dealers, and managed its pianoforte department: Quality and efficiency is to be the motto of the new firm, and the large range of high-class pianos and players is under the direct supervision of the expert, Mr. Gray, long recognized as one of the foremost piano men in the State. Following Arthur’s retirement in 1932, and until shortly before his death in 1945, the Gray family placed a series of advertisements for a room to let. Arthur’s widow, Eva, continued to live at 73 Bagot Road until around the time of her death in late 1947. Reference to the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Department plan (as updated 1955), plus a review of historical aerial photographs, indicates that the building envelope of the front part of the house has remained largely unchanged.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The authenticity of the house within its streetscape setting has been reduced by the painting of the main façade and the installation of a wrought iron verandah balustrade. Other than this, the external detailing appears to be largely intact and/or sympathetically restored/renovated.

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

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