Director's House (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The Directors residence has aesthetic, historic, social and rarity cultural heritage significance. The residence is historically and socially important owing to its association with the care and treatment of the mentally ill since the turn of the century and the closure of the Fremantle Asylum. Architecturally the house has heritage value as it is a fine example of Edwardian Federation design. Many of the e:\.1ernal features of the house have been emulated in houses built in the late twentieth century Federation nostalgic period. This house has a rare quality as it is the only residence of this period in the area. The surrounding residences were built during the 1980s and 90s.

Physical Description

This Edwardian residence. set in an acre of land in thee grounds of the Claremont Hospital for the Insane (now Swanbourne Hospital). was designed in 1904 by John H Grainger. public works architect The house is brick with a steep clay tiled roof and continuous verandah. The timber support columns have timber arches between them. The whole house is raised approximately three steps above the surrounding ground level. The detailing of the doors and windows are typical of the period with good quality joinery, leadlight window to the entry door and large side hung windows to the others. The high chimneys haYe wide dccoratiYc mouldings to the top with a simple rendered course banding halfway up the e:'\posed brick. The small e:'\posed gable:s have hemy timbering. The underside of the eaves have painted bird battens typical of the period. The residence contains eleYen rooms built in a U-shap<!. There is a roofed verandah over the two arms of the 'U' and a court)·ard was created by a trellis between the two arms. Later, a brick laundry was added leaving lattice between the extremities of the two amns of the 'U' and the laundry. A paved verandah surrounds the front and sides of the house. The base of the 'U' forms the main part of the house, and consists of an entrance hall with two reception rooms on either side. each with period bay windows. The front door contains some magnificent stained glass of the period. The entrance hall opens directly into the main 'billiard room' built with specially reinforced jarrah floor to support the Inspector General's billiard table. The larg,e fireplace in the wall directly opposite the entrance hall smoked badly for many years until the grate was ra1ised and the chimney altered during the 1960s. Opening off the 'billiard room' were four bedrooms and the wall on either side of the fire place was later modified to provide two passages off which opened a dressing-room, bathroom, and toilet on the right-hand passage, and the kitchen on the left. The passages led to the rear courtyard, along which open four more rooms originally designated night nursery. kitchen, and servants quarters. In the room on the left, the 'night nursery' has now become the kitchen, and the servants' room next to it are sometimes used as a breakfast room. A shower block has been added. The corresponding room in the right hand wing was originally planned as the kitchen, but there is doubt as to whether it was ever used in that way. It communicated with another room of similar size to complete the courtyard. The lawn tennis court where Dr Montgomery had his fatal heart attack in 1916 had been converted into a rose garden by the last Director who lived in the house. Dr F Bell. Separated from the back of the house is a large coach-house (garage) with a loft, formerly occupied by a coachman or by a chauffeur. This was included in the original plan. The residence was built without a damp-course. on L shaped stone blocks. A damp-course was installed in 1966. 1990s alterations included a conservation programme. shifting the coach house forward on the site and enclosure and roofing over the rear courtyard formed by the accommodation wings. The garden of this residence is now a park. See Place Record Form Afount Claremont Locality: Directors Garden

History

The Edwardian Residence for the Inspector General of t:he Insane was designed in 1904 by John H Grainger. Grainger. under the direction of Dr S Montgomery. was the Public Works Department architect responsible for the architectural design of the whole original Claremont Hospital (now Swanboume). The Inspector Generals residence was set on an acre of ground within the hospital property. Dr Montgomery and his wife moved into the residence in 1910. It was a large home with "generous sized rooms". Separated from the back of the house was a large coach house (garage) with a loft formerly occupied by a coachman or by a chauffeur. (This coachhouse stilll exists today but has been relocated on the property.) Six of the seven directors (formerly Inspector Generals) are known to have lived in the house. The Directors include Dr Montgomery (1904-1916. who died on the te:nnis court that was later converted to a rose garden). Dr Anderson (1916- 1926). Dr Bentley (1926-1940). Dr Thompson (1940-1959). Dr Digby Moynagh (1959- 1962). Dr Ellis (1963-1977). Dr Bell (1977-). Today the Directors House is a private residence which was sold when the rest of Swanbourne Hospital was subdivided for residential development in 1984/85.

Integrity/Authenticity

Alterations over time but mostly in keeping with original design

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update