House

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance: • As a representative example of the standard of modest rental accommodation built for people such as tradesmen, junior employees, labourers and single women/widows in Subiaco during the early twentieth century. • For the evidence that this property and its local streetscape provides about the manner in which the family residences of senior professional men and business owners were developed side by side with the more modest residences of more junior employees and tradesmen in early twentieth century Subiaco.

Physical Description

• Weatherboard workers cottage with carport to the front. • Casement windows. • Symmetrical façade. • Hipped roof with skillion verandah canopy.

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. In the late 1890s, property developers bought large landholdings for subdivision in the Perth metropolitan area. The subdivisions were generally simple grid pattern developments with small lots for occupancy by working families. Subiaco was a popular and logical location for development and the increase in population and demand for services led to the proclamation of Subiaco as a municipality in 1897. A subdivision plan for this portion of Subiaco was approved in 1895. Park Street was named ‘Salisbury Avenue’ in this plan but was changed shortly thereafter. From the readily available information this cottage was built c1905, and the first occupant was Frederick Jones. No detail of the builder has been found in this research and it is probable the house was an investment property as there were a series of occupants in the first ten years. The first long-term occupants were the Penaluna family who had settled here by c.1911. An analysis of information from online birth, death and marriage records, newspaper notices and online family trees suggests that Thomas Alfred Penaluna (c.1871-1951) and Emma Margaret Willey (c.1876-1959) were married in Victoria in c.1899 and that this couple had at least 6 children in the period c.1900-1920. Thomas (a painter) and Emma remained at 29 Park Street for the rest of their lives, and descendants continued to be listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls until at least 1977. A plan of the lot prepared in 1927 and reviewed in 1955 for the purpose of planning sewerage and water supply services shows that the original footprint of the cottage had a small verandah and a number of small additions to the rear of the house which are reflected in the current form of the cottage. Aerial photographs from the mid 20th century demonstrate that until the early 1990s the additions across the rear were under a simple skillion roof and the front rooms of the cottage were under a red corrugated iron room. The skillion roofed portion was replaced with the current additions under a hipped roof.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High: The place continues to be used as a private residence. Authenticity - High: The original external form and detailing of the building is largely intact.

Condition

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

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update