House

Statement of Significance

139 Coghlan Road, Subiaco is of cultural heritage significance: • For its aesthetic values as a good representative example of a modest Federation Queen Anne “gentleman’s villa”; • As a representative example of a well designed and detailed “gentleman’s villa” of Subiaco, and for the evidence it provides about the style and standard of the development that took place in the elevated locations near Kings Park – an area that attracted some of the more affluent residents of Subiaco in the early twentieth century; • For the manner in which its history demonstrates the common evolution of Subiaco’s Federation Queen Anne villas from desirable single residences of the early twentieth century, through a period of neglect and/or adaptation to alternative uses in the late inter-war and early post-war years, followed by a return to popularity as character/heritage houses in the late twentieth-century; • For its association with Ruby Florence Hutchison (MLC) and, more specifically, with her role as the founder of the Western Australian Epilepsy Association; • For its historical significance as the original headquarters of the Western Australian Epilepsy Association (1965 until 2002); • For its social significance for the families and individuals assisted by this organisation; • For its landmark value as a prominent and well-designed heritage building on a prominent corner site, near a major eastern entry into Subiaco.

Physical Description

139 Coghlan Road was designed as a single storey Federation Queen Anne villa. The plan form features a prominent return verandah, commencing on the eastern side of the projecting wing at the centre of the south (Bagot Road) façade and extending around to the north-eastern corner of the house. Based on an external, street-front inspection, it is noted that the area to the west of central wing to Bagot Road has similar but not matching detailing, suggesting that this part of the place may have been built as an addition in the period c.1910 to 1925. The house has a gabled-hipped, short-sheet corrugated iron roof that features two tall, face-brick chimneys with rendered panels and wide projecting caps. The main gabled sections of the roof extend over the projecting wing (at the centre of the south elevation) and a shallow rectangular bay (facing east, near the north-eastern corner). A smaller decorative gable truncates the main roofline at the south-eastern corner, although this has been partially concealed by a semi-circular neon sign erected during the use of the place as the headquarters of the WA Epilepsy Association. Each of the gables has a robust timber finial capped with a ball, simple decorative gable boards, a roughcast rendered face and decorative brackets to the projecting eaves. The largest gable (facing Bagot Road) features a pattern of vertical, horizontal and diagonal battens over an elongated triangular base-plate. The smaller eastern gable has similar detailing, but without the diagonal elements. Below each of the larger gables there are two simple, vertically proportioned, double-hung windows with moulded, rendered sills. The main facade features tuck-pointed stretcher-bond brickwork, while the secondary facades have plain stretcher-bond brickwork. What appears to be the original part of the house features two rendered string courses, one at window sill height and the other nine brick-courses higher. The area under the south-eastern verandah also has varied decorative and functional detailing, typical of the period and style of the place. The main entrance is located adjacent to the central projecting wing. This has a traditional early twentieth century style door flanked by ripple glass sidelights and highlights. French doors provide secondary access to the verandah from the eastern side of the central wing and the truncated south-eastern corner of the building. Other than the pair of windows to the east facing gable bay, the only window opening onto the corner verandah is an unusual, low-level, semicircular window that sits between the two string courses on the eastern facade. Other detailing that enlivens the main verandah includes a semi-circular niche (adapted with a plaque recording the opening of the place as Ruby Hutchison House on 20 November 1965) and two full height, ‘V’ shaped recesses with semi-circular display shelves flanking the truncated corner. To the west of the central projecting wing, the walls are plain tuck-pointed brickwork (without string courses). The south façade features a triple double-hung window, with a wide central sash flanked by narrow sashes. These sashes are separated by wide timber mullions decorated with rectangular and diamond shaped panels. Another window and two further doors open onto the return verandah along the western façade Both of the return verandahs feature bull-nosed roofs, turned timber posts, carved timber brackets and a frieze of turned timber balustrettes. A modern timber and lace balustrade was added to the south-western verandah as part of its reconstruction in 2013 (replacing a previous verandah infill), as was a screened patio addition. A simple modern garage has also been built in recent years to the street frontage at the south-western corner of the site. The remainder of the street frontages are defined by a high timber picket fence on a face-brick plinth.

History

The documentary evidence indicates that this place was constructed in late 1904 by the owner, Robert William Prior Gulley – who was a local builder/contractor. Based on the external, street front inspection, this may have originally been designed as a smaller corner villa (extended in a similar style to the west at a later date). The first known occupant was the Reverend William Lewis of the newly formed Subiaco Congregational Church, who lived here until c.1907, after which the Gulley family took up residence. By 1909 Robert Gulley had taken up farming at Gosnells and in April of that year the house was sold to a goldfield’s butcher and pastoralist, Joseph Digby Willis. Joseph (‘Joe’) Willis (1865-1945) moved into the house with his wife, Elizabeth, and their four children, and remained here until his death in 1945. Willis is known to have been a joint partner in various pastoral, farming and commercial properties in the goldfields, mid-west and south-west districts, but appears to have made the Subiaco house his primary residence. In later life (from the early 1930s) he was a vice-president of the WA Trotting Association and at the time of his death it was reported that he had been “prominent in pastoral and sporting circles in this State for many years”. Following the death of Joseph Willis the property was sold and used as a rental property, with an architect, Samuel Rosenthal, living here from c.1947-53. Newspaper advertisements indicate that it was then sub-divided into bed sitting rooms/flats. The next major change took place in 1965 when the old house was adapted as the headquarters of the Western Australian Epilepsy Association. It was at this time that the place was named Ruby Hutchison House, in honour of Ruby Florence Hutchison (1892-1974). Ruby Hutchison was a Labor politician and the first woman to serve in the WA Legislative Council (being elected in 1954 and serving until her retirement in 1971). She was also a supporter of many social causes and an active community worker. In July 1963, it was Ruby who called the first meeting of the W.A. Epilepsy Association and she is acknowledged as the founder and inaugural president of this organisation. The Association remained here until June 2002 when the headquarters were relocated to Nedlands. Since that time the place has returned to its original use as a residence.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High: The place has been returned to its original use. Authenticity - High: The original/significant external fabric of the building is largely intact. Rarity/Representativeness - The place is a good representative example of the many Federation Queen Anne “gentlemen’s villas” built on the elevated parts of Subiaco, near Kings Park, in the early twentieth century.

Uses

Creation Date

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