Cuthbert Street Precinct

Child Places

• 15457 House
• 15463 House

Statement of Significance

Cuthbert Street Precinct has cultural heritage value for the following reasons: The precinct is a well-defined and rare in-tact example of one of the earliest streetscapes in the historic town centre which was developed in the mid-late 19th century and early 20th century predominantly reflecting the Victorian, Federation and Inter-War periods. The precinct has high aesthetic value for its overall harmonious and consistent built environment and landscaped setting. The precinct has historic and social value having originally developed as a mixed residential, industrial and commercial street that later transformed into only residential.

Physical Description

Cuthbert Street Precinct runs north-south, bounded by Vancouver Street to the north and Duke Street to the south. The precinct includes houses on both the west and east side of the street, although the west side has more concentrated housing. Some of the notable features of this place include: • A cohesive group of significant heritage houses in Cuthbert St • Predominantly set close to the road with low front fencing (particularly on west side) • High streetscape value – narrow street with informal landscaping • Predominantly asymmetrical facades on western side or asymmetrical with prominent gabled wings on eastern side • Timber weatherboard, ashlar block, rendered/painted stone • Stucco and timber finish on gables • Verandahs to the front • Decorative timber soffit brackets • Mostly authentic timber casement windows, timber front doors with side lights • Tall/prominent brick chimneys with moulded capping • Hipped and gabled corrugated iron roof • Stone drains on both sides Some obvious modifications include: • Some extensions to rear of houses • New garages

History

Initially the Lots on what became Cuthbert Street ran west to Parade Street and east to Collie Street. An 1851 plan (Chauncy) shows the earliest landholders in Cuthbert Street, all well-known early settlers to Albany, being: • Philip Baker (Lot 53 – now Wesley Church) • John Mason (Lot 54) • Peter Belches (Lot 55 – now Nos. 26, 28-32) • John Young (Lot 56 – now 38) • Thomas Mason (Lots 58, 59 & 60 – now Nos. 5, 7-9, 21, 23, 27) • H N Wollaston (Lot 61) Both Belches and Young’s Lots also show houses present as does Wollaston’s which faced onto Duke Street and was called Wollaston House after Rev. H N Wollaston. Young’s house was half-way own Lot 56 and faced onto Vancouver Street. John Mason also has a house on his Lot 54 at this time but this is at the far east end facing onto Collie Street. Lot 57 was not allocated in 1851, but this became No. 27-29 Vancouver Street. Captain Peter Belches, R.N. was one of the first owner/occupiers in Cuthbert Street. This was on Lot 55 on the east side. Belches joined the British Navy in 1812 and served in many parts of the world including in Australia with Sir James Stirling. He retired from the Navy in 1830 and settled in Western Australia. He came to Albany to take up the position of Harbourmaster and lived at his house in Cuthbert Street (then Short Street). This is the house shown on the Chauncy map. Belches returned to England in 1858 and resided in Plymouth until his death in December 1890 at the age of 95. By the 1890s all the houses on the west side that are extant today were built. The first two houses built that are still extant today are those at No.23 and No. 27 built by Henry Prior by 1889. There were two houses built by George Powney, carrier, on Lot 61 before 1890 but these are no longer extant. As well as being a residential area, there were also some businesses and commercial enterprises established in Cuthbert Street. One of the earliest was Sam Wood’s Brewery house on Lot 55 – formerly Captain Belches property - which he purchased in 1883. A panorama photograph from c1894-1898 shows Belches original house still on this Lot although it faces towards Collie Street. Wood constructed a new building for his Brewery which is also shown in this same photograph (refer below). Wood’s brewery house was later taken on by brewer T. Cullinane then Chinese gardener Ah De Hong, then by 1905 Fairchild and Ives, building contractors, but local newspaper articles indicate that the old Brewery was still on Fairchild and Ives’ land. The old Brewery became notorious as a well-known meeting place for the local Chinese community and was raided many times as it was also used as a gambling den. The old Brewery including Belches old house were virtually dilapidated by the 1910s and later demolished. By 1925 the houses at 26 and 28-32 were built. Henry (H C) Prior, well-known local undertaker in Albany, lived and had his business in Cuthbert Street from c1912-1933. Mrs W Lee had her dressmaking business there in the early 1900s. Well-known sculptor Mr J A Hartman also lived on Cuthbert Street in the 1920s. Rough-cut granite has been the traditional material for the kerbs and drains that by c1910 ran the length of both sides of the street. By the 1930s the street had electric lighting installed. Originally gravelled, in the mid-1940s asphalt was used for the road and path surfaces. Because of its short width, in 1948 it was proposed to make it a one-way street however this was never instigated. In 1949, Albany Council adopted a by-law across designated areas of the central townsite - which included Cuthbert Street - requiring that all dwellings, shops and warehouses be built only of brick, stone or reinforced concrete, thereby not permitting timber to be used as the primary building material for external wall cladding. This by-law was not an uncommon one and adopted by most local councils in both metropolitan and regional areas owing to the hazards of timber mainly in relation to fire. However, this later policy makes the timber houses still extant in Cuthbert Street an important part of its historic and eclectic mix of building materials. Cuthbert Street was originally called Short Street (and Short Street West) and also Moir Street, and was one of the earliest streets in the historic townsite area of Albany to be developed. Simple working cottages built in the street formed a harmonious aesthetic being of similar form, fabric scale and setback. The name was officially changed to Cuthbert Street in July 1899 to avoid confusion with Short Street which was on the east side of town (now Grey Street east). It was named after former Mayor of Albany Cuthbert McKenzie who served on Council from 1891-1910, including as Mayor at certain periods from 1899-1908. (Refer to individual Place Record Forms for further information on houses in Cuthbert Street)

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High Authenticity: High/Moderate

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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