Three houses (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The three former houses at Nos. 451, 453 and 455 Beaufort Street, are a fine group consisting of representative examples of the Federation Bungalow style. The places were consciously designed as a cohesive group to contribute to the streetscape quality and character. The places now demonstrate the suitability of the conversion of such a group for commercial purposes.

Physical Description

The three buildings were designed to be read as a group. Each place is a fine example of the Federation Bungalow style, with 453 and 455 designed with decorative gables to the right and 451 designed with its decorative gable to the left, to complete the composition. 453 and 455 have identical colour schemes, chimneys, bracketted gables, double posted verandahs with shallow arched valences, below simple spindles. 451 has a different colour scheme, has lost its chimneys, its decorative gable has vertical battens instead of horizontal battens and its double posted verandah has decorative curved brackets, en lieu of spinled valences. Generally the places are single storey face brick, tuckpointed with rendered banding at sill and half window height. The predominan roofs are hipped gambrels with gable feature over protruding front room with facetted bay. Gable detailed in wide timbers over roughcast. Separate full front verandah with a bull nosed roof supported with twin square timber posts. The windows are double hung sashes with decorative vertical iron bars on the exterior. Distinctive roughcast chimneys with vertical details on each face between top and lower corbelled moulding details. Setback with a low hedge along the front boundary and others along the edge of the verandah. Paving in between the hedges. The settings have been changed to reflect a commercial character. Little adaptation is apparent to the buildings.

History

The subdivision of Highgate Hill was developed by surveyor Charles Crossland in 1874, and named after his birthplace in London. Highgate Hill originally consisted of a small isolated cluster of homes erected for workmen's cottages, in the hollow on the east side of Beaufort Street. Following the construction of St Alban's Church in 1889, a number of larger homes were built in the surrounding area. Between 1910 and 1915 three substantial homes were added on Beaufort Street, immediately north of St Alban's Church and a substantial residence and a surgery were erected at Nos. 416 - 418 Beaufort Street (corner of Lincoln Street) for Dr Percy Hugh Wardell-Johnson. Dr Wardell-Johnson was at one time the chief medical practioner with the Public Health Department and also the East Perth Football Club's doctor. The building and practice were sold to Dr. M.L Kreitmayer in 1938, and by the 1940 Post Office Directory listed his surname had been Anglicised to Creightmore. This did not stop him being interned in 1942 during World War 11 because of his German origins. Dr Colin M. Graham took over the practice in 1942 and in 1949 Dr A T Watson was in residence. The house and surgery were later demolished and replaced by a large block of flats. In 1915 Nos. 453 - 455 Beaufort Street and No. 2 St Alban's Avenue were occupied by Mrs A. Stephens, Thomas Conroy and Charles S. Holden. In 1949 No. 453 was occupied by Doug Fullerton and No. 455 by William F. Rohun and No. 2 St Alban's Avenue by Mis Grace Searle. By 2001, No. 451 Beaufort Street has been converted to a shop, and No. 453 and No. 455 had been restored and converted to use as professional offices. In 2007 No. 452 was a lawyers offices, No. 455 was Bebabo Hair and No. 2 St Albans' Avenue was occupied by Daybeds and the house at the rear was a private dwelling.

Integrity/Authenticity

453 and 455 high degree451 moderate to high degree

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.