Bentley Child Health Centre (fmr)

Statement of Significance

South Bentley Child Health Centre, a single storey brick community services building, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place is an unusual and unique design, and a rare, intact example of a building in the Late Twentieth Century Organic style;
the place is a landmark in its locality due to its relatively isolated setting in the park; and,
the place is important for its associations with child health services in Bentley since 1965 for the whole community and has high integrity for its continuous and ongoing use.

Physical Description

External Description
The place is located within a parkland setting in which the topography gently rises from west to east. The parkland is sparsely vegetated with predominately grassed landscaping and several mature eucalypt trees. The landscape immediately surrounding the building is paved with irregular shaped, brick sized pavers and a strip drain to take the rainwater run-off from the roof.
The form of the building is organic with few straight edges and a minimal palette of materials. Central to the overall plan and aesthetic is a central, cylindrical tower element, designed to provide a passive cooling effect, although it is unclear how successful that was.
The primary construction material is well fired, clinker brick. The face of the brick is irregular with protruding and fragmented elements, which has the overall effect of breaking up straight edges and emphasising the organic aesthetic.
The roof is clad with red corrugated iron and overhangs the eaves with exposed joist ends. On the western elevation this extends to create an awning supported by two coupled timber posts.
The primary (west) elevation addresses Hill View Terrace. It is asymmetrical and contains the sole entry to the building via a steel gate with modest ornamentation. This leads into the portico that also acts as a breezeway, presumably also designed for passive cooling. This elevation also includes two large ground-to-ceiling windows.
The north elevation is curved and contains two narrow, elongated openings into the porch which are covered with steel grilles in the same design as the entry gate. The roof at this end slopes north-eastward and there are no down pipes.
The east elevation contains two large openings; one an arched opening covered in the same steel grilles and one elongated window that provides natural light to the consulting room.
The south elevation has several openings and two air conditioning (AC) units supported on steel posts, one of which fills an original highlight window. There is also a fire escape door leading from the internal consulting room.
Internal Description
Entering the main gate, one enters the porch and moves around the base of the central tower to a sliding glass and timber front door. The porch has a raked, timber panelled ceiling, and brick pavers to the ground surface.
Inside the reception, one is guided by the curved nature of the room to the next point which is the consulting room. The reception has plenty of natural lighting provided by four highlights, although one window has been impacted by an AC unit. The ceiling has exposed timber beams which continue into the consulting room. The reception area also contains
a memorial plaque which commemorates the opening of the South Bentley Health Clinic on 7 March 1965 by Shire of Canning President, Mr E. Clark, JP.
The central tower contains three functional spaces; the WC, storage cupboard and kitchen. The WC is accessed from reception. It is subdivided into two spaces; one for the toilet and the other for a sink. The floor surface is the original black and white tiles in a micro-geometric pattern.
The consulting room is separated from the reception area by a stud wall with a simple, timber boarded door. This room wraps around the central tower and is naturally well lit by the three large openings that present to the north, west and south elevations. The room is fitted with non-original, functional cabinetry. The floor covering is carpet.
From the consulting room one can enter the central tower at two points. The southern side contains an entry into a small storeroom. The ceiling of this space is clearly a painted, shuttered concrete, sealing a former opening. This opening may have acted as a light well and/or ventilation to encourage natural cooling and allow hot air to rise. On the north-western
side of the central tower is an entry to a small kitchen which has its original cabinetry. It is separated from the adjacent store by a three-quarter height partition.

History

As a result of a conference held in 1922 at the instigation of the Children’s Protection Society, the Infant Health Association of Western Australia was formed in 1923 to work in conjunction with the Public Health Department. In this year, three clinics with full time nurses began to operate in the Perth area and, in 1924, two more clinics were started in Fremantle and Northam. From 1925, community-funded infant health centres were rolled out across the state, providing advice, health checks and basic medical care. They were credited with reducing infant deaths and were government funded from 1945, when the State Government also took over responsibility of nurses’ salaries. Post war population growth called for expansion of clinics into newer suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. (1) It is in this context that the South Bentley Child Health Centre was built.
Bentley Park (the ‘Park’ was dropped in 1956) was a relatively new suburb in the 1940s, predominately made up of war service homes and social housing. The Bentley Park Community Centre Association (CCA) was formed soon after WWII. They advocated for various community services and amenities, including for Bentley to have its own infant health clinic.
There was a clinic closer to Cannington, but with the rapidly growing population, another was required.
The first clinic was set up in the home of Mrs Castledine, in Queen Street in 1950. The Canning Road Board provided furnishings while the Lotteries Commission provide funds for the necessary scales, thanks to the advocacy of Arthur Griffin, MLA for Canning. Meanwhile the CCA combined with a committee that organised a ‘Queen of Bentley Park’ contest to begin fundraising for a purpose-built clinic. (2)
However, the CCA was also focused on building a new community civic centre. This was opened by 1953 in John Street and included tennis courts, and club rooms. It was later a kindergarten, and then YMCA amenities. (3) A room was used there by for fortnightly infant health clinics. The demand soon saw clinic sessions twice weekly, and this was the catalyst
for the formation of the Bentley Park Clinic Committee which focused on establishing a purpose built, permanent building. (4)
The Clinic Committee was advised that the Council had set aside land for a new infant health centre on the corner of Hillview Terrace and Walpole Streets. (5) The Committee was asked to raise £200 towards the estimated £2,000 required to erect a suitable, small building.
The South Bentley Kindergarten was built by 1962 on the north end of the triangular lot bounded by Hillview Terrace, Hill View Place and Walpole Street. Over the next few years enough funds were collected to finally allow for the new clinic in South Bentley to be built to the south of this.
In November 1963, Council accepted a design proposal by Kierath and Waldron architects, being W. E. (Bill) Kierath and Ken Waldron, of 105 Outram Street, West Perth. The builder was R. W. Nash, whose tender was accepted in May 1964. (6)
The original design was modified slightly at the request of the Medical Supervisor of Infant Health, specifically the enlarge the windows from the proposed 15” wide to 2’6” wide. The building features and variations to the original design included:
• Swiss pattern roof tiles, with guttering and chain downpipes
• Unpainted external walls of clinker brick (not painted as proposed)
• Rendered internal walls to the waiting room and consulting room (not paint as proposed)
• Pram bay to have a grano floor finish and a ceiling (not originally proposed)
• Roof lighting (natural light) comprised of two circular domes
• Wandoo roof rafters
• Berger brick glazing
• Arch (in lieu of vertical opening)
• White cement to lintels
• Extra twin column at front to counteract excessive cantilever
The cost was covered by contributions from the Lotteries Commission £500, the Shire £1,300 and the Citizens Committee £200. This fulfilled the original estimate of £2,000. The state government was approached to make up the funds to complete the project. They offered a subsidy of 40% of the total cost, which was £1,649. The architect donated
padded seating furniture. (7)

The ‘South Bentley Health Clinic’ was officially opened by Ernest Clark, the Shire President on 7 March 1965. The rapidly growing population in the area now had the choice of three local child health clinics; the new South Bentley clinic, the John Street clinic, and one on the corner of Chapman Road and Ashburton Street.
Correspondence dated 1976 to the Council requesting installation of reverse cycle air conditioning suggests that the central tower, thought to be designed to have a passive energy cooling effect, may not have proved sufficient.
Council began negotiations in November 1998 to amalgamate the services of the Bentley and South Bentley Child Health centres. W.A. Health required that the South Bentley Child Health Centre be upgraded to meet current WA Health facility standards. Records show that roof repairs were undertaken by Charnley Brice Pty Ltd for $6,515.00 in 2000. (8)
In December 2020, the South Bentley Child Health Centre relocated their services into the Bentley Hub (Library) on Manning Road, and the building is vacant.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High
Authenticity - High
Aesthetic Value:
The place is a good representative example of the Late Twentieth Century Organic style of architecture.
The place is a local landmark due to its rare form and being isolated within the parkland.
The place is rare as an intact example of the Late Twentieth Century Organic style of architecture that has a very high level of authenticity.
Historic Values
The place was the first purpose built infant health clinic in South Bentley.
The place was built with funds raised by local effort and represents the philosophy of community self-help.
The place was designed by Kierath and Waldron, architects associated with designing in the Late Twentieth Century Organic style.
The place has historic significance representing the presence of child health services in Bentley during its development and settlement, that continues to the current day.
Social Values
The place was constructed as a result of community lobbying and fundraising committees. It has social significance to the local community who have used the place for a child health centre from its construction up to 2020.
Rarity
The place is a rare example of a Late Twentieth Century Organic style building with a high level of authenticity and still performed its original function as a Child Health Centre.
Representativeness
The place is a very good representative example of Late Twentieth Century Organic style.
The place represents the growth of Perth suburb in the mid 20th Century in response to inward migration and the high ‘baby boom’ birth rate.

Condition

Good

Uses

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.