Parkerville Store

Statement of Significance

The Parkerville General Store has high aesthetic significance for its contribution to the townscape character of Parkerville. It also has high social and historic significance as probably the oldest surviving store in the Shire in continuous use, and for its role in, and services provided to the community.

Physical Description

The simple rectangular weatherboard general store with verandah, sits right on the main north-south road (Seaborne Rd) through Parkerville. The verandah extends over the footpath and runs across the full width of the frontage, attaching to the high weatherboard walls just below the narrow eaves of the main corrugated iron roof. The main roof is simply pitched, hipped at the corners and with small louvered gambrels at each end. A small weatherboard, shallow pitched rood addition adjoins the south end if the store and whilst it could be more sympathetically integrated is relatively inoffensive. Additional accommodation has been built at the rear and, in the main, is sufficiently screened so as not to interfere with the scale or character of the original building from the streetscape.

History

Prior to any of the stores operating in Parkerville, groceries were sent from Perth and Guildford on the train and off loaded at the railway station. According to Paddy Hebb, the first store in Parkerville was opened by the Ward Brothers of Guildford on the railway reserve, opposite what is now the Parkerville Hotel. Their first manager was a Mr Appleton, and then Charles Dawson who bought it off the reserve. An alternative version of events from Jack Young, is that in c. 1899m the present day Parkerville store, now known locally as Sam Druckers, was really the second one built at Parkerville. Nic Scherini was the first owner of this store and he also operated postal facilities. According to jack Young, Parkerville's first store, which operated south of the railway line, neat the corner of Seaborne and Riley Roads, was opened by Charles Young in 1898.
Whatever the truth, the Parkerville store (s) catered for an increase in the local population attracted to the area to work in the McDowell & Sexton sawmills. The local numbers were further boosted by the opening in 1896, of the "Mahogany Creek deviation" of the Eastern Railway, and in April 1897, by the comittment of the Perth City Council to extract blue metal from the nearby Parkerville quarries.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High- original store intact and in use.
Modifications: Additions to the south end and rear.

Condition

Good

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.