Matthew Cull's House

Statement of Significance

Matthew Cull’s House, a two storey cottage displaying elements of the Victorian Georgian style, and associated outbuildings has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place has a strong association with the Cull family and demonstrates an unbroken family land holding which is becoming less common in Western Australia.
The place is illustrative of the self-reliance of the early European settlers and the use they made of locally made building materials.
The place demonstrates the evolution of the vernacular cottage to meet the changing requirements of one family utilising simple often expedient construction techniques.
Both externally and internally the place has aesthetic value arising from its ad hoc overlays that give it naïve visual qualities.

Physical Description

Matthew Cull’s House is located on the north side of Middleton Road within the periphery of the town centre of Albany. The long, narrow site has a north/south orientation with the house situated close to the south boundary, it borders the main road and the ground floor level is below that of the street.

Matthew Cull's House, a two-storey cottage displaying elements of the Victorian Georgian style, and associated outbuildings. Both externally and internally, the place has aesthetic value arising from its ad hoc overlays which give its naive visual qualities.

Located on the rear of the block are several structures of timber and iron construction. They were constructed at different times and have a range of functions. The two-storey house is a simple, rectangular design constructed of brick and corrugated iron. The front façade is symmetrical and features a central, gabled portico sheltering the front door. The external brickwork is rough and uneven consistent with unskilled labour and gives the place a rustic, unsophisticated appearance. Other materials are evident in the construction to the rear of the building. The appearance is consistent with the evolution of the house from a simple three-room structure to its present structure.

The internal layout of the house comprises two rooms and a kitchen on the ground floor, linked to three rooms on the top floor by a timber stairwell. An enclosed verandah runs along the width of the building. The internal construction and finishes are varied and demonstrates the ad hoc nature of the development of the building.

The building has undergone conservation works, including external painting, internal refurbishments (i.e. t the kitchen) and a driveway was installed on the east side resulting in some of the original outbuildings being dismantled.

History

Matthew Cull’s House was constructed in 1872 on original Lot 303 Middleton Road.
Matthew Cull, aged seven, had arrived in Western Australia in 1855 with his mother and sister. Matthew’s father, Michael, had been transported to Australia two years previously. The family settled in Albany after initially living in Fremantle.

In 1869, Matthew married Welsh born Sarah Ann Bagg, a nursemaid to the Alexander Moir family in Albany. Matthew worked as a mail boat attendant and lumper, loading coal for the steamships. The couple lived in rented accommodation in Albany.

Matthew Cull purchased Lot 303 in 1870 and began to acquire building materials for the construction of the house. Stone for the foundations of the house was collected from the site now occupied by the reservoir. During the day, Sarah would fill a wheelbarrow with stone and Matthew would wheel the barrow to the Lot after he finished work for the day. Two rooms and the kitchen were completed when the family moved into the cottage in 1871 with two children.

Matthew and Sarah went on to have 15 children in total and the house grew to accommodate them. Matthew employed and added to his self-taught skills of brick layer and carpenter and was adept at salvaging items for his house. For example, the stairs between the lower floor and the upper floor were recycled ships staircase and a ships ladder, which was very steep and with 11 rungs.

Matthew Cull was appointed verger to St John’s Anglican Church in 1881 and occupied the position until 1937, a year before his death at the age of 90. Upon Matthew’s death in 1938, Ivon and Maude Cull inherited the property. Ivon was the eleventh of Matthew and Sarah’s children.

In the 1940s, bathroom additions were carried out which incorporated water pipes, with running water to the bath, basin and shower.

In 1956, the property was subdivided into two equal parts but still remained within the Cull family. Matthew Cull’s House was now on Lot 13. The new adjoining Lot - Lot 12 - was given to Joy Green - the daughter of Ivon and Maude Cull.

In the 1960s, further upgrades were made to provide more modern conveniences to the house. When the sewer main was installed in the 1960’s a modern flushing toilet was installed, and the old laundry was replaced and fitted with taps and running water. There is evidence of old galvanized piping and clay drainage pipes throughout the building.

After the death of Ivon Cull (1968) and then Maude in 1981, their son Ronald inherited Matthew Cull House. When Ronald died in 1989, this property also went to Joy.

In 1995, Joy’s son, Ivon Green, great grandson of Matthew and Sarah Cull, purchased the property from his mother and he established a trust for the preservation of the house. In 1998, the house was rented out. At that time the family were interested in developing the house as a museum, but the property was sold c2010 to new owners who have undertaken extensive and sympathetic internal and external conservation works and refurbishments.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High/Moderate

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.