House

Statement of Significance

The house at 74 Vincent Street is a good example of an earlier Federation Bungalow style, which retains many of the characteristics of the Late Colonial model on which it was based.

Physical Description

Modest single storey detached bungalow with hipped roof, a bullnose verandah, and half-timbered gable over the central entrance. The straightforward design with its central front entry, with fanlight and sidelights, and symmetrical double hung sashes to the two front rooms, is a house model which carried over with relatively minor decorative change from the Late Colonial period into the Federation period. The bullnose verandah and stucco banding of the brickwork at sill level are typical decorative changes of the period. Garden behind the low picket front fence. None apparent

History

The subject place is located along Vincent Street directly opposite Hyde Park. Hyde Park was once known as the Third Swamp, which was part of a string of lakes and swamplands that covered an extensive area north of Perth. Prior to and during the early part of European Settlement Hyde Park and its immediate surrounds was an indigenous camping ground. The Swamp was an important source of water and its fertile soil supported a variety of plant foods and attracted wildlife. Europeans were attracted to the Third Swamp for the same reasons however, whilst the land was fertile, it was difficult to settle due to seasonal flooding and its steep and deep topographical surroundings. The Swamp became a duck shooting resort for Europeans, and as late as 1888, drovers used the places as a camp when bringing sheep to Perth. In the 1890s the Lands Department gave permissions to the Perth City Council to allow camping on the Third Swamp in order to accommodate the huge influx of people who had travelled to Western Australia as a result of the Gold Rush. From 1897, the wealth generated by the Gold Rush began to be seen in Perth as buildings and services were constructed. Money was provided to construct a 17 mile tramway network the majority of which was north of the railway line in Perth's northern suburbs. The tramline of which one ran from Charles Street to Vincent Street encouraged residential development. In 1897 the Third Swamp was gazetted as a Public Reserve for the purposes of Public Gardens. This coincides with the influence of town and social planning ideals from overseas, increased prosperity and a civic desire to emulate the more established cities of other countries, all of which encouraged the development of public parks, gardens and recreation reserves close to the city. Vincent Street was named after Mr George Vincent, Chief Draftsman in the Lands Department, the original grantee of the land on the north side of this street, to the east of Charles Street, who named the street for himself on the issue of the grant circa 1876. The street once formed part of the Hyde Park Heights Estate, with the eastern end also called the Tramways Estate. The Post Office Directories list no dwellings for the north side of Vincent Street between William (formerly Clifton Street) and Hyde Street until 1914 when six residents are listed, including the subject property, indicating that the majority of dwellings in this portion of Vincent Street were constructed in 1913. The street numbering of the dwellings following construction changed regularly with the subject property first known as No. 82 in 1914 and No. 84 until 1917 when the property became known as No. 74 as it is today. The Wises Post Office Directories indicate that the first resident of the place was John McColl who resided at the dwelling until 1925 when Mr Frank North occupies the dwelling. Frank North remains in residency until 1933 when Mr Albert Cugley and later Mrs Clarice Cugley take up residency. Given the relatively long occupancy of each of the residents it can be assumed that they were also the owners of the property.

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Intact

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