Cottage, 91 Old Perth Road

Statement of Significance

• The place has historic value for its association with the period in which this portion of the town centre was developed for residential functions.

Physical Description

A single storey rendered brick and iron property of asymmetric plan form to the façade, with an addition to the west corner of the front elevation. The main section of the property presents with a traditional plan form of projecting gabled bay and recessed façade with verandah. The projecting bay has two windows with a CGI bullnose window awning
with timber frieze and brackets. The flat roof verandah is supported by cylindrical steel posts and a rendered masonry balustrade. The main section of the property has a hipped roof, with gables to the front projecting section and a hipped roof to the projecting section on the west elevation. The gable has roughcast render and timbered detailing. The single storey addition to the west corner has a continuous bank of multi-paned windows to the street facing elevation, boarded upper section of walling to west wall and rendered lower half of the wall to both elevations. It also has a flat or very shallow pitched roof. Currently [2015] used as offices.

History

The Bassendean town centre was established and laid out as an extension of Guildford townsite in the 1840s but it was not until the 1890s that the town developed rapidly with the influx of workers during the gold boom period. The West Guildford Road Board was formed in 1901 which became the Bassendean Road Board in 1922, in recognition of one of the first farms in the district ‘Bassendean’ established by the First Colonial Secretary, Peter Broun. The town developed on either side of what was called the Perth Road and later, Guildford Road, which logically connected Perth to Guildford. This portion of the road name was
changed to ‘Old Perth Road’ in the 1970s when Guildford Road was realigned. From the available evidence this former residence was built c1911 and the first occupant was striker Vernon John Hollis Howe (c1888-1955) and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Howe (c1893-1958). It is likely that Vernon Howe worked at the Midland Workshops. The place has been used for commercial purposes for some decades most prominently Alan Sanders & Co Tax Agents. The owner of the property c2004 provided the information that the internal condition of the
property was poor.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate
Moderate

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.