HOUSE, 21 CUREDALE STREET

Statement of Significance

House, 21 Curedale Street, is a single storey limestone and iron house dating from 1908, with former stables in the back yard. It has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical building stock and of working people’s living conditions within the residential areas of Fremantle. The place is significant as an example of Fremantle’s vernacular architecture.

Physical Description

House, 21 Curedale Street is a single storey limestone and brick quoined to the entrance and façade corners. The hipped roof is clad with Zincalume. The dropped verandah has rendered pillars between rendered balustrades, which are not original.

History

The land on which Curedale Street and the Grosvenor Hospital are situated originally belonged to the Curedale family. George Curedale arrived in Fremantle as a convict on 1st January 1858. On 18 May 1881 George Curedale purchased 82 acres, about three kilometres from the centre of Fremantle, from Henry Maxwell Lefroy who had died two years previously.
The property comprised four adjoining Cockburn Sound Location Lots and was located between the present Curedale Street, east to within 4.45 chains of Fifth Avenue and from South Street to Lefroy Street. Curedale developed the land as an orchard and vineyard.
Having earned a living as ‘Fruiterer’ and then ‘Green-grocer’, George Curedale now described himself as ‘Vineyard Proprietor’ and there is evidence to show that he did import vines. The property was owned by the Curedales until 28 April 1887 when Lots 59, 60, 61 and 66 were transferred to George Alfred Davies (1846 – 1847) to clear George Curedale’s debts. George Curedale died of heart disease, on 15th August 1887. The adjoining Davies Street is named for the Davies family. Davies Street adjoins Curedale Street.
A house is recorded on this lot (24 CSL 7) in the rate book records of 1908/9. As numbers were not allocated to this part of Curedale Street until 1915 it is difficult to trace the first occupant. (Further research of rate books could reveal this.) In 1915 the occupant was R. W. Ranford, a carrier.
The house was originally number 41, and became number 21 when the whole street was renumbered in 1937.
The 1908 sewerage map (No. 87) shows a stone house with a full-length front verandah and a rear verandah enclosed at the north end with a bathroom. In the rear yard were two timber outbuildings, and in the very south west corner of the lot, abutting Martha Street and against the rear boundary of the lot, is noted a Stables. The 1913 PWD map also shows the stables.
From 1920 William Joseph Saulsby was the owner/occupier, and Mrs Alice Saulsby was still the occupant in 1949 (when post office directory records cease).
The 1947 aerial photograph (Landgate) and later aerial photos (Landgate) show that the stables seems to be still extant.
The house was reroofed between 1985 and 1995.

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This data is provided by the City of Fremantle. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, the City of Fremantle makes no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which you might incur as a result of the data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason. Under no circumstances should this data be used to carry out any work without first contacting the City of Fremantle for the appropriate confirmation and approval.