Residence

Statement of Significance

The fmr Police Sergeant's House along with he adjacent gaol and fmr police station, form an historic precinct that contributes to the aestehtic qualities of hte landscape. The precinct represents a way of policing and living that no longer exists. The place has a close association with law and order development in Western Australia.

Physical Description

The building is raised on timber stumps and displays corner battens and a decorative projecting gable that covers the entrance on the south side of the building. Features wide timbe framed double-hung sash windows divided into 12 panes. Many of the windows retain orginal sunscreens. The timber verandah wraps the building on three sides. The verandah roof, an extension of the main roof, is supported on paired square timber posts. The dominant roof features a tall, simple brick chimney. The interior comprises three bedrooms, a living area and kitchen. The interior is lined with timber boards below dado level and fibro-cement above dado level. The floors are timber throughout, now covered. The hallway features a delicately carved timber frieze. The rear verandah has been partially enclosed to accommodate a bathroom at the eastern end and a laundry toward the western end. The laundry enclosure is positioned to avoid covering an existing window. Over the last five years, the place has undergone general maintenance and repainting to the verandah. Original tounge and groove balustrading has been replaced with cross bracing. Evidence of the original pattern remains near the entrance. A water tank on a timber tower with a wishing well to one side, is at the rear of the property.

History

Precinct comprising fmr gaol, police station and police sergeant's house.

As with the fmr Courthouse , the police station was relocated from Mt Margaret to Laverton in 1899 (Battye Libraray, Research Notes, 226, p. 1). The first policeman at Laverton was Constable Charles Harris who commence his duties, according to the Police Occurance Book, on 18th September 1899. (ibid). The first police precinct was temporary and comprised mainly of tents and the first prisoners were chained to a log (ibid). The community was soon petitioning for a more permanent structure, in particular a gaol.

Town Lots 47 and 48 were reserved for the police precinct on August 1900 (GG 03/08/1900, p 2,805). On 29th May 1901, almost a year later, Mr Mackesy accepted the tender of construction of the Laverton police station, police quarters and a gaol at a cost of 690 pounds. In November, when the wood and iron cell was ready for occupation there were two policemen at Laverton, Constables Ansell and Houston (Laverton Mercury 22/06/1901, p 2). In 1905, additions to the police station amounted to 108 pounds (GG, 16/05/1902 p 1,241). In 1908, a verandah costing 63/5/0 pounds was alson added (GG 11/12/1908, p 3,392).

Further additions and renovations were made to the police precinct over the decades until the new police quarters and office were built by Mr Ernest Best, in 1934, at a cost of 1,153 pounds (GG 20/04/1934, p 555).

Forty years later, Mr Julius Elischer, built an entirely new police precinct in the newly designed town of Laverton and the old buildings were relocated to different sites, (State Records Office, AN 7/21, Public Works Department, Acc 1608, No. 1550).

A $20,000 Tourism Development Grant has recently been received and the conservation of these buildings is in progress.

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.