Commercial Premises, 333 Mill Point Road

Statement of Significance

• The place has some aesthetic value for the form and remaining detail of the Inter War Stripped Classical style as applied to a small commercial premises.
• The place has historic value for its demonstration of the small retail businesses established during the Inter War years which served the local community.
• The place has historic value for its association with the development of South Perth in the Inter War years.
• The place has social value for its continuity of function as a commercial premises since the late 1920s which was well known to the local community.

Physical Description

No. 333 Mill Point Road is an upgraded traditional shop of the inter-war period. The shop presents with a double frontage with an off-centre entrance door which is a recent adaptation of the original traditional symmetrical shop frontage. The shop windows and entrance door are not original.

The stepped parapet is the main feature of the façade. This has been retained albeit looking as though it has been clad with metal sheeting. There is no decorative feature to the parapet. The brick finish to the side elevation has been rendered and painted.

The original residence to the rear has been demolished and recently redeveloped with substantial two storey residence and café/kitchen to the rear which has reduced the prominence of the shop in the local street scene.

History

This portion of South Perth was subdivided for residential development in 1896. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the houses built in South Perth were centred around Mill Point, Mends Street and the South Perth Esplanade. Between 1890 and 1900, the few roads which were built were mostly surfaced with oyster shell dredged from the river. By 1904, Suburban Road (later Mill Point Road) and Mends Street were the only metalled roads.

This shop, and the former attached single storey residence were built in 1929, and operated as a local general store until c2016. The property was originally part of the large landholding owned by John Daniel Manning in the 19th century informally known as the Manning Estate and until the mid 1940s Mill Point Road was known as Suburban Road. During the Inter War years the lots south of Mill Point Road were being rapidly settled by working families and the area to the north was still used predominantly for agriculture.

This land parcel was owned by Walter Stewart Martin in 1928 and in November 1928 an application was received by the South Perth Road Board to build a brick shop and dwelling in Banksia Terrace for £875, the applicant was D. J. Whitfield. This application was likely to be for these premises as there were no other commercial properties in the street in subsequent years. It has not been established what the relationship was between the owner and the applicant. In 1929, the place was occupied by Mrs Mabel Mason who ran a mixed business from the premises.

Mabel Mason managed the business for only a few years, a later long term occupant and manager until 1952 was Henry Claude Stubbs (c1874-1952), his wife Amelia, and seven children. Previous research has determined that the property was owned by absentee landlords during the majority of the late 20th century. One of these owners were the Bowen family who gave their name to the place. No details of this family have been found in this research. Subsequent owners were the Beekink family.

In 2016, the residence which was attached to the shop premises was demolished and a new two storey residence constructed. As part of these works the roof cladding of the shop was removed and replaced with zincalume. The front façade of the shop underwent major alterations to accommodate a new commercial occupant.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate / 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.