1 Museum Street

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE gazetted with permanent entry as State Registered Place (02/07/1999).

The place is significant as an attractive pair of two storey semi-detached houses in the Federation Queen Anne style with richly detailed roofscape, cast iron balustrades and fine masonry.
The place has a clearly identifiable residential form and is significant for providing evidence of the former residential nature of much of the locality and with the rapid expansion of building in Western Australia during the Gold Boom.
The place is valued by the community for its aesthetic contribution to the area as evidenced by the community’s response to the proposed demolition and redevelopment.
The place is an uncommon building type in Western Australia.
The place is a good example of the Federation Queen Anne style and is representative of the nature of accommodation for relatively affluent tenants in the Gold Boom era.

Physical Description

The place is a pair of two-storey Federation Queen Anne style semidetached houses built of stone, brick and iron. The houses are arranged symmetrically around a central party wall and have a richly detailed roofscape, limestone walls with brick quoins to the front and return facades and cast iron balustrade panels around the upper verandah level.
The place has a landmark quality in Museum Street, and in the local area, as the only surviving two-storey semi-detached pair of residences with some fine decorative fabric and construction detailing.

History

The pair of houses at 1 Museum Street, originally called Limbo Street but renamed c. 1895-98, were constructed as an investment property during the Gold Boom in Western Australia when there was a massive demand for accommodation in Perth. The materials of its construction, its design, and the nature of the accommodation provided are indicative of the relatively affluent tenants for whom the place was intended. The houses were built in 1897 for Mrs Lydia Farmer by builder, George Napier. Little is known of Lydia Farmer although she owned other property in nearby Francis Street where she had a house designed by the well-known architect, J. J. Talbot Hobbs. She is not recorded as having lived at 1 Museum Street which appears to have been tenanted throughout her ownership.
There was little change to the place through the first half of the twentieth century although some renovations were carried out in the 1950-60’s and by the mid 1970’s there were plans for the construction of a new Technical College to be built on land extending from Aberdeen through to Francis Street. Concern was voiced over the future of the houses and they were assessed, but not classified by the National Trust of Australia (WA). The Crown acquired the land for construction of the new technical college, including 1 Museum Street, and development commenced in the mid 1980’s. It was proposed that 1 Museum Street be demolished as it was considered to have little architectural significance and the estimated costs to upgrade it considered too high. An adjoining house at 25 Museum Street was demolished in 1979 but 1 Museum Street remained and was used as a site office during construction of the technical college.
The place was occupied by the Australian Writers’ Guild between 1989 -1998 but there was minimal maintenance undertaken at the place resulting in further deterioration. At present 1 Museum Street is occupied by the offices of the International Centre of the Central Institute of Technology (TAFE).

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium level of authenticity as it is largely as originally constructed with detail intact.

Condition

Fair

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.