Western Australian Club

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The following statement, is taken from the gazetted permanent State Register Entry for the place, as the reasons for its cultural heritage significance:
Western Australian Club, a four-storey building with a basement and vault in the Inter-War Commercial Palazzo style, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
+ the place is associated with the development of St George's Terrace as a focus of banking and commerce in Perth;
+ the place is important for the scale and balance of its architectural detailing, together with the gracious ambience of the reception hall;
+ the place contributes to the St Georges Terrace streetscape because its style and design are typical of a major banking institution from the late nineteenth century to inter-war period. This building relates to the WA Trustees Building and the West Australian Newspaper group to the west and to buildings from the same period in adjacent Howard Street;
+ the place is associated with several prominent Western Australian architectural firms. It was designed by Wright and Patterson in 1887, and Hobbs , Smith and Forbes and Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown were responsible for subsequent works carried out in 1927 and 1939 respectively;
+ since 1995, the place has been owned and occupied by the Western Australian Club (Inc.) which, since its establishment in 1893, has been associated with some of the most prominent Western Australia businessmen and politicians, and with significant contributions to Western Australia’s development. This Club was also the first in the State to admit women as full members with voting rights; and,
+ the place is representative of inter-war bank buildings in that the facade is still intact and the banking chamber survives.
Apart from the exterior, and the reception hall and stairwell, there is nothing left of cultural heritage significance about the physical interior of the building.
The separate building at the rear is not included in the assessment.

Physical Description

Four storey building with arches at street and prominent central entrance. Rectangular windows with balconies to central windows on all floors. Due to the nature of the 1939 remodelling very little of the 1887 construction is visible. The most readily identifiable elements are the structural elements of the northern end of the basement and the ground floor.

History

The building was constructed circa 1887 and the upper floors added in 1927 and 1939

In 1927 alterations and additions to the Royal Bank Chambers were carried out for the E.S & A Bank including a new facade and additions.

In 1938 extra floors were added and the facade modified. A new floor was added in 1955 and the building was altered and refurbished by the Public Works Department in 1978.

In 1996 the building was taken over by the Western Australian Club.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium level of integrity.

Medium level of authenticity as it has been altered extensively throughout its history.

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.