Tudor Lodge

Statement of Significance

The house at No. 59 Chelmsford Road is a fine and representative example of an Interwar Bungalow style with some California Bungalow influences in the verandah balustrade and posts. It demonstrates the quiet generosity of Interwar middle class housing in the area.

Physical Description

The single storey brick dwelling has a large hipped tiled 'coolie hat' roof over house and verandah. The house and verandah are symmetrically planned around a central front entry. The encircling verandah has a balustrade set between rendered column bases, surmounted by pairs of square timber columns. supported by turned timber posts and curved post brackets with an asbestos dado infill. The fanlights and windows are casement sashes. The front fence is a post and chain link fence (possibly original) with a central chain gate with decorative iron detail. The central concrete path has several steps, inside the gate. The yard is lawned and planted with shrubs around the perimeter. None apparent.

History

In 1907, Bernard Keogh a Roman Catholic cleric acquired lots 5 to 25 of Location 816, fronting Chelmsford Road, and the adjoining lots 36 to 42, which fronted Vincent Street. In 1908, the land was transferred to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth, Matthew Gibney. Over time the lots were sold including Lots 5, 6 and 7 where the subject property is located. By 1917 the majority of lots along Chelmsford Road between William and Hutt Streets were developed with the exception of Lots 5, 6 and 7. In 1922 the subject lots were transferred from Annie O'Sullivan to Edward Thomas Russell, a builder at which date the land had a capital value of ₤1,000. Mr Russell was a well-established builder in the area involved in the construction of a number of properties along Chelmsford Road, including that at No. 59 that extended across lots 5, 6 and 7. A building licence was issued to Mr Russell in 1922 to construct the subject dwelling. On its completion, he and his family took up residence at the property they named 'Mean-Myne' (based on the words 'me and mine'). In 1923, the place was recorded with a capital value of ₤3,000 and was first listed in the Wises Post Office Directories that year. To the rear of the property Mr Russell constructed a large timber and iron shed where he undertook his building operations, a practice not uncommon during this time. His business E.T Russell & Co, which became Russell & Sons, continued to operate from No. 59 Chelmsford Road, and later expanded to include furniture manufacturing before transferring to Mount Hawthorn in the 1940s. Situated on three adjoining lots 'Mean - Myne' was a very substantial house with a tennis court established to the east of the house and a garden much larger than most along Chelmford Road at the time. In circa 1937-88, the tennis court was converted to a garden area with substantial aviaries. Facing the front garden, Russell built three deep rock-work grotto-like aviaries between the north-east corner of the house and the eastern boundary. Russell built numerous garden features including a windmill of limestone and timber construction, a timber bridge across a miniature ravine leading to a fish pond 'Popeye', a decorative well with a terracotta roof, and a limestone tank topped by a pump at the western side of the garden. During World War II whilst still owned by the Edward Russell the dwelling housed Allied Forces personnel stationed in the metropolitan area requiring accommodation. In 1948 the property was sold to an engineer John Seymour Dowson who resided at the property until 1951 when it was transferred to the crown. The crown purchased the property to use of the Child Welfare Department which was seeking a spacious residence that could accommodate wards of the Department based in the metropolitan area. On purchasing the property it was renovated and converted for its new use and re-named 'Tudor Lodge'. In 1952 it was opened to accommodate up to 20 boys. Tudor Lodge's purpose evolved from provision of accommodation for working boys in the 1950s and 1960s, to an 'adjustment centre' in the early 1970s, when a number of boys came from treatment centres. By the late 1970s it was known as a Treatment and Training Hostel for boys. The stated philosophy of Tudor Lodge at this time was 'to provide a homelike atmosphere and good living conditions to young men and to assist them in their adjustment to re-entering society'. (Heritage Council WA Assessment Documentation 2007, p.12). In the 1990s Tudor Lodge was referred to as one of the McCall Hostels, in which staff lived on the premises. In 1997 Tudor Lodge became a hostel for both boys and girls aged from 14 to 18 years and operated as such until 2003. By August 2003 Tudor Lodge became redundant to the Department's needs and the place was vacated. In November 2007 Planning Approval was issued for the construction of a new two-storey dwelling to the east of the property. However in December 2008 a Building Licence had not been issued for the proposed demolition and subdivision had not yet been approved. In December 2008 the place remains vacant.

Integrity/Authenticity

High degree

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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.