Whispering Pines

Statement of Significance

Whispering Pines has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is one of a group of significant residences built during the Late Victorian/Federation period in the historic townsite many of which were used as boarding and guest houses given their proximity to the town centre, railway station and harbour, and owing to Albany’s growing popularity as a summer holiday resort.
The place is associated with the first owners William, Leonard and John Madgen, well-known local settlers to Albany, in particular William and his wife Cecilia who were long term residents of Albany until their deaths.
The place reflects the typical dwelling of a rising middle class that emerged from the commercial and service industries that developed around the port of Albany in the latter part of the 19th century particularly when Albany was the main port for Western Australia.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Elevated position - high streetscape value
• Two-storey residence, the ground floor built of stone, the upper floor of hand-made cream and red face bricks
• Projecting wing with gable and finial
• Timber verandah on upper floor with timber balustrading and wrought iron lacework
• Rendered architraves around the windows and front door
• Chimney with moulded capping
• Stone retaining wall adds to streetscape character
• Internally the house has pressed tin ceilings, jarrah and pine floors

Some obvious modifications include:
• Second storey (1916) – two different brick types suggesting different building campaigns
• Addition to the rear in keeping with the rest of the building
• External paint scheme to west elevation and rendered architraves

History

On 4th May 1898, Lot 463 was offered for sale and purchased by W. and L. H. Madgen who intended to erect a house immediately. In November 1898 (Albany Advertiser) tenders were advertised by J Madgen of Frederick Street for the carting of stone and also the erection of a stone cottage. It is likely that this cottage is this house as the Rate Book entry for 1900 shows Lot 463 still owned by William and Leonard Madgen and there is a house on the Lot tenanted by John Madgen who was William and Leonard’s father.
The Madgens arrived in Albany from England in 1887. John Madgen was a general hand/labourer. Leonard Madgen was well-known in the local community as a telegraph operator before leaving in 1900 to take up a position in South Africa. William Madgen (b. 1875) married local girl Cecilia Pearson (b. 1878) in 1905. Cecilia was the eldest daughter of Councillor Charles Pearson of Albany. They had six sons – William, George, Charles, Henry, Robert, Kenneth – and a daughter Rene.

The house was originally a single storey stone building. It was then extended by the Madgens c1916 when an upper floor of hand-made bricks was added.

Cecilia died in September 1932 and William continued to live at Burgoyne Road until at least the 1940s. William died in Albany in 1959 and was buried with Cecilia at Albany Memorial Cemetery.

In the 1980s-1990s a ‘character’ extension at the back was added, in keeping with the original stone structure.
Two old pine trees that were formerly on the front of the block - which may have been planted or were already extant at the time the house was built in c1900 - gave the place its name, ‘Whispering Pines.’

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: 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.