Mongup House

Statement of Significance

The place is associated with the Moir family who, with their uncle George Cheyne, were pioneers in the pastoral region to the east of Albany, and established commercial businesses in Albany.

It demonstrates the practise of owners of large pastoral properties to construct a house in town in which to stay during their visits, and to later retire to.

The place retains evidence of accommodation provided for servants, which has the potential to yield scientific evidence about the manner in which a household functioned in the late eighteenth century, and is a good representative example of Federation Queen Anne style. It is also important to the people of Albany, as indicated by its inclusion in the City's Municipal Inventory.

Physical Description

Mongup House is located on the southern side of a residential area of Frederick Street, and presents as single story to Frederick Street, but is in fact two, which can be seen from the rear. This is due to its construction on a steeply sloping block.

The house is brick construction, laid in English bond and painted white, with a hipped and gable roof clad in decromastic tiles. The asymmetrical plan has a projecting wing on the western side and then beyond this the original line of the building continues for a short distance. This projecting wing has a gable roof, together with a projecting bay window constructed from timber, while the bay window has its own hipped roof. All the bay windows appear to be fixed. The remainder of the house has casement windows with fanlights.

A veranadah runs across the front of the building to terminate on the western side of the projecting wing. The roof is supported by timber posts and there is a timber balustrade with turned timber posts. The verandah floor is also made of timber.

The western section of the house and the eastern side are rendered. There are two rendered chimneys with rendered corbelling and drip moulds. Another plan chimney can be found at the rear of the building.

The style of the building displays some aspects of Federation Queen Anne. The building was only able to be inspected from the street.

History

Though Albany was established in 1827 as Frederick's Town, it did not begin to develop rapidly until the 1880s, largely due to the completion of a railway line in 1889 that linked Albany with Perth. Since 1852 Albany was the official port of the state, and remained the premier port until it was eclipsed by Fremantle in the early 1900s, with its status especially declining in the 1930s.

Mongup House was constructed as a town residence for George Moir, a member of the prominent Moir family, who were pioneers in the district. They established a whaling operation at Cheyne's Bay to the east of Albany, pastoral properties at Cape Riche and several businesses in Albany itself. George Moir was responsible for the pastoral aspect of the business, and thus named the house after his property at Cape Riche on the Pallinup River ('Mongup').

The house remained in the hands of the Moir family until 1980.

Integrity/Authenticity

The place appears to have retained a good level of integrity and authenticity.

Condition

The place appears to be in good condition.

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.