PICA & Arts House

Child Places

• 02026 Hackett Hall

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE gazetted with permanent entry as State Registered Place (24/03/2000). PICA & Arts House, comprising PICA, the former Perth Boys’ School (1897), a red brick and corrugated iron former school building in the Federation Free Classical style, and Arts House, comprising the former Monitors’ School (1905, 1914), Manual Training School (1898) and Cookery and Laundry Centre (1906), has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: + the place was constructed as part of the Perth Central School, the first central school in Western Australia, the philosophy of which was to provide a complete educational facility, with opportunities
for post-primary education. The construction of the Boy’s School was the largest project undertaken for the Education Department in the 1890s;
+ due to its scale and architectural detail, PICA is a good example of the Federation Free Classical style of architecture and is a distinctive landmark north of the railway line;
+ due to the scale of the buildings and the extent of the complex, which incorporated separate schools for infants, boys and girls on one site, as well as purpose-built facilities for post-primary education, Perth Central School was an unusually large school complex in the early 1900s. Of all the elements of the site, only PICA and Arts House remain;
+ through its use as an educational facility over a period of ninety years, the place has a significant associative value for the thousands of people who have studied there. More recently, the place is valued for its associations with the local contemporary art scene;
and,
+ from the 1950s to the 1980s, the place operated as the James Street Annexe of the Perth Technical College and since the late 1980s, as a central venue of practicing and exhibiting contemporary art.
The Perth Girl’s and Infant’s School (1877) was incorporated into the Perth Central School c. 1898. The Perth Girl’s and Infant’s School was demolished for the development of the Perth Cultural Centre.
Other buildings on the site, including the Caretaker’s Quarters (1897), Domestic Economy School (c. 1860 cottage; later the Household Management Centre), the Education Department Stores (c. 1860 cottages),
play sheds and toilets, and the associated Teachers’ Quarters on James Street (c. 1904) have also been demolished.

Physical Description

Two storied symmetrical building with hipped roof and prominent tower distinguished by colonnaded loggia and tower clock.

History

Refer to documentation of places for entry in the State Register of Heritage Places.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low level of integrity.

Medium level of authenticity. Has been restored to original detail.

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.