Prefabricated Houses Group

Statement of Significance

• This group has aesthetic value as relatively intact examples of post war pre-fabricated houses.
• The group has historic value for its association with the development of Ashfield in the post War period.
• The group has social value as the houses demonstrate the form and scale of housing for working families in the post war period.
• The group have historic value for their association with the government programs and policy implemented in the post World War II period.

Physical Description

These single storey residences are uniformly located away from the street and set within fences, lawns or gardens. The individual buildings are of a similar architectural style and are generally all clad with weatherboard wall cladding but, there is various materials used to clad the roof ranging from terracotta and cement tiles to corrugated metal. Large brick chimneys on the side elevation are a common feature of the style.

History

The Ashfield Estate was first subdivided for sale as a residential development in 1929. The nearby Cumming Smith factory and other industries in the vicinity made it a logical choice for development in the Inter War years. However the area was not densely settled and there were still considerable areas of undeveloped land in the period following World War Two when demand for housing was high. In early 1950, the State Housing Commission (SHC) undertook a major program of public housing in the state committing to provide 30,000 houses within four years around the state. Ashfield was one of the suburbs selected for new housing in this program with an estimate of 250 homes to be built within four years SHC officers informed the Bassendean Road Board that ‘Prefabricated and “pre-cut” homes were
the most favourable types for quick construction and were proving very popular. Clearing and levelling of the site bound by Guildford Road, Hardy Road, Pearson Street and Villiers Street
began in 1951. The design of the estate included 210 timber frame homes and 40 brick homes, a school site, three church sites and a shopping centre and was expected to be completed within two years. At the end of 1952, the local press recorded that the previous year was a period of intense building activity with 114 weatherboard and prefabricated buildings constructed throughout the Road Board. Local residents refer to these houses as the ‘Austrian Prefabs’. This name may originate from a specific construction program that was identified in the local press in 1951 as follows: Plans are being made for the erection of 900 imported prefabricated houses to be cut out in Vienna and erected in WA by about 325 Austrian workmen in 12 construction teams.A feature of the agreement to be signed by the Austrian workmen is that their fares will be paid out to WA, but they will have to provide their own return fares to get home. One one-hundredth part of their return fares will be deducted from their wages each week until the expiration of their two-year contract’. This listing reflects one of the largest and earliest subdivisions of imported Austrian prefabricated houses
within Ashfield that formed part of this public housing program. Of the 30 homes that were part of this subdivision, only 21 remain. Since this original development of the Ashfield area, there have been many alterations, additions and demolitions of original residences. Many other timber framed and brick homes from this greater State Housing Commission program still remain within the locality.

Integrity/Authenticity

Various
Various

Condition

Various

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.