Oakview Cottages

Statement of Significance

The place at 30 Frederick Street has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is an unusual and relatively rare example of an iron clad residence in the Albany townsite and presenting a simple but well-articulated Federation Bungalow with some Victorian Arts and Crafts influences that has maintained a moderate level of authenticity.
The place and the place next door at 32 Frederick Street are associated with Timothy Cullinane and his family who had settled in Albany by 1890, and then the descendants including the Sullivan and Brown families who owned the place until the late 1960s.
The place is associated with John Watts and his family who were well-known in Albany as musicians, performers and music store owners, who rented the place for around twenty years until the death of John Watts at the place in 1922.
The place is significant for its contribution to a precinct of heritage buildings/houses in Frederick Street comprising nos. 27, 30, 32, 34, 36, 44, 52, 58 & 61.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Prominent position on the high side of Frederick St
• Corrugated iron roof with large chimney with moulded capping
• Projecting wing with gable
• Decorative timber barge board and finial (Arts and Crafts influences)
• Timber steps leading up to verandah
• House raised on high stumps
• Timber window frames

Some obvious modifications include:
• Reinstatement of original external corrugated iron cladding (removal of 1950s asbestos sheeting)
• Replacement timber post and rail balustrading and timber steps
• Solid timber apron replacing 1950s lattice panels
• External colour scheme
• Additional window on west elevation

History

The place at 30 Frederick was originally on Lot 334 which comprised 1 acre from Frederick Street to Earl Street. The Rate Book entry for 1890 shows the land was owned by Timothy Cullinane, originally from Ireland who had just recently arrived at Albany. Timothy and Margaret Cullinane (nee Sounness) had four children, the first one Mary born in 1862, then followed by John, Elizabeth (later Mrs Newhill) and William. The Cullinanes lived in Short Street west (now Grey Street west). As well as his property investments, Timothy Cullinane also held a gallon licence in Albany for the Oriental Brewery.

In 1898, the Rate Book shows Cullinane still as owner of Lot 334 with two houses now constructed on the Lot. These would be the houses at 30 and 32 Frederick Street, often referred to as the larger house and the smaller house respectively and which together were known as the “Oakview Cottages”.

Cullinane rented these properties out with the first tenants listed in the 1898 rate book as J. E. Green and L. J. Galverley. From 1899 Timothy Cullinane was advertising in the local paper a five-roomed house to Let on Frederick Street as well as a three-roomed house which would be 30 and 32 Frederick Street. Stage-coach workers were believed to have lived for a time at 32 Frederick Street.

By 1901 Timothy had died and he bequeathed the property - which comprised the two houses plus additional vacant undeveloped land - to his eldest daughter, Mary, who was living on Albany Road. After Timothy’s death the house at 30 Frederick Street was being advertised for lease by his son, John, who was living in Frederick Street possibly at No. 32.

Mary’s only child Mary “Jane” (born 1885) married Percy Peter Sullivan. In the early 1900s, Jane and Percy moved into 32 Frederick Street with their four children, Frank, Blanch, Ivy and Joseph. Their next daughter, Kathleen, was born in 1911 at 32 Frederick Street followed by four more children who were born in the house – Dorothy, Clarry, Carmel and Edith.

One of the well-known tenants of 30 Frederick Street at this time was the Watts family. John Watts and his family came to Albany in the early 1890s and John conducted a music store and music lessons in various locations around Albany including Moirs Buildings in Peel Street, on Frederick Street, Stirling Terrace and York Street. In 1907, Watts installed the Carpenter organ in St Joseph’s Church in Aberdeen Street and in 1912, he was appointed piano tuner to the Education Department. He and his only son, Hortin, were very involved with the Albany Brass Band. In 1917, Hortin died from wounds received fighting in France. John Watts died at his home at 30 Frederick Street in 1922.

After John’s death, the Watts family moved out and the house was let to Mr and Mrs Herbert Thompson Castlehowe who lived there with their three children Joseph, Thelma and Dorrie and were also long-term residents of the house. The street address at this time was 55 Frederick Street.

In 1925, Jane and Percy Sullivan moved out of 32 Frederick Street after living there for nearly 25 years and left Albany to move to Perth. Her mother Mary Cullinane continued to lease out the two houses.

Mary’s brother, John Cullinane, who had become well-known in Albany working for many years as a carrier on the waterfront and railway station, died in 1926.

Mary passed away on 5 December 1933 aged 71. She left the Frederick Street property to Jane. After Jane passed away on 6 November 1949 at Perth, the property passed to her daughter, Ivy, who also lived in Perth so continued to lease out the houses.

In 1952, Ivy returned to Albany with her daughter Barbara (Brown) and they lived in 32 Frederick Street initially then moved into 30 Frederick Street when the Castlehowes moved out and leased No. 32. The McQueen family then lived at 32 Frederick Street. In the 1950s, significant renovations were carried out by Ivy transforming the house including replacing the original corrugated iron cladding with flat sheet asbestos. The plans (refer attached) included the following notations:
“ Proposed Alterations:
Remove double windows. Replace with lge modern type as above. Replace old verandah. Add louvers. Remove window from room adjoining verandah & replace at Eastern side of room. Remove cor. iron from building, recover with asbestos. Remove all remaining windows, replace with new. Fit new 4x2 studs & trimmers to meet asbestos. Paint.”
The house also had wooden lattice skirt.

During Ivy’s time the original Lot 334 was subdivided, creating two new Lots with frontage to Earl Street and a Lot to the east on Frederick Street which would be No. 28 Frederick Street. The houses at 30 and 32 Frederick Street however still remained on one Lot. In 1954, Ivy’s sister Dorothy returned to Albany with her husband Bert Blowes and their daughter Pamela and they lived in 32 Frederick Street. In 1956, Ivy sold Dorothy and Bert the ¼ acre block at the back of No. 30 fronting Earl Street where they built a house. Ivy then sold the adjoining ¼ acre block on Earl Street, then later the 1/3-acre Lot next door at No. 28 Frederick Street to Mr and Mrs T Barnett who built their home.

By 1969, Ivy sold both 30 and 32 Frederick Street, thereby ending the Cullinane-Sullivan connection to these houses after around 80 years of ownership. Ivy moved to Perth where she died in 1975.

The next significant changes occurred in the early 2000s. In 2002 both houses were renovated by the then owners, Andersons. For 30 Frederick Street this included recladding/overlaying the asbestos with corrugated iron – back to the original exterior. The external colour scheme was changed and the lattice skirt was replaced with solid sheeting. In 2003 the Lot was subdivided by the Andersons putting 30 and 32 Frederick Street on separate Lots for the first time. The Andersons then built a new house behind No. 30 (being 30A Frederick Street). The renovated houses at 30 and 32 Frederick Street were put up for sale in 2005. In c2009 some further renovations were made to this place, mainly changing windows back to what was believed to be more in keeping with the original windows that were taken out in the 1950s.

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.