Commercial

Statement of Significance

The place has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
• For its historic value as one of only five surviving examples of corner stores that were built in Subiaco/Shenton Park in the 1920s (all of which date from c.1921-1922). Despite some modifications, it is a good representative example of its type.
• For its aesthetic contribution to a largely intact Hensman Road streetscape of early twentieth century houses.

Physical Description

At the time of the inspection (September 2021) the building is under repairs. Based on viewing and previous photographic evidence, the following description has been prepared:

142 Hensman Road is a single storey painted brick building with a corrugated steel hip roof designed in the Inter-War Free Classical style of architecture. The former store is located on the corner of Hensman Road and Nicholson Road. The building is splayed at the corner with a zero setback and a parapet wall above. The parapet has a semi-circular arch to the corner. The building’s entry addresses the splayed corner with brick voussoir above and a steel framed highlight. There is an air conditioner in place of the highlight. On either side of the corner there are large window openings. Additional windows extend along the southern elevation. There is a large backyard enclosed by a face brick wall that is approximately 1500mm high. Several mature trees line the verge along Nicholson Road and Hensman Road. The place is serviced by a rear laneway.

History

The following extract has been taken from the heritage assessment of 142 Hensman Road, Subiaco, prepared by Greenward Consulting, August 2020.
As the population of Subiaco grew during the early twentieth century, retail services were established to serve the local community. In addition to the commercial centre that developed along Rokeby Road and Hay Street, small general stores sprang up throughout the residential areas. At a time before supermarkets and the widespread use of motor cars, and when ice chests were used to store household perishables, local stores provided easy, day-to-day access to goods such as bread, milk, meat, fruit and vegetables, as well as to general groceries. Shops were usually constructed along popular through-roads and, over time, Hensman Road, Derby Road, Nicholson Road, Keightley Road and Onslow Road all provided a particular focus for this type of development.
By 1930, there were eight local shops in the otherwise residential section of Nicholson Road defined by Coolgardie Street and Hensman Road. These included four mixed businesses, two grocers, a butcher and a newsagent. Of these, four sites have been fully redeveloped and only 52-54 Nicholson Road (constructed c.1905), 107 Nicholson Road (c.1916) and 142 Hensman Road (c.1922) are still readily identifiable as early twentieth century retail premises.

Lot 20, DP 2405 (now known as 142 Hensman Road) was purchased by Mary Ann Nissen in 1907, but it was another 15 years before the site was developed. Advertisements for shop fittings and equipment indicate that the Nissen family was establishing a butcher shop in Nicholson Road in July 1922. Nissen & Sons, Butchers, were listed at the subject site in the Post Office Directories in 1923 and, as this was the first entry for this property, it is almost certain that the shop was constructed at around that time.

The readily available evidence suggests that Peter Nissen (c.1870-1936) and Mary Ann Rilen (c.1872-1959) were married in Victoria in c.1894 and that they had at least 7 children in the period c.1895-1916 (at least one of whom, Peter Jr, also worked as a butcher). Members of this family had settled in Subiaco by 1904 and lived at 1 Austin Street from c.1908 until c.1937. No members of the Nissen family were listed as independent butchers in the Trades section of the Post Office Directories of 1915-1922 or 1926-1930. It therefore seems likely that they usually worked for others and that this was a short-lived (and unsuccessful) attempt at operating their own shop.
In mid-1925 the premises were advertised for sale as a:
… substantial Brick Shop, with one room, back verandah (cement floor), with equipment for BUTCHER’S SHOP; window, counters, large cooling chamber, etc.; also stables.

Just under a year later the property was again advertised for sale, this time as an established mixed business:

FRUIT, Greengrocer, Drinks, Tobacco, Dairy Produce, etc., big turnover, with Freehold, deposit £150, balance easy. 142 Hensman-rd. Subiaco.

The building continued to be occupied as a mixed business until at least the late 1960s and, like many shops of this nature, had a high turn-over of proprietors during this period, including:

• c.1926-1927: Miss Norma Mary McLeod
• c.1928: Mrs Clara Jane Surman
• c.1929: Mr Michael McCarthy
• c.1930-1932: Mr Herbert William Newing
• c.1933: Mrs M. Owen
• c.1934-1946: Mr Samuel Walker Kenny
• c.1947: Mr David Robert Meldrum
• c.1949: Mrs Rose Muriel Storer
• mid to late 1950s: Mr & Mrs Leonard and Eunice McAuliffe

Metropolitan Sewerage Plans (c.1927) confirm that the original footprint of the building was much smaller than at present, comprising the shop with just one attached room, a street verandah wrapping around the shopfront, and a private rear verandah. However, entries in the Electoral Rolls indicate that the property was occupied as both a shop and residence from at least 1926, when the Electoral Rolls identified 142 Hensman Road as the residential address for Norma Mary McLeod, shopkeeper.

A comparison of the historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plans with historical aerial photographs indicates that the building was extended to the north at some stage between c.1927 and 1953, almost certainly to create a separate residential entry and bedroom for the very modest residential quarters. This addition was largely (or fully) replaced in c.1955, when major additions were undertaken by Leonard and Eunice McAuliffe. These extended the building to the north and east, providing three bedrooms, a kitchen, living area, indoor bathroom and toilet, and a large enclosed rear verandah for the residence – and created the present general footprint.
The aerial photographs from the 1950s and 1960s also show the traditional street verandah wrapping around the south-west corner and extending over each of the large shopfront windows, but this had been removed by the mid-late 1970s. The next major change appears to have been the replacement of the roof with the current corrugated sheeting in 2001.

142 Hensman Road was adopted on the Local Heritage Survey in 2002 and on the City of Subiaco Heritage List in 2015.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - medium
Authenticity - medium

Condition

Based on a streetscape inspection the building appears to be in a good condition.

Uses

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.