House, 13 Devon Road

Statement of Significance

• This place has aesthetic value as a well-executed and intact example of the Federation style built for a professional family.
• The place has historic value for its association with the development of this area of Bassendean in the early 20th century.
• This place has social value as a demonstration of the form and scale of housing in the early 1900s.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and iron house of traditional asymmetric plan form to the façade. The roof is hipped with a gable to the projecting section of the façade. Both the roof and the verandah canopy have been reclad in zincalume. The house has been extended towards the rear creating a stepped western elevation. The house is of face brick construction with a rendered band extending around the north and western elevations at sill height. The windows to the front elevation are single 1-over-1 sash windows with painted concrete sills. The main entrance is located on the western side of the house. The roof is a complex hipped form with a series of three hips positioned behind each other. The shallow projecting bay to the front elevation incorporates a gable with fibrous plaster sheeting and timber batten
detailing. Tall brick corbelled chimneys are located on east and west planes of the roof. The bullnose verandah is a separate element to the main roof and extends across the full width of the façade, supported on square timber columns. The verandah has a timber deck with no balustrading. A paved driveway extends along the eastern boundary leading to a detached garage in the rear. The front garden is mainly grass enclosed by a high timber picket fence.

History

In 1897, land speculator, parliamentarian and government assayer, Henry Anstey purchased a large parcel designated as Location Q which he subdivided and offered for sale under the name 'Bindaring Estate'. Devon Road was part of this estate and the name owes its origin to the county in England. From the available information this residence was built in 1911 for George Hollis Gardiner (1872-1936) and his wife Amy Clara Gardiner (née Hitchcock) (1888-1980). George and Amy had married in 1910 and the couple moved into this home and raised their family of seven children. George Gardiner worked as a clerk before enlisting to serve in the AIF during World War One. In later years he worked as a grocer and following
his death in 1936, Amy lived on in the house until her death in 1980. Devon Road was closely associated with members of the Gardiner family. George was one of three brothers who lived in the street in the early 20th century. His father Colonel Stephen Murray Gardiner was the first Inspector of Schools in Guildford. Aerial photographs indicate that the house underwent significant extensions c2009 including recladding of the roof in zincalume, replacing the original corrugated iron. The owners of the property c2004 indicated
that prior to 2004 many of the original structures in the back yard had been removed.

Integrity/Authenticity

High
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.