Goderich Street Precinct

Parent Place or Precinct

04299 Goderich & Bennett Streets Residential Precinct

Child Places

• 25526 Three Houses, 55-59 Goderich St
• 04652 Houses at 51-53 Goderich Street

Values

The place is a rare surviving precinct of Victorian Georgian architecture in the City of Perth

The place is a relatively rare extant urban residential precinct

The place is an aesthetically pleasing complete streetscape that has retained much of its original fabric

Physical Description

Goderich Street Precinct is a row of six primarily painted or rendered brick and iron, Victorian Georgian style, single-storey residences.

History

In the 1870s East Perth slowly developed as a residential area, as the city population gradually increased. East Perth was characterised by expansive houses built facing the river on large lots along Adelaide Terrace and Howick (Hay Street). Further north the area was largely low-lying and swampy and more typical cottages on smaller subdivided lots were the norm as the area was regarded as less attractive. East Perth was the site of the first cemetery, and the earliest industries were a brickwork which operated on the site of what is now Queen’s Gardens, and a tannery.

By 1890, laundries, foundries, saw mills, various factories, and numerous stables were operating in the district, all draining into Claise Brook which was used as an open drain to the river. The district was also the site of a rubbish tip which remained in use until 1903. The huge increase in population that accompanied the gold boom precipitated a housing shortage. A tent city developed in East Perth, occupied in particular by men on their way to the goldfields. During the 1890s, outer city areas were quickly built out. Because of its particular characteristics, East Perth was established with cheap rental housing on small landholdings. The building boom of 1890s resulting from the Gold Rush period resulted in large areas of what is now regarded as inner Perth to be rebuilt, and few houses from the earlier periods of development survived, except those that were of a high density of land use.

East Perth was again subject to pressure of redevelopment in the 1960s, again sparked by a mining boom, and in Goderich Street old houses were demolished to make way for commercial buildings, medical facilities, and apartments. In the 1990s most of the surrounding area has been the focus of urban redevelopment, leaving only a small precinct of late nineteenth century housing, including Houses at 51-53 Goderich Street (RHP 07/02/1997) and the remainder of this precinct.

The assessment documentation for Houses at 51-53 Goderich Street states the place comprises two small brick houses dating from the 1870s and 1880s, which were constructed separately, but have recently been joined to form one building by the introduction of a small linking structure. Perth Council Rate Collection Book (1879), the City of Perth's earliest extant rate collection book, lists the dwelling at No. 53 and notes that a dwelling at No. 51 was under construction, with both houses owned by James C. Fleming, Inspector of Telegraphs. Frequently rental properties were built on these smaller lots, and it is likely that Houses at 51-53 Goderich Street were rental properties, and Fleming, in accordance with his professional status, lived further west, on the city side of Victoria Square.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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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.