House

Statement of Significance

The place at 21 Cuthbert Street has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is associated with the McKenzie family, early settlers to Albany and prominent maritime, commercial and civic entrepreneurs - Hugh McKenzie being the owner of the land when the house was built.
The place is a fine yet simple example of a timber and iron Federation Bungalow, and its use of timber relatively rare for residences in the historic townsite particularly the western side of the town which is dominated more by brick and stone construction.
It is one of a group of houses in the historically important Cuthbert Street Precinct that have heritage value both individually and as part of a streetscape which has high aesthetic value for its overall harmonious and consistent built environment and landscaped setting.
The place is part of the Cuthbert Street precinct, a well-defined and rare in-tact example of one of the earliest streetscapes in the historic town centre which was developed in the mid-late 19th century and early 20th century reflecting the Victorian, Federation and Inter-War periods.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• House is set back from the road behind a picket fence and hedge
• Weatherboard construction, with corrugated iron side wall
• Prominent gabled wing
• Verandah extends across the rest of the front elevation
• Wooden sash windows
• Mirror image of No. 13 Cuthbert Street

Some obvious modifications include:
• External colour scheme changed (c2015)
• Sun hood over gable window

History

The house at 21 Cuthbert Street was on Lot 59 originally owned by Thomas Mason. The Lot ran from Cuthbert Street to Parade Street. The Rate Book entry for 1895 shows Lot 59 under Parade Street, owned by J McKenzie and with a house tenanted by William Cobert, bricklayer. However, this would be 28 Parade Street.
By 1900 Lot 59 was owned by Hugh McKenzie – John’s brother - and the Rate Book entry now shows two houses on the Lot at the Cuthbert Street end being No. 13 and No. 21 Cuthbert Street. A panorama photograph of Albany dated c1896-1898 shows these two timber houses indicating that they were built c1895. It is likely that Hugh McKenzie built these houses but it is not known if he lived in either of them; they would have likely been built as investment properties. In 1900 the tenant at No. 21 was Mrs Emma Long, widow, and No. 13 is vacant.

In 1926, Lot 59 was subdivided from the western portion at Parade Street.

In 1949, Albany Council adopted a by-law across designated areas of the central townsite - which included Cuthbert Street - requiring that all dwellings, shops and warehouses be built only of brick, stone or reinforced concrete, thereby not permitting timber to be used as the primary building material for external wall cladding. This by-law was not an uncommon one and adopted by most local councils in both metropolitan and regional areas owing to the hazards of timber mainly in relation to fire. However, this later policy makes the timber houses still extant in Cuthbert Street an important part of its historic and eclectic mix of building materials.

Hugh McKenzie was part of the famous McKenzie family who first settled in Albany in 1840 and became prominent in the maritime industry, as commercial merchants and as local politicians and civic leaders. Hugh McKenzie’s brother Cuthbert McKenzie, former Mayor of Albany and local MLA was whom the street was named after.

Originally called Short Street, renamed Cuthbert Street in 1899, this was one of the earliest streets developed in the historic townsite area of Albany and contains mostly simple workers cottages.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
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.