Residence, 3 Chalwell Street

Statement of Significance

• The place has aesthetic value as a simple demonstration of the inter war style.
• The place has historic value for its association with the development of the area known as Palm Beach in the 1930s as a holiday destination.

Physical Description

Simple single storey house early house on a large lot.
The house presents with a fibre cement façade and side elevations which may be representative of an enclosed verandah. The house is of regular plan form with hipped tiled roof with a slight break of pitch with open eaves. Aluminium framed sliding windows with security grilles dominate the façade and visible east elevation with canopies over the front windows. The property has a limestone base.
Mature trees are located within the front garden with a number of sheds/outbuildings in the rear garden. A driveway extends along the eastern boundary of the site and the front boundary is enclosed by a block wall with palisade panels.

History

In the 1920s, Rockingham became a popular holiday destination due to the rapid increase in the use of motor transport that made the place more accessible from the Perth metropolitan area for day-trippers and holidaymakers. There were new shops, tearooms, and recreational facilities provided.
This area to the east of Rockingham was originally covered with thick shrub and pine trees right down to the beach, and hence its first name Pine Palm Beach. In the early 1920s, holiday cottages were built in the vicinity of Fisher Street and the Esplanade for holidaymakers. There was a clump of Cypress Pine in front of the cottages, which was very useful for yachtsmen and fisherman as an anchorage for their boats and shelter to camp under. In 1943, the last pine was removed to make way for the Naval Jetty, which now known as Palm Beach Jetty. By the 1950s, the area was known as Palm Beach and the beach was occupied by beach shacks and holiday cottages
A subdivision plan for this lot was approved by the Department of Lands and Surveys in 1961. The style of this residence is consistent with earlier development and it is shown in an aerial photograph in 1953 which suggests the building was constructed prior to the formal approval of the subdivision. The original owner or occupiers of this property have not been determined.
Aerial photographs indicate that the form of the original cottage has changed little since the mid-20th century despite the construction of a small addition to the rear of the cottage.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High

Condition

Fair

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.