House, 3 Riverside Road

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
No 3 Riverside Road is a single storey house constructed in limestone and brickwork with a corrugated iron roof. The place has historic and aesthetic value with its contribution to Plympton's high concentration of significant building fabric. It contributes to the local community’s sense of place.
The place has some heritage value for its intrinsic aesthetic value as a representation of a Federation Bungalow. It retains a moderate degree of authenticity and a high degree of integrity.
The front garage additions have no significance. Alterations to the interior have little significance. The rear setting has no significance. The boundary wall to Canning Highway is intrusive.
AESTHETIC SIGNIFICANCE
No 3 Riverside Road has considerable aesthetic value as a representation of a Federation Bungalow. Although a degree of restoration has occurred to the place it represents the characteristics of the period.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
No 3 Riverside Road has some historic value. It was part of the suburban residential development associated with the expansion of East Fremantle during the Goldrush period of the 1880s and 1890s.
SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE
N/A
SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE
No 3 Riverside Road has some social value. It is associated with a significant area of worker’s cottages which contributes to the community's sense of place.
RARITY
No 3 Riverside Road is not rare in the immediate context but Plympton has rarity value as a working class suburb.

Physical Description

Federation
Bungalow w Regency Influence

No 3 Riverside Road is a single storey house constructed in limestone and brick with a gabled corrugated iron roof. It is a restored dwelling in the Federation Bungalow style. It is asymmetrically planned with a thrust bay and full width and return verandah. The original verandah and its details have been replaced twice to achieve its current form. The verandah is a broken back roofed verandah supported on stop chamfered timber posts. A post vertical timber balustrade spans between the posts. The thrust bay features several double hung sash windows. There is a central door and hopper light flanked by sidelights and a pair of double hung sash windows. The openings to the east of the entry door have been modified from their original form. All opening have brick quoins which are later additions. The building sits highly elevated above the street level with a terraced garden.
There is a garage addition at the front of the lot. The north east section of the residence has been reconstructed. The original corrugated iron roof has been replaced. There have been several modifications to the interior including the removal of walls, modification of openings, replacement of fireplaces and modifications to interior finishes.
The place is a unique development on Riverside Road in Plympton. It is the only single storey building in the immediate locality. It is distinguishable from the predominant building pattern of Plympton by the topography and river orientated views. However the place plays a role in the pattern of development of a working class suburb. In this case it was a house built for a business owner.

History

Historic Theme: Demographic Settlement

Plympton is a cohesive precinct where most of the places were constructed in the late nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century. It is comprised primarily of homes for workers and their families, with a high concentration of small lots with timber, brick and stone cottages. Riverside Road differs from the majority of Plympton due to the topography and its lot sizes.
It is thought that the house was built for one of the owners of the Castlemaine Brewery and is the only surviving building associated with it.
John Hugh Gracie, who arrived in Western Australia in 1896. Gracie was born in Hobart in 1855. His father had been manager of the Cascade Brewery. At the age of 30 Gracie took over his father’s position where he remained for five years. He subsequently moved to Melbourne where he was engaged in various brewing businesses, followed by Bathurst, where he was brewer at the Crown Brewery.
On 4th January 1892 Lots 10, 11 and 12 of Swan Location 62 were transferred to Gracie and Walter Frederick Walkley. In December 1894 the same pair obtained Lot 9. Lot 9 was procured to facilitate an expansion of their brewing business they obtained in 1906. The brewery was located on Lots 1 and 2. This was formerly the Fremantle Brewing & Ice Co.
In 1906 Gracie obtained (as sole proprietor) the title to Lots 5 and 6. It has sometimes been assumed that this date coincides with the construction of the property currently on this land. However the Post Office Directories indicate that Gracie resided on Riverside Road closer to East Street and that Henry King and Matthew Moss occupied properties between Gracie and the Castlemaine Brewery.
Harry Digby Beard acquired the place in 1915 according to the Post Office Directories. Beard was the son of a renowned local draper Fisher Beard who operated a draper business in Fremantle.
The place was restored in the 1980s (refer physical description). A number of early post World War II interventions were reversed to achieve a good outcome.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Excellent

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.