Parkville House

Author

City of Albany

Place Number

15443

Location

136 Brunswick Rd Albany

Location Details

Local Government

Albany

Region

Great Southern

Construction Date

Constructed from 1850

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 14 Oct 2020

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Local Heritage Survey Adopted 27 Oct 2020 Considerable
Municipal Inventory Adopted 30 Jun 2001 Category B

Statement of Significance

Parkville has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: The place is one of a group of significant residences built during the Late Victorian/Federation period along this eastern end of Stirling Terrace/Brunswick Road, just outside of the Stirling Terrace Heritage Precinct, many of which were used as boarding and guest houses given their proximity to the town centre, railway station and harbour, and owing to Albany’s growing popularity as a summer holiday resort. The place is associated with Samuel Mitchell, who was the lightkeeper for Point King lighthouse and who lived at Parkville and initially set it up as a boarding house. The place is associated with Francis Bird, well-known and prominent WA architect, including serving as Chief Government Architect for WA, who then started his own private practice after moving to Albany where he lived with his family for many years at the Strawberry Hill Farm and designed many significant residential buildings. The place reflects the typical dwelling of a rising middle class that emerged from the commercial and service industries that developed around the port of Albany in the latter part of the 19th century particularly when Albany was the main port for Western Australia. Boarding/guest houses such as this were predominantly established and run by women making them an important and respectable avenue of work for local women at a time when other employment opportunities, especially for married women and even widows living in urban areas, were rare.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include: • Substantial two storey residence with views across jetty and over town • Prominent gabled wing with projecting bay at lower level on front elevation • Verandah on front side, with timber posts and timber balustrading is original • Smaller ornamental roof gable on side elevation Some obvious modifications include: • Additions at rear • Side verandah added to protect exposed brickwork from weather • Addition of gable on side elevation • Enclosure of verandah at upper level with glass • Front timber picket fence removed

History

Parkville was built in the Victorian period as a two-storey cottage originally expressing the Georgian style. (It was seen in a photo in 1863.) The house was thought to have been originally built for the residence of the Head Gaoler at the gaol, then situated over the road in Lawley Park. It was extended in the early 1890s for retired Point King lighthouse keeper, Samuel Mitchell, who intended to operate a guesthouse. The architect for the alterations and extensions was well-known architect Francis Bird who served as Chief Government Architect for WA in 1883. By 1889, Bird and his family had settled in Albany and lived at/owned the historic Strawberry Hill Farm. In Albany, Bird worked as a private architect and also designed other significant residences in Albany including 23 Aberdeen Street (which became the Albany Club), 120 Brunswick Rd (Lawley House), 55 Burt Street (The Priory) and 64 Spencer Street. It was during this renovation that the Federation styled façade was added by Bird. Since the 1890s and for the next 100 years it was used as some form of boarding or guesthouse and called Parkville. In the early 1900s Parkville was run by Mrs Mowforth, advertising five rooms with or without furniture, and in particular accommodation for married couples. In 1906 Mrs Mowforth sold the business and it was taken over by Miss Mitchell (1907-08) then Mrs J D Thomas (1908) then Mrs F E Wright (1909-10). In September 1912 Parkville was put on the market by Mrs Mitchell of Narpin Mt Barker. Mrs Currer then became proprietress. By 1920 Mrs Bauditz became Parkerville’s well-known proprietress. Her husband Paul, carpenter and cabinet maker, advertised his services from Parkville. In April 1925, the auction of Mrs Bauditz’s famous boarding house establishment Parkville was advertised. In 1925 it was taken up by Mrs Goddard. During the Great Depression years both the top and bottom verandah areas were enclosed for extra accommodation. At this time, it was a 14-bedroom establishment. In June 1934 Mrs Goddard relinquished the business and held an auction of furniture and effects. During World War II Parkville was used as Rest and Recreation accommodation for visiting American submariners. After the war the house was converted to a girls’ hostel to lodge country girls who came to Albany for either school or work. The place now comprised sitting, dining, kitchen and eight rooms. In the 1940s, Mrs C C Palmer was running Parkville. In the 1950s it was being run by Mrs Dickenson who built on the laundry at the back. It was later owned by David and Christine Duvall and was called the ‘Colonial Guest House’. It was purchased by the Malacari family in December 1994. The dwelling continued as a guesthouse until converted into a private residence for the Malacaris in 1998. Arthur and Heather Malacari spent much time and effort sensitively restoring the house including building the verandah and gable on the west side of the residence. In 2014 they added a separate garage to the south of the property.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High/Moderate Authenticity: Moderate

Condition

Good

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
Heritage Database City of Albany 1995
L Johnson; "Town of Albany Heritage Survey". 1994
C Day; "Oral history interview with Heather Malacari" Heritage Today 2000
Heritage TODAY Site visit and Assessment 1999

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use RESIDENTIAL Two storey residence
Present Use RESIDENTIAL Two storey residence

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Filigree

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

10 Mar 2000

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

07 Dec 2021

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.