House, 56 Kenny Street

Statement of Significance

• This place has aesthetic value as an intact example of the Inter War style. • The place has historic value for its association with the development of this area of Bassendean in the Inter War period. • This place has social value as the house demonstrates the form and scale of housing for working families in the inter war period.

Physical Description

Single storey brick and iron house with hipped and gabled roof. The brick façade is tuckpointed and also incorporated a rendered band extending across the façade at approximately mid-way up the elevation which also wraps around a porthole window on the return of the projecting section of elevation. The door and window openings have painted concrete lintels and painted concrete sills to the windows. The windows are timber framed casements arranged in groups with the porthole window and the small window to the south east end of the façade both have leaded windows. The façade is asymmetric in form incorporating a three section façade with the main projecting section located at the north-east corner of the elevation which has a group of three timber framed windows and a timbered gable roof detail. The roof is a complex hipped and gable form to the street facing elevation incorporating two main timbered gables to the front of the roof, a hipped roof behind and a further hipped roof with a small timbered gablet to the rear. The roof is clad in corrugated iron with the central hip extending down to form the verandah canopy at a slight break of pitch. The verandah extends across almost the full width of the elevation and continues across the carport addition. The canopy is supported on square timber posts with timber brackets and the verandah deck is timber. The north-east corner of the property comprises the carport addition which incorporates a gable feature above the opening. The verandah canopy has been extended to include the carport with the additions being of sympathetic design to the main house. The garden is enclosed by a high brick and timber panel fence.

History

This portion of Bassendean was subdivided by a group of investors in the early 1900s under the promotional name of 'Tanner's Estate' or the 'Tanner's Extension Estate'. The group of investors included some of the most well known members of colonial society: S.H. Parker, G.H.Leake, H. Anstey, Dr D. Kenny, J. James, J. Grave, H.E. Parry, Dr. J. Hope and W. Paterson. Three of these men; Parker, Leake and Paterson; were at various times members of parliament. Kenny Street was named after Dr Daniel Kenny (1860-1915), born in Ireland and trained as a medical doctor at Trinity College; he achieved several prominent postings in medical, political and business life in Western Australia. The street began to be settled in the 1910s with most intense development in the Inter War period. From the available information this residence was constructed in 1927 for Fred and Agnes Booth, nee Friebe. This couple named the residence 'Hawthorn' and lived there until the late 1940s raising their family. Fred worked as an iron moulder, probably at the Midland Railway Workshops. Aerial photographs indicate that the building has not changed significantly since the mid-20th century. An addition to the rear of the residence was constructed in the late 1960s and this was later incorporated under the one roof structure. The carport structure on the northern side of the residence was constructed c1990.

Integrity/Authenticity

High Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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