North Perth Post Office (fmr)

Statement of Significance

The former post office at No. 39 Angove Street has significant social and historic value as the first purpose built post office in North Perth and serving the needs of the growing North Perth community prior to World War One.

Physical Description

The former brick and iron North Perth Post Office at No. 39 Angove Street was constructed in 1903. The structure is located on a corner site at the intersection of Angove and Woodville Streets. The corner point of the structure has been truncated and forms the entrance to the place. The main roof from is hipped with a one room skillion addition attached to the Woodville side of the structure. The roof sheeting and verandah has recently been replaced and today a bull nose verandah runs almost the whole length of the facade. The bull nose verandah stops short along the Woodville Street elevation where the skillion addition begins. The facade facing Angove Street features one timber framed casement window and two timber framed sash windows, all with decorative mullion detail. The Woodville Street elevation has one timber framed sash window. Access is gained through a single glass panel door, which is adorned with a square fanlight, within the truncated corner point of the structure. The shop has a nil set back from the street and a corner entry point. The subject lot extends along Woodville Street approximately 47 metres. Within the rear portion of the subject lot there is a carpark and a mature Jacaranda tree, which is approximately 40 years old. New windows in orginal openings. Bullnose verandah

History

Angove Street was constructed at an angle across the top of Percy Estate in order to link Fitzgerald Street with Scarborough Beach Road. The subdivision, one of the earliest was carried out by Solomon Herman's Gold Estates of Australia, and the street was named after William Angove, a surveyor who worked on the project. The former North Perth Post Office at No. 39 Angove Street (corner of Woodville Street), was constructed in 1903 at time when other civic buildings were being built in North Perth including the North Perth Town Hall (1902) and the North Perth Police Station (1908), both located in View Street. The post office at No. 39 Angove Street, possibly designed by Hillson Beasley (PWD chief architect), was constructed at a cost of 1,720 pounds but only operated as a post and telegraph office until 1914. In 1916, a new post office opened in View Street, North Perth, in closer proximity to the other civic buildings mentioned above. Miss Watson was the Post Mistress in 1906 (she also ran a store there) and the last Post Master at the Angove Street building prior to its move to View Street, was Derrick Phillip. No. 39 Angove Street was converted to a Government State Bank in 1915 and Mr. Phillip continued to operate his store there. Both he and the State Bank continued to operate from the building until 1930. The Post Office Directories reveal that the building was vacant between 1931 and 1933, following that various different businesses operated there throughout the 1930's and 1940's including a boot maker, Mr. Horace Collins, Mr Eyre who ran a mixed business and Mr Arthur Temple who operated a hairdresser until at least 1949. It is currently partly owned by Casson Homes (Inc.) who operate Casson House in Woodville Street and also St Rita's Nursing Home in View Street.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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