Gibney House (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Bishop Gibney’s House (Lourdes) at No. 50 Vincent Street is a fine example of the Federation Arts & Crafts style and a sophisticated example of balanced assymmetrical design. Lourdes has close associations with its original owner Bishop Gibney and the development of the area, particularly the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions and the Redemptorist Monastery. More latterly it has associations with the Highgate Hill parish and the Franciscan Friars.

Physical Description

The single storey bungalow is an impressive example of the Federation Arts and Crafts style. It has a hipped roof over the main body of the house, with a smaller hipped roof over the projecting front room. The roof is extended with a crippled verandah to a low eaves line. The entry porch is drawn forward from the hipped roof and verandah to form a central decorative feature which balances the assymmetry of the composition. The tiled roof has been replaced with cement tiles. The entry porch and the verandah have paired corner timber posts. The entry has a timber arch set under a timber and plaster gable, between pairs of posts with fretwork bressemer panels. It is capped with a decorative cross. The verandah bays are given a skipping rhythm with their elongated decorative brackets. A bay window with 5 casement lights and fanlights forms the front wall of the projecting room and the front room under the verandah has a pair of french doors. Garden setback behind the low brick and wrought iron (1950s) front fence Roof tiles replaced

History

The house at No 50 Vincent Street was constructed in 1911, and occupied by Catholic Bishop, Matthew Gibney following his resignation from the Bishopric. Matthew Gibney was ordained Bishop of the Perth Diocese in 1886, but problems with financial management resulted in his resignation in 1910. He is recorded as occupying a house at No 60 Vincent Street in 1915, but this is clearly the same house with an earlier street number, as although the street numbers changed over the following years, the number of houses in that section of Vincent street remained the same until at least 1930. Bishop Gibney's House was known as 'Lourdes'. The house was located in close proximity to the Sacred Heart precinct at Highgate Hill. Bishop Gibney had purchased (or built) some other houses in the area in the late 1890s, which were occupied by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (1897-1899) and the Redemptorist Fathers (1899-1903) prior to them obtaining their own accommodation. Bishop Gibney's House was built next door to the two cottages originally occupied by the Redemptorist Fathers. The MWSSDD sewerage plan of 1930 shows an identical semi-detached pair on either side of No. 50 Vincent Street (Nos. 46-48 & Nos. 52-54), which were most likely the cottages referred to. In 1897, Bishop Gibney engaged architect Michael Cavanagh to design 20 houses for the Highgate area. These earlier cottages may have been some of them. Following Bishop Gibney's death in June 1925, No. 50 Vincent Street was sold. In January 1942, the Highgate Hill parish priest, Father Wallace, purchased the property for use as his Presbytery. It continued in this function until at least 1964 (possibly much later), when a house adjoining the Sacred Heart Church was acquired for that purpose. No. 50 is still owned by the Catholic Church and is occupied by the Franciscan Friars.

Integrity/Authenticity

Intact

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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