HOUSE, 120 WRAY AVENUE

Statement of Significance

House, 128 Wray Avenue, is a typical rendered masonry and iron single storey house dating from 1904/05. The place has aesthetic value for its contribution to the streetscape and the surrounding area. It is representative of the typical workers' houses in the Fremantle area. The place is an example of the Federation Bungalow style of architecture.

Physical Description

House, 120 Wray Avenue is a single storey, rendered masonry and iron house with an asymmetrical facade designed as an example of the Federation Bungalow style of architecture. The walls are painted and rendered masonry. The roof is hipped and gabled and clad with corrugated iron. The façade is asymmetrical with a projecting front room. There is a high level brick wall to the front boundary and several large trees making further description difficult.

History

Wray Avenue was originally Hampton Street. The named was changed to avoid confusion with the intersecting Hampton Road. It became Alexander Road, after Laurence Alexander, Mayor 1901-1902, and a representative of Falk & Co. The street name was again changed to avoid confusion with Alexandra Road in East Fremantle, and became Wray Avenue in 1923. It was named for William E Wray, at one time with the Education Dept as Truant Inspector, and a resident of the street. He was on the Fremantle Tramways Board and Mayor of Fremantle, 1914-1918. House, 120 Wray Avenue was formerly 160; renumbering occurred in 1934/35. The house is one of three identical stone cottages built for Harry Higham in 1904/5. They were leased out by Higham to tenants and Thomas Wilson first occupied this house. A plan of the site in 1908 shows the stone cottages as identical in plan with an asymmetrical front elevation with a verandah. At the rear of the houses were stone additions across the full width of the rear elevation with a water tank adjacent. In the backyards were timber sheds and a brick closet. This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Red: "Significantly contributing to the unique character of Fremantle") A photograph of the house at that time shows that the place was in relatively good condition with a corrugated iron roof and rendered walls. The front verandah had been enclosed with a structure of louvers and sheet cladding. It appears to have been used as a child care centre at this time. Steps led up to the front door and the front boundary was defined with a low masonry wall.

Integrity/Authenticity

Unable to determine (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Condition

Unable to determine (assessed from streetscape survey only).

Uses

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update