Stidworthy Residence (fmr)

Author

City of South Perth

Place Number

04689

Location

130 Mill Point Rd South Perth

Location Details

Other Name(s)

La Petite Noir
Ladislav's Restaurant

Local Government

South Perth

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1900

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 14 Nov 2000
State Register Registered 15 May 1998 HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument, HCWebsite.Listing+ListingDocument

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Statement of Significance

The following statement is drawn from the Heritage Council of Western Australia Register entry for the inclusion of Stidworthy Residence (fmr) in the State Register of Heritage Places in 1997. Stidworthy Residence (fmr), a two-storey brick and tile residence with a timber framed street facade at first floor level, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: • the place has aesthetic value for its unusual and eclectic design; • the place is significant as a substantial addition to the built landscape of the developing municipality of South Perth at the turn of the century, and for its close association with the history of Perth Zoological Gardens; • the shop is the only remaining example of a number of ‘tearooms’ which were popular in the area; it is a representation of the recreational habits of Perth residents at this time; • the place has retained a clear sense of its original mixed-use function and represents the way of life of a particular class of people in Perth in the early twentieth century; • the place has landmark value within South Perth due to its prominent location and open situation on the corner of Mill Point Road and Darley Street; • the place has streetscape value for its proximity to other historic buildings and the prominent mature palm trees on the site; and, the place is representative of the work of its original owner, designer and builder who was a figure of some local prominence in his field.

Physical Description

The Stidworthy Residence and Tearooms (Former) is a local landmark due to its distinctive architectural style, prominent location along Mill Point Road and mature palm trees to the corner of the site. The former Stidworthy Residence is a distinctive two-storey building with no setback from the Mill Point Road boundary. There is symmetry to the façade with a recessed centrally located entrance door flanked by full height windows. The upper level contains two 3-section timber framed casement windows and balcnies down both sides connected by a canopy across the façade, supported on prominent curved brackets. The upper floor roof overhangs the ground floor supported on solid masonry columns of the Tuscan order. The side balconies have timber balustrades and posts. The building is of rendered brick construction to the majority of the structure with the overhang being clad with scalloped edge timber weatherboards. The masonry walls behind the timber section rise to form a parapet wall which hides a low pitched roof.

History

The Stidworthy Residence and Tearooms (Fmr), situated on the corner of Mill Point Road and Darley Street, South Perth was designed and constructed in c1901-1902 by its owner, Mr Frederick Stidworthy, a local South Perth builder/contractor and stone mason. The site forms part of the land originally granted to William Fisher Mends. Most of the property was subsequently purchased by Supreme Court Judge, Sir Edward Albert Stone, who sold portion of it to Charles Darley on 26 June 1892. Darley subdivided the land and sold Lot 5 to Frederick Stidworthy (c1858-1918) on 1 April 1900. Stidworthy and his wife, Lucy, and their eight children had moved from New South Wales to Perth around 1900 at the suggestion of Ernest Le Souef, who was the Director of the new Zoological Gardens at South Perth. Stidworthy designed and built all the early stonework at the Zoological Gardens, including the cave-like bear pits. In mid 1900, Frederick Stidworthy advertised for a labourer to undertake plastering work and a carpenter for a project opposite the zoo. In November 1900, he advertised for a tuck pointer for a project opposite the Zoo. This information indicates the residence was constructed in 1900. In February 1901, Frederick Stidworthy applied for an Eating House licence 'for the shop or rooms which I now occupy, or intend to occupy, situated opposite the Zoological Gardens, Suburban Road South Perth and known as the Refreshment Rooms; now holding a temporary licence'. After the Stidworthys moved into their family home, they catered for boarders, and from 1902 until 1918, Lucy Stidworthy operated tea rooms from the shop front of the building. This was in the early years of the Zoological Gardens, when the Zoo entrance was located in Suburban Road opposite. In 1906, the property was transferred to Lucy Stidworthy. On 15 July 1918, Frederick Stidworthy died after being stabbed in an altercation at or near the City Hotel, in Barrack Street, Perth. The Stidworthy family continued to live at this address until 1935. The building was then leased to Mr John Randall, a hotel keeper, for five years. Mrs M E Randall rented out apartments within the property. During World War II, members of the Stidworthy family moved into the ‘maid’s quarters’, a timber structure which had been situated at the rear of the block. City records show that a building licence for a laundry and wash house was issued in 1958. This outbuilding was demolished in 1996. The property was in the ownership of various members of the Stidworthy family from 1900 to 1952, and rooms were rented to a number of people over the years, including from 1938 to 1941 to a Miss P Hafferen, who was listed in Wise’s Post Office Directories for these years as a dressmaker. In 1952, the property was sold to Mr Pietro Nunziato Corica, storekeeper, and Joseph Corica, tailor. The property remained in the Corica family until 1993, when it was sold to overseas purchaser, Efendi Kusnadi Khoe and Fong Lan Tjhin of Indonesia. In December 1963, the Council considered a report by the City’s Senior Health Inspector, regarding the unauthorised use of portion of the building as a boarding house. At that time, the premises consisted of three flats and a café. Two of the flats were above the café, and one of these was legitimately rented. The remainder of the building was rented by Mr Marcos Dindic. The shop front was used as a café and served meals prepared in the kitchen of the downstairs flat which was occupied by Mr Dindic. The other upstairs flat was let by Dindic to boarders, with five beds available for use. In 1979, a French-style restaurant, Le Petit Niçois, opened, and operated for at least ten years, followed by Ladislav’s Restaurant until June 1993. After this the building was vacant and was badly damaged by squatters and vandals. In October 1996, the City of South Perth was contacted by Philip Pendal MLA, who urgently requested the City to take steps to ensure the restoration and protection of the building. Fred Stidworthy’s granddaughter, Mrs Rhonda McDonald, was also supportive. Despite threat of legal action no restoration work was undertaken by the owners and in December 1996 the City of South Perth declared the building to be unfit for human habitation. Concurrently, the Heritage Council of Western Australia undertook an assessment of the place for possible listing in the State Register of Heritage Places. The building was permanently registered on 15 May 1998. In October 1997, the Council approved major renovations and the building was extensively restored to operate as a restaurant. A structural report undertaken at the time confirmed that the building was basically sound despite the damage from squatters. The building was reroofed, re-plumbed, rewired and reglazed. Terracotta cobble stones and floor tiles were imported from Mexico for the courtyard and ground floor. The upstairs floorboards and jarrah staircase were repaired and the damaged or missing balustrades were replaced with timber turned to match the original pieces; and new doors and window frames were made from red cedar to match the original frames. The refurbished restaurant was named Habanero, after a chilli from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and this was Perth’s first Latino restaurant. The restaurant occupied the full ground and upper floors of the building, using the several small rooms as separate dining areas, with some alfresco dining in the forecourt. The restoration works included the construction of a 10-bay car park at the rear. The landmark palm trees growing along the Darley Street frontage were also retained, although some were required to be relocated. Some internal walls were removed to enlarge the main dining area, with ‘drop panels’ retained as evidence of the location of the former walls. Some windows were also bricked up, while others were created and new double-width doors were opened at the ground floor for better access to the alfresco areas. From about 2001, the restaurant has operated as Soprano’s Pizzeria Ristorante. At that time, a new dome-shaped masonry pizza oven was built on the exterior of the eastern wall, along with weather protection for an alfresco dining courtyard along the Darley Street frontage.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate / Moderate

Condition

Good

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
Heritage Council of WA Assessment 1997
City of South Perth Municipal Heritage Inventory City of South Perth 1994
Research by Lise Summers, former City of South Perth Local Studies Librarian City of South Perth

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

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

Architectural Styles

Style
Other Style

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof TILE Terracotta Tile
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
PEOPLE Famous & infamous people
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Community services & utilities

Creation Date

29 Oct 1996

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

06 Apr 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.