Lot 888

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

09202

Location

89-93 Chapman Rd Bentley

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 29 May 1998

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Landscape

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use COMMERCIAL Other
Present Use COMMERCIAL Other

Creation Date

22 Sep 1997

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Brownlie Towers

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

04608

Location

32 Dumond St Bentley

Location Details

Lot 62 on Plan 17049

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1970 to 1971

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Assessed - Below Threshold Current 13 Dec 2002

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 4
Municipal Inventory Adopted 08 Aug 1995 1

Physical Description

Originally, the place consisted of two blocks of flats in the Post -War International style, each ten storeys, on a 61 acre site in Bentley. The site is to be found at the end of Taree Street on one side and Dumond Street on the other. The two blocks have their long faces on the north and south sides with the south side overlooking recreation areas belonging to the Cou ncil and originally intended as part of the site. On the north -east and north-west corners of the site are the car parking areas. The north -east car park is partly on two levels. The finish of the building is in soft red brick with aluminium sliding windows. The two blocks have three staircases each; one at either end and one in the centre with balcony access on one side or the other. There is a balcony off the living room area in each flat. The external form of the building was made up of pink brick vertical elements and horizontal painted concrete balcony access balustrading. The buildings underwent extensive renovation in the early 21st century and no longer present externally in the Post-War International Style.

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use RESIDENTIAL Multistorey residence
Present Use RESIDENTIAL Multistorey residence

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Other CONCRETE Other Concrete
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

13 Jun 1996

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1969, Constructed from 1970

Demolition Year

2019

Statement of Significance

Brownlie Towers, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: Brownlie Towers were developed as part of a major State Housing Commission scheme to provide a mix of housing types for an integrated community on a large urban site. The scheme was significant as the largest and most ambitious project of its kind undertaken by the State Housing Commission in Perth in the late 1960s and is an example of the principles of planning for public housing that were internationally accepted at the period. The Brownlie Towers, and houses surrounding it (now demolished), was the biggest single contract that the Department of Housing (then known as the State Housing Commission) had ever entered into at that time.

Physical Description

Brownlie Towers comprises two detached towers and are surrounded by car parking and landscaped grounds. Originially the Towers were labelled and referred to as A Block and B Block. Between 2005 and 2010 the Department of Housing undertook substantial external and internal works to renovate the Brownlie Towers, including a new roof, the removal of cement balconies and an external face-lift to the apartments. This work has completely concealed the original appearance of the Towers, which once comprised blond brick walls with white cement balconies. Coloured Bisschops Ultrapanel a pre finished fibre cement panel has been applied to the external façade of the two towers. The panels are various colours, which included light blue, silver, purple and yellow. A large silver curved sculptural entrance was also constructed.

History

Brownlie Towers were constructed in 1969/70 as the high-rise component of a State Housing Commission development comprising 582 houses and flats on a sixty-one acre site in Bentley. The site of the development was the former Bentley sandpit and the scheme was described at the time of its proposal in 1967 as a radical change from previous Housing Commission schemes. The State was experiencing a huge housing boom after the Post-war period and the Brownlie Towers was the State’s first take at providing contemporary housing. The project was designed to include a mix of housing types. Initial plans showed lower density housing on the edge of the scheme and integrated community facilities such as churches and a kindergarten. The scheme was praised by the W.A. Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects who praised the social aspects of the project, the integration of people of all ages in various types of housing. The Canning Council was not so enthusiastic about the project and the State Housing Commission experienced considerable difficulty getting Council approval for the project. Approval was finally granted subject to a number of conditions set by the Council. It was completed in 1971. High rise housing blocks set in open park land were considered ideal housing in the 1960s and 70s as a means of providing improved housing for people in overcrowded European cities and of providing more fresh air and light. In Australia high-rise housing blocks were viewed as a means of providing affordable housing and preventing the continuing urban sprawl. However, life at the Towers was not ideal and it soon gained a bad reputation and informally named ‘Suicide Towers’ – although it was reported that the suicides were largely from people who did not live in the Towers. The Department of Housing undertook substantial renovation of the Brownlie Towers between 2005 and 2010. This work included external and internal upgrades to the buildings and extensive landscaping of the grounds and transitioning the towers to an over 45s complex. In May 2019 the last remaining portions of the tower blocks were demolished

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High Authenticity - Low

Condition

Demolished

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
State Housing Commission Architect 1967 -

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
"The West Australian". 29/4/1967
"The West Australian". 14/2/1968
Dept Housing - Bentley Regeneration website February 2015
"The Independant". 13/9/1970
"The West Australian". 26/4/1967

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
62 17049
Owner Category
Homeswest State Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

15 Sep 2020

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.

Salvation Army, Bentley

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

27087

Location

48 Dumond Street Bentley

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Bentley Corps
The Salvos;

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 14 Jun 2022 4

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use RELIGIOUS Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Architectural Styles

Style
Late 20th-Century Perth Regional

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Painted Brick
Roof TILE Terracotta Tile
Wall CONCRETE Concrete Block

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Religion

Creation Date

01 Jul 2022

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jul 2022

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1971

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The Salvation Army Bentley Corps, 48 Dumond Street, a painted concrete block and terracotta tiled building complex, is significant for the following reasons: The place represents the period of growth in the City of Canning in the 1960s and 1970s and the increased demand for benevolent community services such as the Salvation Army; and, The place is representative of the Late Twentieth Century Perth Regional style of architecture and sits prominently in its open landscape setting. Aesthetic Value: The Salvation Army Bentley Corps, 48 Dumond Street has some significance as an example of a Late Twentieth Century Perth Regional style of architecture. Historic Values: The Salvation Army Bentley Corps, 48 Dumond Street has some significance for its role as part of the wider institution of the Salvation Army and its work across Western Australia. Social Values: The Salvation Army Bentley Corps, 48 Dumond Street has social value to the community to whom it provides benevolent services to assist. Representativeness The Salvation Army Bentley Corps, 48 Dumond Street is a good representative example of Late Twentieth Century Perth Regional style of architecture.

Physical Description

The place presents to Dumond Street as a complex of two rectangular plan wings interconnected by a central cloister. The aerial view shows four buildings set around a small courtyard. All buildings are constructed of painted concrete blocks, with shallow pitch terracotta tiled roofs. Presenting to the primary street the composition is generally symmetrical. The northern building has vertically linear, timber framed windows that intersect with the eaves. The place is set in open landscaping in proximity to other community services and leisure facilities.

History

The Salvation Army’s beginnings date back to 1865 when a Methodist minister commenced a work in East London that would encircle the world before the end of the 19th century. William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, preached the Gospel to the poor and underprivileged and by 1867 it had developed into a ministry offering basic schooling, reading rooms, penny banks, soup kitchens, and relief aid to the destitute. The Salvation Army’s beginnings in Western Australia began in 1891, and came to prominence as a charity and community service organisation during World War I. The decision to build a new branch of the Salvation Army in Bentley is indicative of the rapid period of growth in the City of Canning in the 1960s and 1970s and the increased demand for benevolent community services. The Bentley Corps was opened on 18th November 1971. It was strategically situated opposite the Brownlie Towers, a tenstorey, twin tower complex of 450 flats built in 1969-70, surrounded by a two-storey and three-storey block along with townhouses and single detached houses in a ‘residential park’ State Housing Commission project. While well-intentioned, an exclusively public housing area quickly became notorious for crime and slum conditions. Much of the housing and flats were refurbished 2005-2010, but the ten-storey towers were demolished in 2019. Aerial photographs show that the ‘Bentley Salvos’ building complex has changed very little since its construction. Currently, the Bentley Salvos offers community services such as emergency relied, outreach morning teas and community lunches, bible classes, craft activities, youth groups and worship services.

Integrity/Authenticity

Condition - Good Integrity - High

Condition

Good

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
48 041554 041554
Owner Category
The Salvation Army (western Australia) Property Trust Church Property

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jul 2022

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.

Bentley Child Health Centre (fmr)

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26935

Location

2 Hill View Place Bentley

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Bentley Childcare Centre

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1965

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 14 Jun 2022

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 12 Nov 2021

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 14 Jun 2022 1

Statement of Significance

Bentley Child Health Centre, a single storey brick community services building, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place is an unusual and unique design, and a rare, intact example of a building in the Late Twentieth Century Organic style; the place is a landmark in its locality due to its relatively isolated setting in the park; and the place is important for its associations with child health services in Bentley since 1965 for the whole community and has high integrity for its continuous and ongoing use.

Physical Description

The place is a single storey, face brick and corrugated metal roofed structure, in an asymmetrical, curvilinear design. The place is a representative example of the Late Twentieth Century Organic style of architecture.

History

In November 1963, Council accepted a design proposal by Kierath and Waldron architects, being W. E. (Bill) Kierath and Ken Waldron, of 105 Outram Street, West Perth. The ‘South Bentley Health Clinic’ was officially opened by Ernest Clark, the Shire President on 7 March 1965. The building has changed very little since construction. Notable changes are that the lightwell/ventilation in the central tower has been sealed off, the tiled roof has been replaced with corrugated metal, and there are some recent fittings.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/High

Condition

Good

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
W.E Kierath and Ken Waldron Architect 1963 1965

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use VACANT\UNUSED Vacant\Unused
Original Use HEALTH Other

Architectural Styles

Style
Late 20th-Century Organic

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall BRICK Face Brick

Creation Date

06 Sep 2021

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

21 Dec 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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1965

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

South Bentley Child Health Centre, a single storey brick community services building, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place is an unusual and unique design, and a rare, intact example of a building in the Late Twentieth Century Organic style; the place is a landmark in its locality due to its relatively isolated setting in the park; and, the place is important for its associations with child health services in Bentley since 1965 for the whole community and has high integrity for its continuous and ongoing use.

Physical Description

External Description The place is located within a parkland setting in which the topography gently rises from west to east. The parkland is sparsely vegetated with predominately grassed landscaping and several mature eucalypt trees. The landscape immediately surrounding the building is paved with irregular shaped, brick sized pavers and a strip drain to take the rainwater run-off from the roof. The form of the building is organic with few straight edges and a minimal palette of materials. Central to the overall plan and aesthetic is a central, cylindrical tower element, designed to provide a passive cooling effect, although it is unclear how successful that was. The primary construction material is well fired, clinker brick. The face of the brick is irregular with protruding and fragmented elements, which has the overall effect of breaking up straight edges and emphasising the organic aesthetic. The roof is clad with red corrugated iron and overhangs the eaves with exposed joist ends. On the western elevation this extends to create an awning supported by two coupled timber posts. The primary (west) elevation addresses Hill View Terrace. It is asymmetrical and contains the sole entry to the building via a steel gate with modest ornamentation. This leads into the portico that also acts as a breezeway, presumably also designed for passive cooling. This elevation also includes two large ground-to-ceiling windows. The north elevation is curved and contains two narrow, elongated openings into the porch which are covered with steel grilles in the same design as the entry gate. The roof at this end slopes north-eastward and there are no down pipes. The east elevation contains two large openings; one an arched opening covered in the same steel grilles and one elongated window that provides natural light to the consulting room. The south elevation has several openings and two air conditioning (AC) units supported on steel posts, one of which fills an original highlight window. There is also a fire escape door leading from the internal consulting room. Internal Description Entering the main gate, one enters the porch and moves around the base of the central tower to a sliding glass and timber front door. The porch has a raked, timber panelled ceiling, and brick pavers to the ground surface. Inside the reception, one is guided by the curved nature of the room to the next point which is the consulting room. The reception has plenty of natural lighting provided by four highlights, although one window has been impacted by an AC unit. The ceiling has exposed timber beams which continue into the consulting room. The reception area also contains a memorial plaque which commemorates the opening of the South Bentley Health Clinic on 7 March 1965 by Shire of Canning President, Mr E. Clark, JP. The central tower contains three functional spaces; the WC, storage cupboard and kitchen. The WC is accessed from reception. It is subdivided into two spaces; one for the toilet and the other for a sink. The floor surface is the original black and white tiles in a micro-geometric pattern. The consulting room is separated from the reception area by a stud wall with a simple, timber boarded door. This room wraps around the central tower and is naturally well lit by the three large openings that present to the north, west and south elevations. The room is fitted with non-original, functional cabinetry. The floor covering is carpet. From the consulting room one can enter the central tower at two points. The southern side contains an entry into a small storeroom. The ceiling of this space is clearly a painted, shuttered concrete, sealing a former opening. This opening may have acted as a light well and/or ventilation to encourage natural cooling and allow hot air to rise. On the north-western side of the central tower is an entry to a small kitchen which has its original cabinetry. It is separated from the adjacent store by a three-quarter height partition.

History

As a result of a conference held in 1922 at the instigation of the Children’s Protection Society, the Infant Health Association of Western Australia was formed in 1923 to work in conjunction with the Public Health Department. In this year, three clinics with full time nurses began to operate in the Perth area and, in 1924, two more clinics were started in Fremantle and Northam. From 1925, community-funded infant health centres were rolled out across the state, providing advice, health checks and basic medical care. They were credited with reducing infant deaths and were government funded from 1945, when the State Government also took over responsibility of nurses’ salaries. Post war population growth called for expansion of clinics into newer suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. (1) It is in this context that the South Bentley Child Health Centre was built. Bentley Park (the ‘Park’ was dropped in 1956) was a relatively new suburb in the 1940s, predominately made up of war service homes and social housing. The Bentley Park Community Centre Association (CCA) was formed soon after WWII. They advocated for various community services and amenities, including for Bentley to have its own infant health clinic. There was a clinic closer to Cannington, but with the rapidly growing population, another was required. The first clinic was set up in the home of Mrs Castledine, in Queen Street in 1950. The Canning Road Board provided furnishings while the Lotteries Commission provide funds for the necessary scales, thanks to the advocacy of Arthur Griffin, MLA for Canning. Meanwhile the CCA combined with a committee that organised a ‘Queen of Bentley Park’ contest to begin fundraising for a purpose-built clinic. (2) However, the CCA was also focused on building a new community civic centre. This was opened by 1953 in John Street and included tennis courts, and club rooms. It was later a kindergarten, and then YMCA amenities. (3) A room was used there by for fortnightly infant health clinics. The demand soon saw clinic sessions twice weekly, and this was the catalyst for the formation of the Bentley Park Clinic Committee which focused on establishing a purpose built, permanent building. (4) The Clinic Committee was advised that the Council had set aside land for a new infant health centre on the corner of Hillview Terrace and Walpole Streets. (5) The Committee was asked to raise £200 towards the estimated £2,000 required to erect a suitable, small building. The South Bentley Kindergarten was built by 1962 on the north end of the triangular lot bounded by Hillview Terrace, Hill View Place and Walpole Street. Over the next few years enough funds were collected to finally allow for the new clinic in South Bentley to be built to the south of this. In November 1963, Council accepted a design proposal by Kierath and Waldron architects, being W. E. (Bill) Kierath and Ken Waldron, of 105 Outram Street, West Perth. The builder was R. W. Nash, whose tender was accepted in May 1964. (6) The original design was modified slightly at the request of the Medical Supervisor of Infant Health, specifically the enlarge the windows from the proposed 15” wide to 2’6” wide. The building features and variations to the original design included: • Swiss pattern roof tiles, with guttering and chain downpipes • Unpainted external walls of clinker brick (not painted as proposed) • Rendered internal walls to the waiting room and consulting room (not paint as proposed) • Pram bay to have a grano floor finish and a ceiling (not originally proposed) • Roof lighting (natural light) comprised of two circular domes • Wandoo roof rafters • Berger brick glazing • Arch (in lieu of vertical opening) • White cement to lintels • Extra twin column at front to counteract excessive cantilever The cost was covered by contributions from the Lotteries Commission £500, the Shire £1,300 and the Citizens Committee £200. This fulfilled the original estimate of £2,000. The state government was approached to make up the funds to complete the project. They offered a subsidy of 40% of the total cost, which was £1,649. The architect donated padded seating furniture. (7) The ‘South Bentley Health Clinic’ was officially opened by Ernest Clark, the Shire President on 7 March 1965. The rapidly growing population in the area now had the choice of three local child health clinics; the new South Bentley clinic, the John Street clinic, and one on the corner of Chapman Road and Ashburton Street. Correspondence dated 1976 to the Council requesting installation of reverse cycle air conditioning suggests that the central tower, thought to be designed to have a passive energy cooling effect, may not have proved sufficient. Council began negotiations in November 1998 to amalgamate the services of the Bentley and South Bentley Child Health centres. W.A. Health required that the South Bentley Child Health Centre be upgraded to meet current WA Health facility standards. Records show that roof repairs were undertaken by Charnley Brice Pty Ltd for $6,515.00 in 2000. (8) In December 2020, the South Bentley Child Health Centre relocated their services into the Bentley Hub (Library) on Manning Road, and the building is vacant.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity - High Authenticity - High Aesthetic Value: The place is a good representative example of the Late Twentieth Century Organic style of architecture. The place is a local landmark due to its rare form and being isolated within the parkland. The place is rare as an intact example of the Late Twentieth Century Organic style of architecture that has a very high level of authenticity. Historic Values The place was the first purpose built infant health clinic in South Bentley. The place was built with funds raised by local effort and represents the philosophy of community self-help. The place was designed by Kierath and Waldron, architects associated with designing in the Late Twentieth Century Organic style. The place has historic significance representing the presence of child health services in Bentley during its development and settlement, that continues to the current day. Social Values The place was constructed as a result of community lobbying and fundraising committees. It has social significance to the local community who have used the place for a child health centre from its construction up to 2020. Rarity The place is a rare example of a Late Twentieth Century Organic style building with a high level of authenticity and still performed its original function as a Child Health Centre. Representativeness The place is a very good representative example of Late Twentieth Century Organic style. The place represents the growth of Perth suburb in the mid 20th Century in response to inward migration and the high ‘baby boom’ birth rate.

Condition

Good

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
Kierath and Waldron Architect 1964 1965

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
4 Coastal Districts Star http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article256030871 & 3 June 1954, p. 6, 5 March 1953
6 Letter to Keirath & Waldron City of Canning property file 6 May 1964
9 Quarry Amphitheatre State Register doucmentation RHP P9102 p 11
8 Various correspondence City of Canning property file
3 Along the Canning Carden, F. 1991
1 Infant Health Work in Western Australia Menck, C, A Thematic History of Western Australia 2018
7 Various correspondence City of Canning property file
2 South Western Advertiser http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149680452 & 22 June 1950 p .12, 1 June 1950
5 Hon Sec Clinic Cttee D.E.Day City of Canning property file 7 September 1961

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
25094 DP: 006420 LR3056/161

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

29 Jun 2022

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.

Street Trees Albany Highway, Bentley

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

18938

Location

John St, Ashburton St and Albany Hwy Bentley

Location Details

Intersection of John Street, Ashburton Street and Albany Hwy

Other Name(s)

Seven Melaleuca sp. and one Marri Tree, Bentl

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1950

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 28 May 2010

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Tree

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use PARK\RESERVE Park\Reserve

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Environmental awareness

Creation Date

27 May 2010

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Bentley Senior High School

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

08254

Location

Marquis St Bentley

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Canning College

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1960

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 19 Apr 2013

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
Pubic Works Department Architect - -

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use EDUCATIONAL Secondary School
Present Use EDUCATIONAL Other

Architectural Styles

Style
Post-War International

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Other METAL Steel
Wall BRICK Other Brick
Roof PLASTER Fibrous Plaster Sheet
Roof TILE Other Tile

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Education & science

Creation Date

11 Jan 2005

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Bentley Hospital

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

25940

Location

18 Mills St Bentley

Location Details

Lot 500 on Plan 59137

Other Name(s)

Bentley Health Service
Main Hospital (A Block)

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 18 Sep 2018

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 3

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use HEALTH Hospital

Architectural Styles

Style
Post-War International

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall BRICK Face Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Community services & utilities

Creation Date

13 Mar 2018

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

13 Mar 2018

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1967

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Bentley Hospital, a four storey Post War International brick and concrete structure, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: the place is a representative example of a building in the Post War International style; the place is important for its associations with community health services in Bentley since the late 1960s for the whole community; the place was the first purpose built hospital south of the Swan River in the Perth Metropolitan area; and the place is associated with its ongoing use as a public health facility.

Physical Description

Bentley Hospital (also referred to as A Block – Main Building) is located within the Bentley Health Service (BHS) facility. Bentley Hospital is a four storey building constructed of brown brick with gravel banding to each floor, painted concrete columns, aluminium frames and glazing throughout. The building also comprises a gravel and concrete porte-cochère to the main entrance and maintains rectangular form and linear façade features. Bentley Hospital is one of many health facility buildings within the BHS facility and has the capacity to accommodate 199 beds.

History

The first stage of Bentley Hospital was constructed on 21 April, 1967. At the time of its construction, the hospital was estimated to have cost 712,104 pounds, built by A.V. Jennings, and contained 71 beds, including a maternity section of 20 beds. The Shire of Canning requested to then Health Minister Mulsen for an emergency hospital to serve the rapidly-growing southern suburbs1. Bentley Hospital was built for the purpose of providing the much needed specialist care in rehabilitation, community, child and adolescent health, aged care and mental health. It was the first hospital to be built south of the Swan River in the Perth metropolitan area, and at first served a role primarily as an emergency hospital for South Perth1. The mother of the first baby born at the hospital was presented with a set of baby clothes by the then President of the Shire of Canning. Bentley Hospital continued to receive assistance in its operation, including the generation of funding. The funding programme was run by volunteers from the community, originally mostly women of Cannington and Bentley. Other hospital buildings were later added over the years which included the ‘Bentley Lodge’ in 1985 which was located opposite the hospital site in Mill Street and provided care for psychiatric patients. Today, the enlarged hospital complex provides services for general, surgical, medical, obstetric and geriatric treatment.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity : High Authenticity : High

Condition

Good

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
500 P59137 LR3154/876
Owner Category
State of Western Australia State Gov't

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Approved

Last Update

04 Oct 2019

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.

House

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

27084

Location

104 Walpole Street Bentley

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Local Heritage Survey Adopted 14 Jun 2022 4

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use RESIDENTIAL Single storey residence

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof METAL Steel
Wall ASBESTOS Fibrous Cement, flat

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Settlements

Creation Date

01 Jul 2022

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jul 2022

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1955

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

House, 104 Walpole Street, Bentley, a timber-framed, fibrous cement clad and metal roofed house with a face brick chimney, is significant for the following reasons: It is a rare intact surviving example of prefabricated housing built in the Post-War period; and, It contributes to the community’s sense of place as a tangible reminder of the City of Canning’s growth in the Post-War period. Aesthetic Value House, 104 Walpole Street contributes to the streetscape as an example of a Post-War Austerity Cottage. Historic Values House, 104 Walpole Street is representative of the period of growth in Bentley immediately following World War II when the suburb grew rapidly, and prefabricated housing was a viable solution. Social Values House, 104 Walpole Street contributes to the community’s sense of place as a tangible reminder of the history and development of the City of Canning. Scientific Values House, 104 Walpole Street demonstrates the type of pre-fabricated technology the State Government adopted to build houses quickly and economically in the Post-War period. Rarity The place is an increasingly rare example of a Post-War timber framed, fibrous cement clad, prefabricated house. Representativeness The place is a good representative example of a Post-War Austerity Cottage typical in Bentley during the 1950s.

Physical Description

House, 104 Walpole Street, Bentley is located on the southern side of the street facing Dumond Park. The lot is a nonuniform trapezoidal shape with a wider front boundary than rear boundary. The house is approximately 5 metres from the front boundary which does not have a boundary fence. The house is asymmetrical with a protruding bay. It has a shallow pitched roof clad in prefinished steel. A skillion verandah is supported by two pairs of square posts. The verandah floor is concrete. The predominant construction is timber frame with fibrous cement flat sheet board cladding. There is a face brick chimney to the eastern gable. The windows have a horizontal emphasis.

History

When the Lands Department asked the Canning Road Board to offer a name for the area east of the junction of Welshpool Road and Albany Highway, they suggested St James Park or Radium Park. Neither was accepted. They then proposed Bentley Park, after John Bentley (1822-1871), a prison warder in charge of a convict gang that were making the Albany Road in the early 1860s. The convict camp established near the present junction of Walpole Street and Albany Highway was known as Bentley’s Hill. The ‘Park’ was dropped in 1956. Some of Bentley, including the convict camp location, was later renamed St James. Development of Bentley was limited to along Albany Highway. Up to the 1950s, much of the easternmost portion was pine plantations. Land subdivisions and building programs, including War Service and State Housing Commission projects, were the impetus for the suburb’s growth from the 1940s onwards. The house at 104 Walpole Street is a Post-War house, modest in scale and materiality. It was fairly typical for houses built before 1960 to reflect the Post-War period of austerity and materials shortages, especially State Housing Commission (SHC) houses. Bentley was one of several ‘Housing Commission sponsored areas’ in the metropolitan area, developed in a decade where around 73% of SHC homes were timber framed, rather than of brick construction. Aerial photographs show that 104 Walpole Street was built between 1953 and 1965 (Landgate). It is typical of the 1954-1956, SHC pre-cut, timber framed homes. These were being produced by mid-1951 for country towns, and typically comprised two or three bedrooms, kitchen, living room and sometimes a dining room, with wood or fuel stoves, fireplaces and laundry. Influenced by Modernist design, they lacked decoration, but sold well due to their affordability. Delivered by the SHC to ‘cut out ready to erect and complete in every detail’ they were later referred to as ‘labour only’ homes. The houses could be put up very quickly – sometimes in as little as two weeks, but more ordinarily taking about six weeks. In the first six months of scheme, pre-cut homes were erected in 53 country towns. Since it worked so successfully in country areas, the scheme was initiated in the Metropolitan area from 1954. In the first six months, 402 pre-cut houses were delivered to Perth suburban locations, with 176 completed in this time. The Commission believed it was addressing concerns about uniformity as ‘careful planning is provided for alternate siting, which will result in pleasing variation’. There were ten pre-cut designs in use. The pre-cut housing scheme was discontinued in January 1956, on account of the general contraction of the building industry in this period, except for homes in the Northwest. In the five years the scheme had operated, 3,717 pre-cut SHC homes were erected, of which 2,371 were in country areas. In 1959, State Building Supplies issued a booklet of eleven standard plans for pre-cut homes to make available to the general public the low-cost designs that had been used by the government. Everything except electrical fittings was supplied, with clear instructions so that while it was ‘recommended’ to have a builder supervise it was ‘not necessary’. Hundreds of tenants under the Commonwealth-State Rental Housing Agreement Act (1945) applied to purchase their rental homes in the 1950s. The 1956 Housing Agreement Act further moved focus away from rental properties to encouraging home ownership and divested power to the States to determine the terms on which homes were to be offered to applicants. By 1956, there were 356 houses in Bentley under the Housing Agreement Act, and today, most are in private ownership. Aerial photographs show that the protruding bay and front gable to the original hipped roof was added between 1965 and 1974, although the style still seems in keeping with a SHC standard plan. More research would determine if 104 Walpole Street was built by the SHC. The SHC Annual Reports sometimes identified specific street addresses. A historical Certificate of Title search or Rates Book search is another avenue which may assist.

Integrity/Authenticity

Condition - Good Integrity - High

Condition

Good

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
State Housing Commission Architect 1954 1956

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
585 006421 1201/213
Owner Category
Ahern, Nancy Other Private

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jul 2022

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.

Manning Road Trees

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

23659

Location

Manning Rd Bentley & Wilson

Location Details

Between Lawson St & Leach Hwy

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 24 Feb 2012

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Condition

Trees due to be destroyed commencing 03/01/2012

Place Type

Tree

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use VACANT\UNUSED Vacant\Unused
Original Use OTHER Other

Creation Date

11 Jan 2012

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Kent Street Weir Park

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

11961

Location

Canning River Regional Park Canning

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Kent Street Recreation Ground
Wilson Park

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1935

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 14 Jun 2022
Heritage List Adopted 18 Sep 2018

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 08 Aug 1995 1
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 3

Place Type

Urban Park

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use PARK\RESERVE Park\Reserve
Original Use PARK\RESERVE Park\Reserve

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Sport, recreation & entertainment

Creation Date

02 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The Kent Street Weir Park has cultural heritage value for the following reasons: The Park contains a number of large mature sugar gums (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) important elements, which contribute to the setting and aesthetic character of the park; Its association with the recreational life of the local community in the inter-war period and early post-war years; and for its association with prominent local citizen, Mr George Wilson; It has a longstanding and on-going association with the recreational life of the local community. It has been used as a swimming pool and fishing spot for many years; and has been used by local sporting organisations, including the Coastal Motor Cycle Club in the 1930s, Canning Small Bore Rifle Club and Victoria Park Rugby League Football Club (later Canning Rugby League Club), Canning River Canoe Club and soccer clubs.

Physical Description

The Kent Street Weir Park is situated on the northern side of the Canning River and is a grassed park bordered by wetland to the north and the river to the south. Along the banks of the river (eastern) side there are limestone walls, boardwalks, a canoe launching area with a small beach downstream. The approach to the weir from Kent Street arrives at a series of carparks with the Canning River Eco Education Centre building (2008) to the left and the previous sports field and public toilets to the right. Closer to the waters edge there are large open grassed areas with a shelter, seating and children’s playground. Castledare Miniature Railway and Station adjoin.

History

The land occupied by the park was acquired by the local authority in 1906, but remained largely undeveloped until the mid-1930s, when bathing sheds were erected alongside the weir and a number of trees were planted to beautify the area. The park initially was known as the Kent Street Weir Recreation Ground but was renamed Wilson Park in 1939 in recognition of the community services of Mr George Wilson, a prominent businessman, resident and long serving member of the local road boards. Plans for a major redevelopment of the park in the early 1960s did not come into fruition, and the once popular swimming place and picnic ground deteriorated to become a dumping ground for abandoned cars and other unwanted items. An even more ambitious redevelopment proposal in the mid-1970s was also unrealised. In the 1970s and 1980s, facilities were developed in the park including the toilet block, football ground and parking areas. The Canning Small Bore Rifle Club were based in the park from the late 1960s until the late 1980s when their rifle range and other facilities were demolished. In 2008, the Canning River Eco Education Centre, designed by Paterson Group Architects was officially opened. It is focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the Canning River and the Park through environmental primary and secondary education programmes and activities. It also provides resources for classes, workshops and overall community development for local volunteer groups and corporate organisations.

Condition

Good: well maintained

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
Richards; "Canning River Regional Park, Western Australia: Historical Survey". pp 61, 73, 74 & 70 DPUD 1991

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
23, 27, 3811 3812 1594 & P54948 LR163-291
Owner Category
City of Canning Local Gov't

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

29 Jun 2022

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.

Convict Fence

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

04609

Location

River between Salter Pnt & Shelley Bridge Canning

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1892, Constructed from 1866

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 18 Sep 2018
State Register Registered 12 Dec 1997 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
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 1

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
1798 The convict built fence in the Canning River. Journal article 1979
6426 A preliminary study of convict sites in Western Australia (draft). Heritage Study {Other} 1997

Place Type

Historic site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use Transport\Communications Water: Other
Present Use Transport\Communications Water: Other

Architectural Styles

Style
Other Style

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall TIMBER Log

Historic Themes

General Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Workers {incl. Aboriginal, convict}
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS River & sea transport
OCCUPATIONS Timber industry

Creation Date

17 Jun 1996

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1866, Constructed from 1897

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

Convict Fence, a timber post fence in the Canning River, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: - it is believed to be part of a series of fence posts that were originally constructed by convict labour in 1866 to keep in place the navigation channel which had been excavated in shallow parts of the river to enable timber to be transported down the river from Masons Landing to Fremantle by barge; - it is a remnant of the convict era in Western Australia; and, - it is a reminder of the early timber industry and river transportation system.

Physical Description

The Convict Fence is located in the Canning River, between Salter Point and Shelley Bridge. The remnants of the fence are clearly visible from Centenary Avenue and Shelley Bridge, as well as from Riverton Drive in Shelley and Rossmoyne, and from the river edge near Clontarf and Watersford. A line of jarrah poles protruding above the water level indicates the position and line of Convict Fence. It was designed to prevent the dredged channel on its northern side from silting up.

History

The history of the Convict Fence is very closely linked with the development of the Canning Districts. The early 1860s saw the establishment of a timber industry on the banks of the Canning, and this development led to special attention being given to the navigability of the river. Between Salter’s Point and Mason's Landing the river was very shallow, especially in summer; barges carrying timber for export frequently got stuck on the sand banks and failed to connect with the steam tugs which were waiting to take them in tow at Mt Henry where the water was deeper. Letters from published in newspapers of the time from George Randell and Benjamin Mason, proprietors of the Mason Timber Company set out the difficulties of shipping their timber along the Canning River, and request that the Government take steps to ensure the River was navigable throughout the year. Works were carried out in 1866 and according to correspondence from Mason and Randell to the Colonial Secretary it is evident that a convict party had erected stakes in the stretch of the River from Muddy Reach to the oyster beds at least, and that the oyster beds section had also been wattled. In 1869 Mason and Randell were complaining about the state of navigation on the river as the existing fence had fallen into disrepair and needed attention. The Government decided against using convict labour to perform the repair work, and instead called for tenders. Mason and Randell won the tender for the work, which included completing the staking and wattling already commenced in Muddy Reach ‘to the point shown us by the Clerk of Works, about one mile in length to agitate the mud to form a channel along the same to a depth of one foot by means of the steamer. To repair the breaches in the banks of canal at the oyster beds, and continue the staking and wattling down to Watts Point for the Sum of Two Hundred Fifty Pounds’ (CSO, 1869, Public Works). Floods seriously damaged the wattling in the fence at Muddy Reach in 1872 and convicts were despatched to deepen and widen the canals, repair the several gaps in the wattle fencing; and alter the direction of the fencing at the head of Muddy Reach as will be pointed out to you, and extend the fencing at the lower end of the Muddy Reach giving more room to enter the channel (CR 10/12/1872: C 9). Although the channel was probably built originally with convict labour in 1866, it became necessary to maintain and repair it on a regular basis. Tenders for maintenance of the Canning River Channel Improvements were called in 1868, 1869 and 1874. Further repairs were undertaken in 1887-1888 and again by the Public Works Department in 1892-1897. It was during this latter period that the dredge Black Swan, using prison labour, opened out a channel for over 2 kilometres to a depth of 1.2 metres at low water. The channel was wattled and staked throughout the greater part of its length to assist against filling up. It allowed the largest, locally employed barges, when laden, to pass up the Canning River as far as was required to satisfy the needs of any industries established on the banks.

Integrity/Authenticity

The fence no longer serves the purpose for which it was built. However, the spacing of the remaining posts gives a good indication of the way in which the fence was structured.

Condition

Vunerable given it is difficult to maintain

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
D Hutchison & D Davidson; "The Convict Built Fence". WA Museum 1979
McDonald & Cooper "The Gosnells Story" City of Gosnells 1988

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

25 Sep 2019

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.

Author

National Trust of Western Australia

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

This fence – the remains of the only known one of its kind, is considered significant because of its historical and social importance. After reading the attached copies of newspaper clipplngs, it is surprising that there is still any evidence of its existence. AT the foot of Violet St, Shelley, on the “Convict Fence” there was the hull of a barque called the “Python” (105 ft x 26.25 ft x x8.92 ft built of wood). It was blown up in recent years as it was considered a boating hazard. The Mason & Bird timber enterprise was a significant one in the colonial days and of major significance to the history of the Canning and Kalamunda Districts. Mason conceived the idea of employing convict labour to dredge a channel in the shallow section. The barrier fence of mixed origins – and reconstructed at different times, was about 1km long and extended from Zenith Point to Fifth Avenue in Shelley. It was built to hold back the silt and encourage the current to keep on scouring out the channel. The barges were propelled by manpower and so a dual purpose of the fence was to aid poling, particularly at low tide. CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT Below low water line the timber is well preserved and apparently hand hewn axe marks are clearly visible. The barrier-fence no known as the ‘convict fence’ is reported to have been constructed of jarrah poles backed by Casuarina trees felled on the nearby banks. The tops of the sunken piles were linked by a 10 cm x 10 cm planking. The distinctive landscape feature is one of the few remaining relics of the convict and timber industry days in the metropolitan area. Social importance: is that of all old sites for their respective communities. It is a unique structure – of pioneer civil engineering. Historical Importance: is its use in the early establishment of the timber industry of Western Australia. It is of tourist importance – and tourist driving around the scenic foreshore of the Canning River are shown the few remaining remnants of Mason & Bird Timber Company established in the early 1860s. Comment: it may be a recreational hazard to pleasure boats and need sign posting for more public awareness of the problem. This fence contains excellent examples of aged jarrah timber poles – clearly visible from the foreshore particularly at low tide – and from viewing these it is easy to imagine the fence’s original function. The history of the Canning River Fence was found to be closely linked with the development of the Canning district. The early 1860s saw the establishment of a timber station on the banks of the Canning River at Mason’s landing from where the pit-sawn timber was transported down stream to Perth or Fremantle. This development led to special attention being given to the navigability of the very shallow (especially in summer) river. The barrier-fence was built to hold back mud and silt to form a deeper channel. Its dual purpose was for poling the flat-bottomed timber barges up and down the river. In addition, immense labours must have gone into the construction of the primitive wooden tramway track hacked through heavily-wooded bushland, which came down the somewhat perilous descent of the Darling Range Escarpment. This was only the second railway line built in Western Australia (the gauge was 3 feet) and was 14 k long, of which half was over the flat plain from the foothills to Mason’s landing. The opening of the line in 1872 was described in contemporary newspaper accounts as one of the most important days in the history of the Canning and Kalamunda Districts. Original piles of the fence in the river have been retained – although recently a large number (approximately 19) were pulled up by the Department of Marine and Harbours , because they were considered a recreational hazard. The fence is of paramount value as it is unique and is a landmark of the Canning District.

Physical Description

A long row of piles in sections of the Canning River - part of a barrier fence built to hold back the mud from the channel and also used to pole the shallow-draught timber barges up and down the river in the days of Mason & Bird Timber Company dating from the 1860's

History

Assessment 1990 Dating approx 1860's (?)

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

11 Oct 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.

Swan Brewery

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

11955

Location

25 Baile Rd Canning Vale

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1978

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 4

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Brewery
Present Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Brewery

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall CONCRETE Other Concrete

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Manufacturing & processing

Creation Date

02 Sep 1998

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1978

Demolition Year

2014

Statement of Significance

Local and State significance to the growth and expansion of the brewing industry and to the development of the Canning Vale industrial area.

History

The Swan Brewery Company Ltd. moved from it's city location to Canning Vale in 1978. The new complex was officially opened by the then Premier, Sir Charles Court in March 1979. The move to Canning Vale was part of the ongoing history of brewing in the State which commenced with the Albion Brewery which opened in 1837 at the foot of Spring St and Mounts Bay Road. In 1880 an icehouse, malthouse and brewery were constructed at the foot of Mount Eliza. In 1886 the partnership between Ferguson and Mumme was dissolved and Mumme continued as part owner of the Swan Brewery. The Swan Brewery Compnay Ltd was incorporated in Melbourne in 1887. In 1928 the Emu Brewery Ltd which can trace it's origins back to the Albion Brewery was purchased. The opening of the brewery in Canning Vale marked a period of industrial expansion in the Canning region.

Owner Category
Swan Brewery Company Ltd Other Private

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Market City, Canning Vale

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

17309

Location

280 Bannister Rd Canning Vale

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1989

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 31 Mar 2006

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use COMMERCIAL Market Building

Architectural Styles

Style
Other Style

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Wall METAL Corrugated Iron
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Commercial & service industries

Creation Date

16 Feb 2006

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Canning Vale Fire Station

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

14474

Location

13 Catalano Rd Canning Vale

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1989

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Fire & Rescue Service Heritage Inventory Adopted 30 Aug 1997

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use GOVERNMENTAL Fire Station
Original Use GOVERNMENTAL Fire Station

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof TILE Other Tile
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Community services & utilities

Creation Date

05 Nov 1999

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Nicholson Homestead - site

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

11931

Location

11 Hedgeley Wy Canning Vale

Location Details

includes 33 & 35 Kingia Wy, 9, 11 & 13 Hedgeley Wy

Other Name(s)

Nicholson Homestead

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

1994

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 08 Aug 1995 5

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
11657 Nicholson Homestead, Canning Vale : Building record Heritage Study {Other} 1995

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead
Original Use FARMING\PASTORAL Homestead

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Rural industry & market gardening

Creation Date

01 Sep 1998

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1890

Demolition Year

1994

Statement of Significance

The Nicholson homestead site is significant as the site of the home of William Nicholson, one of the first settlers in the area and owner of a substantial amount of land in the Jandakot agricultural area. Nicholson's property, Canning Vale, subsequently gave its name to the area. The homestead was . a fine example of a turn of the century timber building and the ceiling decorated with painted angels was a significant example of Victorian decorative art.

Physical Description

The Nicholson Homestead was a timber framed building with jarrah weatherboarding and a corrugated iron roof. Internal walls and ceilings were of lathe and plaster with one ceiling elaborately painted with angels and birds. A two roomed section of the building was added later, being relocated from another section of the property. {Canning Melville Times] 7/5/1991) In 1994 the building suffered extensive damage as a result of vandalism and an application for demolition was made.

History

The Nicholson Homestead built in the late 1890s was the home of William Nicholson and focal point of his 1,000 acre (404 ha) property Canning Vale. William Nicholson came to the colony as a child in 1851 and grew up in Fremantle. He married and had two children and established himself in business prior to setting up his farming interests. The Canning Vale area was not conducive to farming, however Nicholson persevered and by 1912 had sunk a bore to irrigate his orchard and in 1914 recorded an outstanding potato crop. Getting produce to market was also difficult as Nicholson Road was considered one of the worst in the state. Nicholson was involved in the local community and a benefactor to the local Canning Vale school. He constructed a tennis court and cricket pitch on the farm grounds which were used by the school children. He also built a community hall at the Ranford Road end of the farm. In 1927 the hall was purchased by the Gosnells Road Board and relocated to the corner of Nicholson Road and Garden Streets.

Condition

Site only

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
G MacDonald & W Cooper; "The Gosnells Story". The City of Gosnells 1988

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Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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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.

Canning Vale Police Station

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

18991

Location

449 Nicholson Rd Canning Vale

Location Details

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 2007

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment Current 28 Sep 2012

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use GOVERNMENTAL Police Station or Quarters

Creation Date

31 Aug 2010

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Canning Vale Freight Line

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26083

Location

Vulcan Road, between Hollingsworth Wy and Nicholson Ct Canning Vale

Location Details

Portion of existing freight railway within the City of Canning between the City of Gosnells and the City of Melville municipal boundary

Other Name(s)

Brookfield Rail Line
Swan Brewery Siding
Westrail Rail Line

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 4

Place Type

Historic site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use Transport\Communications Rail: Other

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Other METAL Steel
Other CONCRETE Other Concrete

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Rail & light rail transport

Creation Date

10 Jan 2019

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Last Update

10 Jan 2019

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1960 to 1970

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

The place reflects the importance of rail transport in the history of Perth and the greater regional area. The place is associated with the Canning Vale Industrial Area. The place is associated with economic growth of the area by transporting, importing and exporting goods and materials. The place is associated with the production and transportation of Swan Brewery products throughout the state including interstate regions. The place is associated with the use of diesel power train engines and 20th Century rail freight infrastructure. The place has the potential, through archaeological investigation, to yield information about the railway and provide further details about its construction. The place is important to the community as a tangible reminder of the area’s industrial past, notably its rail heritage.

Physical Description

An approximately 2.6 kilometres long standard dual gauge railway line connecting to Cockburn Junction double gauge line to the southwest, and the Kenwick Junction to the northeast. The portion of the rail line is bound by the Canning Vale Industrial Area to the northwest, the City of Gosnells municipality boundary to the northwest, residential development and open space to the southeast, and the City of Melville municipality boundary to the southwest. The rail line contains the Canning Vale Station which is located between the Brookfield Rail eastern and southwest control.

History

Throughout the 1960s, a number of long distance heavy haul railways were constructed, including the rail line to the rear of what is now the Canning Vale Industrial Area. The rail line was managed by the state government, operating as Westrail. The place was constructed to transport freight between the Kewdale Intermodal Facility, North Quay Rail Terminal in Fremantle, and Cockburn terminals, and to the greater regional rail network throughout the state and the nation. In the late 1970s a sidings rail line was constructed from the rail line behind the Canning Vale Industrial Area to service the Swan Brewery complex. A dual gauge railway was also completed from Kenwick Junction-Canning Vale in April 1978. The sidings were shunted twice a day on both standard and narrow gauge, with beer shipped throughout the rail network, providing the supply of beer throughout the greater Perth metropolitan area as well as regional and interstate destinations. In the 1980’s, rail freight transportation was less viable as a result of improved road transportation. In 1987, the sidings ceased to be used and the rail loop to the Swan Brewery site was partially removed and replaced with substantial development in 2004. The brewery was demolished in 2014. Westrail operated the freight line December 2000 when it was sold to Australia Western Railroad (AWR), a consortium of Wesfarmers Ltd and Genesee & Wyoming Inc., operating on a 49-year track lease. In 2002, AWR was rebadged and two companies were formed; Australian Railroad Group (ARG) and WestNet Rail. In 2011, WestNet Rail, owner and operator of over 5,500 kilometres of critical rail infrastructure in Western Australia, became Brookfield Rail, aligning with its parent company Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (Brookfield Infrastructure).

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity : High Authenticity : Moderate

Condition

Fair

Owner Category
Brookfield Rail Other Private

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Last Update

04 Oct 2019

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.

Cannington Post Office (fmr)

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

26081

Location

1348 Albany Highway Cannington

Location Details

Lot 1 on Plan 36936

Other Name(s)

Australia Post – Cannington

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 5

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use GOVERNMENTAL Other

Historic Themes

General Specific
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS Mail services

Creation Date

10 Jan 2019

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Approved

Last Update

04 Oct 2019

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1982 to 1999

Demolition Year

1999

Statement of Significance

There is insufficient information pertaining to the history of the former Cannington Post Office to assess its use and significance relating to the history of the area as a place worthy of inclusion on the Local Government Heritage Inventory. This record should be retained for future research purposes.

Physical Description

The former Cannington Post Office building was a stand alone building which was located approximately 80 metres to the southwest of the original Westfield Shopping Centre between the years of 1982 and 1999. The building maintained a frontage toward Grose Avenue to the northeast. The building was originally constructed from blonde brick with a corrugated red bullnose verandah on each elevation and a flat roof above. The building had a rounded asymmetrical brick façade which extended from the northeastern elevation. The site of the former Cannington Post Office now comprises of an undercroft car parking area and a retail tenancy.

History

According to a historical aerial photograph, the former Cannington Post Office was built circa 1982. It is also suggested that the former Cannington Post Office was built to relocate at the time, an existing post office building, which according to a 1906 plan for the Federal Estate, was originally located opposite Cannington Shopping Centre along the Main Perth-Albany Road (now Albany Highway). The post office was subsequently relocated on the southern site of Carousel Shopping Centre in the 1970s. In turn, it was relocated to the 1982 post office building. The Cannington Post Office building was later demolished in 1999 to make way for the redevelopment of Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre to make way for the site for an undercroft car parking area, and a Rebel Sport tenancy, as existing. Following its demolition, Canning Post Office was again relocation internally into the northern wing of Carousel Shopping Centre.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low

Condition

Demolished

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
1 P36936 2690/90
Owner Category
Australian Government Commonwealth Gov't

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Last Update

12 Jan 2020

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.

Carousel Tavern

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

03495

Location

Albany Hwy Cannington

Location Details

Other Name(s)



Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1900

Demolition Year

1992

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
(no listings)

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use COMMERCIAL Hotel, Tavern or Inn
Present Use COMMERCIAL Hotel, Tavern or Inn

Creation Date

21 Sep 1994

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Canning Town Hall

Author

Heritage Council

Place Number

00431

Location

1309 Albany Hwy Cannington

Location Details

Lot 16, Diagram D93575

Local Government

Canning

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1909 to 1926

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
Heritage List Adopted 18 Sep 2018
State Register Registered 23 May 1997 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
Municipal Inventory Adopted 17 Oct 2017 1
Classified by the National Trust Classified 08 Jun 1998

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
H. Jeffries Architect - -

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
6539 Canning Town Hall cnr Albany Highway & George St. Cannington : conservation plan. Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 2000

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Present Use GOVERNMENTAL Town, Shire or District Hall
Original Use GOVERNMENTAL Town, Shire or District Hall

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Warehouse

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall BRICK Rendered Brick
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Community services & utilities

Creation Date

27 Jul 1988

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Approved

Last Update

01 Jan 2017

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.

Author

City of Canning

Construction Date

Constructed from 1909, Constructed from 1973

Demolition Year

N/A

Parent Place or Precinct

11932 Canning City Council Administration Centre

Statement of Significance

Canning Town Hall, a two-storey public building with a hall and stage to the rear, built in brick with a painted render finish, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: The place is highly valued by the local community for its use as a major civic building representing the history and development of the Canning area; It has landmark qualities that contribute towards the community’s sense of place; and, The place has been an important community focal point for civic and social activities, and was used as a cinema for many years.

Physical Description

Canning Town Hall is an Inter-war classical style building located at the corner of George Street and Albany Highway, Cannington. The Canning Town Hall building comprises the original hall constructed in 1909, the extension on the northern side of the building constructed in 1926, the eastern wing of former offices constructed in 1955 and various additions including the brick covered way along the eastern side probably constructed in 1972, and the toilet block on the western side of the hall constructed in 1996. The different elements of the building are visually diverse and comprise a range of architectural styles and materials. The walls however are all of brick and the whole building has been painted white, which gives a more unified appearance.

History

Canning Town Hall comprises a hall and offices, which was built as a town hall and administrative centre for the Queens Park Municipality, later the City of Canning. It was constructed in 1909 following a period of controversy regarding its proposed location. The site finally chosen on the comer of Albany Road and George Street being purchased by the Queens Park Council from a J.H. Woods for 100 pounds. A tender of £597-10-3 was accepted from builder J McCracken, and the architect, H Jefferies, was appointed to oversee the project. Minor alterations took place over the next few years. The front doors were painted in 1911 and a small notice board installed nearby. An honour roll was installed inside the Hall in 1915 and approval for the erection of a flagpole was granted in 1917. The hall was used for various activities including social functions, dances, concerts first aid classes to name but a few. A change in the use of the Hall, which presaged a much longer history, was proposed in 1920 when the managers of the Lyceum Theatre, Mount Lawley, wrote to the Council, with an offer to rent the Hall as a picture theatre. On 25 July 1921 the Council voted to allow the Hall to be let one night a week as a cinema, for a period of six months with an option to renew. In the same year a memorial to fallen soldiers was erected in front of the hall and a chain fence with a turnstile was erected to replace the original picket fence. In 1948 the memorial arch was relocated to its present site and incorporated with memorial rose gardens as memorial to both World Wars. In 1926 the hall was extended to include a public gallery with a new boardroom and additional office space. A new brick section was constructed at the front of the existing hall. The original part of the building was also upgraded including rewiring and structural work. In 1964 Council considered plans to remodel the Hall, and in 1965 accepted a tender to turn the Hall into offices for the Council, before it took up space in its new Administrative Centre, next door. In 1972, the Council decided to convert the Hall into a community hall and Senior Citizens Centre, and renovations took place the following year. In 2015 the Hall was available for hire for special events such as weddings; and also seminars, workshops and theatrical productions. The Town Hall was largely surrounded by market gardens up until the 1950s. This changed dramatically with the intensification of Albany Highway and its transformation into a commercial strip and with the purchase of 17.75 acres of adjacent land for the purpose of constructing a new Council Administration Centre.

Integrity/Authenticity

High: the building is still being used for community purposes. Alterations: Significant alterations and additions 1926, 1955 and 1973. Intactness of fabric: Evidence of change throughout the history of the building. Original (1909) building materials not intact.

Condition

Very good: well maintained

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
"Queens Park Municipal Council and Canning District Road Board Minute Books". Riverton Library Local History Collection
F.G. Carden; "Along the Canning, A History of the City of Canning". 2nd Edition City of Canning 1991
"The West Australian". 28/6/1972

Titles and Owners

Reserve Lot/Location Plan/Diagram Vol/Folio
16 93575 2115-150
Owner Category
City of Canning Local Gov't

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Approved

Last Update

19 Sep 2018

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.

Author

National Trust of Western Australia

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statement of Significance

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Canning Town Hall, a two-storey public building with a hall and stage to the rear, built in brick with a painted render finish, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: *the place is highly valued by the local community for its use as a major civic building representing the history and development of the Canning area; *it has landmark qualities that contribute towards the community's sense of place; * the place has been an important community focal point for civic and social activities, and was used as a cinema for many years. AESTHETIC VALUE Canning Town Hall has aesthetic value in the fact that it is a good example of simple country building at the turn of the century. It is an example of a public building from H. Jeffrie who was not influenced significantly by the common aesthetics demonstrated in Public Works Department public buildings that were being erected around the state at that time. It is a landmark building for the area. HISTORIC VALUE Canning Town Hall reflects a period of growth and development in the town's history. Canning Town Halt has been closely associated with key figures involved in Municipal activities in the town. SOCIAL VALUE Canning Town Hall is highly valued by the local community in its role as the principle public building associated with cultural and administrative activities in the town. Canning Town Hall has landmark qualities that contribute towards the community's sense of place. REPRESENTATIVENESS Canning Town Hall demonstrates the civic and community need for a meeting place for the community. It is representative of the social climate in which it was designed, and the leisure and entertainment pursuits for which it was subsequently adapted. The appearance of the building demonstrates the importance of the meeting place when compared with domestic style buildings. Canning Town Hall is in reasonable condition, but there is work being carried out on the north side to the rear entrance where demolition has taken place. Internally the building has had some alterations over the years and maintenance has been minimal but satisfactory to hold the building in reasonable condition.

Physical Description

This brick and iron building faces onto Albany Highway. It has a semi classical facade with simple plastered brick walls and central clear storey windows at high level. The plan of the building is basically a main hall with a stage to the rear and an upper gallery at the front. Offices are on either side of the central entry. To the left hand side below the upper balcony there is a small kitchen with service to the main hall. The entrance foyer has simple double doors with a staircase leading up to the balcony directly in front of the entrance doors. The whole of the building is painted a light off white colour. The rear of the stage area, originally timber frame and weather boarded, has now been faced with brick and repainted. The balcony is on two levels with steps to the left. The gallery access is 1.3m in width. Three wide steps lead to the main gallery level on the left hand side of the building. The right hand side of the building is enclosed. There is a small servery within the upper gallery which was a 1970s addition. The ceiling to the gallery level is spray on vermiculite finish onto the original plaster board ceiling. The main hall is two storeys high with a cathedral ceiling, lined with pressed metal mouldings. A later addition to the clear storey and sloping part of the cathedral ceiling has been relined with acoustic metal panelling. The floor is strip timber flooring running the length of the room. The stage at the far end is up five steps. The timber framed preceding arch door on either side is also lined with pressed metal moulding. The three lights in the centre of the room and lie rods across the building are dwarfed by the later addition of the evaporative cooling system in the room. The gallery access is three metres above the main hall floor. In the entrance foyer at the left hand side is a small pay kiosk for the cinema patrons. Access to the projection box is on the right hand side of the staircase at ground level. There are seven holes in the wall from the projection box to the main hall. The side wings to the stage are 2m wide, with a doorway to the rear of the stage on both sides and also emergency exits to the rear. There are gas heaters to the main hall. In addition to the right hand side of the main hall, the emergency exit has been removed in 1996. A 13m x 8m extension to the side has been built at a later date as a Senior Citizens Centre. The external elevation is simple red brick with concrete plinth and ply panelling four brick courses up the lintel above the ground floor windows. A simple lintel is at three courses height above the clear storey windows.

History

Assessment 1998 Construction: 1909 Architect: H.Jeffris Builder: J. McCracken Alterations/Additions: 1926 Canning Town Hall comprises a hall and offices, built as a town hall and administrative centre for the Queens Park Municipality, later the City of Canning. In 1908, the Queens Park Municipal Council was approached by a local resident, James Walsh, who was offering land for sale to the Council for the purpose of building a Town Hall. Several other residents also offered land, and it can be supposed from this that Queens Park, in line with other municipalities, had not had sufficient land set aside in crown reserves for municipal use when it had been formed. The Council voted, on 23 June 1908, to accept James Walsh's offer, only to rescind the decision two weeks later in favour of the rival offer of Tate's Hall. This decision set in train a number of rival offers which were eventually resolved on 16 February, 1909, by the acceptance of an offer by J.H. Woods. A special meeting of ratepayers was called to protest the decision but the Council remained adamant, and lenders for the proposed Town Hall and offices were called on 14 May 1909. A tender of £597-10-3 was accepted from builder J McCracken, and the architect, H. Jeffris, was appointed to oversee the project. The Mayor had also previously submitted plans and specification to the Council and it is not known how closely the final building reflected these initial thoughts. A dispute over the siting of the hall on the block was overcome and work commenced. The new Hall was to be lit by gas, as electricity had not yet come to the district. That a Town Hall was needed is evinced by the hiring of the hall to G. Shaw, who submitted his request even before the keys to the hall had been handed to the Mayor. Other requests soon followed, including one for a Juvenile and Industrial Exhibition. On another front, significant in the later history of the Hall, a letter was received from the Secretary for Health regarding the regulations for picture shows. H. Jeffris submitted his final certificate for the work to the Council on 25 November 1909. In the course of finally preparing the building for occupation some changes had been approved by the Council. The floors of the hall had been waxed, rather than oiled, and the lower sashes of the windows were to be frosted. Minor alteration took place over the next few years. The front doors were painted in 1911 and a small notice board installed nearby. An honour roll was installed inside the Hall in 1915 and approval for the erection of a flagpole was granted in 1917." In 1919 the Electric Light Committee recommended that the Hall be electrified, and after calling for tenders and receiving four, the offer of L.H. Deague was accepted.' A new gutter was fitted to the rear of the building in the same year and new doors were proposed for the rear of the Hall by Mr Knowles, who offered to replace them for the sum of £2-0-0 and the old doors. A change in the use of the Hall, which presaged a much longer history, was proposed in 1920 when the managers of the Lyceum Theatre, Mount Lawley, wrote to the Council, with an offer to rent the Hall as a picture theatre. On 25 July 1921 the Council voted to allow the Hall to be let one night a week as a cinema, for a period of six months with an option to renew. The proposed new purpose also involved the Council, as the Canning District Road Board, in constructing an operating box at the rear of the Hall. Tenders for the operating box were let on the 8 August 1921, and for exclusive rights to show pictures for three months in April 1922.' During this period a masonry arch and garden were constructed in the grounds of the hall as a war memorial to commemorate the dead of the Great War. Two years later, in 1924, the right to show pictures was granted to F. Hodges, who continued to do so until at least 1932, and possibly later.' Hodges installed a Bio, or operating, Box over the front door of the Hall, replacing the earlier one at the rear. In 1927, a fire in the box resulted in damage to five windows in the Hall. In the previous year, alterations to the building had included the construction of a public gallery, a new boardroom and more office space." Additional renovations took place in 1936 and 1937, and in 1939, Star Entertainments were given leave to renovate the Hall at their own expense.' In 1964 Council considered plans to remodel the Hall, and in 1965 accepted a tender to turn the Hall into offices for the Council, before it took up space in its new Administrative centre, just down the road.' In 1972, the Council decided to convert the Hall into a community hall and Senior Citizens Centre, and renovations took place the following year. The Hall continues to be used as a community venue, and in the 1970s was the site of competition in the Southern Suburbs Eistedfodds.

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY Canning Town Hall has a basic integrity of the original building with its use as a community hall and its conversion to a community cinema. Later additions of ventilating systems, acoustic treatment and upstairs servery and bar additions detract from the original integrity. Externally the addition of the Senior Citizens Centre and connecting walkways to the rear south west side are so different and out of keeping with the original that they can be considered only as a useful addition of space to the original hall and of little heritage significance. AUTHENTICITY Canning Town Hall has moderate authenticity. The main construction of the hall and stage through the rear internally retains the form and detailing of the original with a special regard to the metal moulded ceiling to the stage area. In the main hall the form of the original hall is retained, but the alteration of the acoustics by the way of panelling and addition of ventilation system intrudes on the authenticity of the space. The floor and windows are the originals. The stage is a good example of the local community involvement and activities of the period.

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Approved

Last Update

25 Oct 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.