King Street 11

**Fast Facts**
Place type:	Building
Address:	11 King Street
Town or Locality:	Gawler

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DESCRIPTION:

This is a single-storey, double-fronted asymmetrical late-Victorian villa with projecting gable. It is constructed of coursed dressed bluestone with red brick quoins and dressings with a tuck-pointed finish. The hipped roof with projecting gable is clad with corrugated galvanised iron and features a timber finial to the gable. Windows are timber-framed, double-hung sashes with arched heads, and the door is panelled timber with leadlight glazing to fanlight and sidelights. The concave verandah is clad with corrugated galvanised iron and supported on timber posts over a cement floor with nonoriginal tiles. The front boundary is defined by a non-original aluminium picket fence.

STATEMENT OF HERITAGE VALUE:

This late Victorian villa represents the progression of residential development in the older parts of Gawler from rented workers’ tenements, to housing of more middle class residential character, and the ‘gentrification’ of a formerly industrial precinct. It demonstrates aesthetic merit in its construction and use of local materials and local tradespeople.

BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

The Town of Gawler was first surveyed and planned by Light, Finnis & Co in 1839 as part of the Gawler Special Survey, sponsored by a consortium of wealthy investors including Henry Dundas Murray, John Reid & others. The original town plan devised by Light and laid out by William Jacob comprised 240 acres, made up of 100 acres of allotments (as 200 half-acre allotments) and 140 acres of streets, parklands, city squares, churches, cemeteries and other public places. Each of the original Special Survey investors was allocated township blocks along with their country acres, proportionate to the extent of their investment.

Allotment 181 together with four other allotments initially went to John Sutton. By 1858 it had been acquired by George Warren, Surveyor and Land Agent, and was tenanted by George Sherriff [likely George Sheriff]. Two years later the tenant was Richard Neal. The property as described in the 1860 rates assessment book contained a cottage of two rooms, and was valued at £8. The adjoining Allotment 182, originally allocated to Henry Murray, had been sold in 1858, together with a brick cottage thereon. In 1864 Allotment 182 was acquired by Henry Dible Crase, Cornfactor and by 14 May 1870, when he died intestate, he had also become the owner of Allotment 181. The trustees of his estate, and later his widow Emma leased out the two allotments separately until about 1879. Allotment 182, containing a store and cottage, remained in Mrs Crace’s ownership but Allotment 181, described then as vacant land, was transferred in 1885 to Leonard S Burton, former Gawler Model School headmaster who already owned several cottages in King Street from which he was conducting a private boarding school.

In 1886 Allotment 181 of section 24 Hundred of Mudla Wirra was transferred to Arthur William Johnson, a butcher employed at Hodgson & Clement’s slaugherhouse and smallgoods manufactory at Willaston. The Johnson family was at the centre of a sensational court case in 1898, when an Adelaide doctor and his wife were charged with murder over the death of the Johnson’s youngest daughter, Ellen Myra Johnson, aged 22, who died of acute peritonitis following an illegal abortion. The defendants were acquitted on a technicality, the judge having directed the jury to disregard the sworn statement of the dying girl, on the grounds that such a declaration was only admissible as evidence if the person making it believed they were about to die, and it could not be confirmed that this was the case (even though the unfortunate Ellen died only hours afterwards.)

The rates book in 1887/ 88 described Allotment 181 as fenced vacant land valued at £3, and also records Dennis Broderick as the owner of the same allotment containing a house and land, valued at £13. Johnson sold a small portion of Allotment 181 to Rosa Winfield Crace, of Gawler, dressmaker and spinster, then owner of Allotment 182 in 1900. The property was transferred to Arthur William Johnson’s wife Ellen in 1910. She died in 1920 and the property reverted to him. On Arthur’s death in 1938 it was transferred to a daughter Mabel May Johnson, spinster, and Percy Sidney Howard Fairweather, husband of the Johnson’s youngest surviving daughter Florence Annie. Mabel died in 1966, and the title then passed to Robert John Hockey, garage proprietor and his wife, both of 11 King St Gawler.

The house now occupying Allotment 181 was most probably constructed for Arthur William Johnson some time after 1891. It is believed the house was known as ‘Norfolk’ during their occupation, as mentioned in the announcement of the marriage of the Johnson’s second son, Alfred Edward, in October 1919.

Please <click here> to view photos of 11 King Street.

Acknowledgments

This report has been prepared by the following people:

• Nancy Cromar (Flightpath Architects)

• Deborah Morgan (Flightpath Architects)

• Kate Paterson (Flightpath Architects)

• Douglas Alexander (Flightpath Architects)

The study team would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following people:

• David Petruzzella (Strategic Planner; Town of Gawler)

• Jacinta Weiss (Cultural Heritage Centre Coordinator; Town of Gawler)

• Jane Strange (Senior Development and Strategic Policy Officer; Town of Gawler)

Gawler History Team Inc. thanks: Flightpath Architects, Ryan Viney and the Town of Gawler for allowing us access to this important document of Gawler History.

www.flightpatharchitects.com.au

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