Twentythird Street 1
| Place type: | Building |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1 Twentythird Street |
| Town or Locality: | Gawler South |
DESCRIPTION:
This double-fronted symmetrical cottage of quality dressed bluestone with overpainted red brick quoins, dates to the late-Victorian era, and is associated with the period of residential development and consolidation following the completion of the Gawler railway. It features a hipped roof with zincalume (non-original) cladding, and original concave front verandah with timber posts decorated with cast-iron lace valance and corner brackets, and non-original concrete floor. There are three red brick chimneys with dentilled caps and a rear parapet walled addition to one side. Windows are timber-framed double-hung sashes and the central front four-panelled timber door has sidelights and fanlight. A garage located to one side and a timber picket front fence are of more recent construction.
STATEMENT OF HERITAGE VALUE:
The cottage at 1 Twenty-Third Street, Bassett Town (now Gawler South), demonstrates the marked increase in quality residential development in the immediate area being bolstered by Gawler’s prosperity and attracted by the establishment of local industry nearby, specifically the nearby business, Gilbert’s Chaff Mill and May Brothers Foundary & Engineering. The late Victorian era residence displays distinctive local materials and typology.
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The site comprises a portion of allotments 70 and 71 of subdivision of section 3246 laid out as Bassett Town.
Twentythird street was previously known as Coules Street [sic - Coulls].
The township of Bassett was laid out by surveyor George Warren on land owned by Mr William Bassett jnr, part of Allotment 8, of 76 acres, originally granted to James Fotheringham as part of the Gawler Special Survey, of which 15 acres purchased from John McCallum.
William Bassett snr arrived in Gawler with his wife and two surviving children (one son having died at sea) in March 1845. The family occupied the only house at the time between Gawler and the Little Para and grew barley on the land later to become Bassett Town. William Bassett was the oldest of four surviving sons and a daughter. He later owned the Engine and Driver Hotel.
The railway link to Adelaide was completed and opened for passenger traffic on 5 October 1857. Soon after, on 2 November 1857, the initial sale of blocks was held on the grounds, with a special train put on to convey prospective buyers from Adelaide and a champagne lunch provided in the marquee.
Plan originally comprised land bounded by Station Terrace (26th Street) on the eastern side of the station, Blanch Street (18th Street), Elizabeth Street (21st Street) and William Streets (Adelaide Road), a total of 71 building blocks in all. It was extended southwards to include Coulls Street [sic - Coulls] (23rd Street), Ann Street (22nd Street), Cherry Street (25th Street) and 24th Street, comprising an additional 48 blocks.
Close to the allotment, to the north, was May Brothers foundry & engineering works.
Established in 1885 by Frederick May and Alfred May, May Brothers ultimately occupied Lots 8 – 14 in Eighteenth Street, Lots 19 & 20 (Nineteenth Street) and Lots 11 & 12 in Twenty-third street as their showroom. Growing to a business employing some 300 employees, the business wound up in 1924.
Also nearby, to the west adjacent to the railway, was W.Gilbert and Company’s chaff cutting business, established in the early 1880’s, it utilised a ten horse-power engine and employed approximately eighteen men in 1880.
The allotment was purchased by George Martin (licensed victualler) in October 1881 and transferred to Ernest George Howe (labourer) in April 1904 and thereafter to Thomas Arbor (farmer) in May 1914. The property then transferred to Louise Lukas, wife of Ferderick Lukas (farmer) in February 1921 and subsequently to Elva Ratcliff (married woman) in January 1943.
The date of construction of the dwelling is likely to be late 1870’s.
Please <click here> to view photos of 1 Twentythird 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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