Main North Road 36-38 Willaston
| Place type: | Building |
|---|---|
| Address: | 36-38 Main North Road |
| Town or Locality: | Willaston |
DESCRIPTION:
This small double-fronted, transverse gable cottage is built in mid-Victorian style of overpainted stone, brought to course, with overpainted brick quoins and dressings. Side walls are of overpainted random rubble with red face brick capping to the parapet walls. The roof is clad with corrugated galvanised iron, with a skillion addition to the rear. The central door is timber-framed with a fanlight and is flanked by timber-framed, double-hung windows to either side. The straight verandah is clad with corrugated galvanised iron and is supported on square timber posts with cast-iron feet. Face red brick chimney with corbelled cap is evident to the south-west gable end. A low gabion fence defines the front boundary. Additions include early stone lean-to and later steel skillion to the rear.
STATEMENT OF HERITAGE VALUE:
Likely constructed in the late 1890s for local labourer and farmer, Michael Lally, the Worker’s cottage demonstrates a period of residential development that occurred in Willaston as a result of the growth in agricultural activity in surrounding areas and the establishment of industry and commerce within the Willaston township during that time. The Victorian Worker’s cottage is an intact, early example of its typology in the area, typical to both Gawler and Willaston. It is significant as a portion of the early 1858 subdivision of Willaston.
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
John Reid, one of the original purchases of the Special Survey, took up several of the larger allotments on both sides of the river. Reid arrived at Gawler with his family in South Australia in early 1839, and soon established his home station ‘Clonlea’ on the banks of the North Para River. Reid suffered a series of unfortunate losses and had mortgaged his property to William Paxton, a Hindley Street chemist who had made a fortune from the Burra copper mines. Paxton eventually foreclosed on the debt leaving Reid with the homestead and 40 acres of his original 630 acre landholding. In 1848 Paxton laid out a new township on Section 1 of Reid’s former sheep run on the northern side of the North Para River, naming it Willaston after a place where he had lived in England. Thomas Greaves built the first Willaston Hotel near the bridge over the North Para River in 1849 and also established a camping ground for mule teams from the Burra Mines, alongside. Willaston retained its own separate character and developed its own shops and industries, and within a few years had grown to be the largest village after Gawler itself.
The population of the northern township of Willaston grew considerably (from 381 to 555) and the number of dwellings increased from 84 to 121 in the period between the 1901 and 1911 censuses and to 151 by 1928. The disposition of the population in and around Willaston was by 1928 more scattered, but within Willaston was also more concentrated as a number of allotments were furthersubdivided.
Industry in Willaston remained centred around the brick yards of William Weaver (later William Gouger) and the nearby lime kilns operated by George Eyers (later Luxon and Dracker), William Rendell, A.C. Edson and Ayling and Dwyer and there was little new commercial activity; Coombe's general store continued to predominate and only two new shops and a blacksmiths shops were established between 1900 and 1928, all along Main Street.
The earliest Certificate of title indicates ownership of the property by Michael Lally, a local Willaston labourer and farmer in 1884, as a much larger land holding which included the whole allotments 18 and 19, which include the adjacent dwelling of identical form and detailing. The Worker’s cottage was likely constructed sometime in the 1890s during the time of growth in local agricultural industry. The dwelling was transferred to Timothy Lally as executor of the estate in the will and remained in the Lally family until 1952.
Please <click here> to view photos of 36-38 Main North Road Willaston.
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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References
Memories of Main North Road 36-38 Willaston
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