PHOTOGRAPH (DIGITAL): HEYTSBURY ROAD CORNER SHOP DURING RENOVATIONS, 2011

The following information has been derived from a place record prepared for the
Heritage Assessment of 108-­‐122 and 109-­‐135 Heytesbury Road, Subiaco (2015).
This site remained undeveloped until after it was transferred to Miss Mary Rankin Ford in October 1920. Mary (then aged 32 years) was living with her mother at 123 Heytesbury Road and an inheritance of £320 when her brother, Thomas, died in 1916 may have helped her save towards this investment.
The available evidence suggests that the corner store was built on this site in 1922 and it may have been the property referred to in the following advertisement (which appears to have been placed by local builder Francis Robbins in August of that year):

BRICKLAYERS wanted. Robbins, corner Heytesbury and Hensman rds., Subiaco.

From 1923 until 1927 the Post Office Directories listed the occupant of the corner store as Miss Mary Rankin Ford, although she had placed it on the market in as early as 1924:

MIXED Business and Freehold for sale, corner, and excellent position, leading suburb. Clean stock, up-­‐to-­‐date premises and fixtures. Apply Corner Heytesbury and Hensman rds., Subiaco.

It was re-­‐advertised at various times during 1927, but in January 1928 Mary placed an advertisement withdrawing the ‘property and store business’ from sale. In 1928-­‐1929 the occupant was listed as John Campbell, storekeeper, and the property was formally transferred to him in March 1929.

In July 1929 it was on-­‐sold to Albert Henry Thomas Smith and his wife, Frances Ellen Smith -­‐ who had previously operated a newsagency in Woolwich Street, West Leederville. Albert (Bert) and Frances, who had married in 1920, remained here until 1949 and for at least part of this time they shared the residence with their three children, Shirley, Audrey and Neil.
The property then changed hands six times over the next five years and one of the advertisements placed during that period provided the following information:

FOR SALE BY AUCTION. FREEHOLD. VALUABLE BRICK AND TILE SHOP AND
DWELLING together with the General Mixed Business, including Plant, Fixtures and Fittings, etc. Sale -­‐ Saturday, 5th April, [1952] at 10.30 a.m. ON THE PREMISES: 135 HEYTESBURY RD., SUBIACO (Cor. HENSMAN STREET). Property
comp. large Shop, Lounge, Kitchen, 2 Bedrooms, Bathroom (gas heater), Garage, Deep Sew., all cons., and is particularly sound and well kept. Plant includes Counter, Refridge, Scales, Slicer, etc. Stock approximately £350 to be purchased at valuation.

A later notice relating to this sale stated that it had sold after auction for more than £4,000.
In advertisements placed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, 135 Heytesbury Road was variously referred to as a ‘Handy Food Store’, ‘General Mixed Business’ and ‘Freehold Mixed Business’ – which confirms that it was a typical corner store that stocked a wide range of goods for the local community.
A comparison of current and historical aerial photographs (the earliest of which is dated 1948) suggests that the place was designed as two intersecting hipped pavilions with a skillion roofed area at the NE corner (possibly part of the original attached residence). The place also had a verandah that wrapped around the corner of building and extended over the footpath (this was clearly visible in a 1964 aerial photograph, but the area is obscured by trees in later views so it is not clear when it was removed).
Major additions were undertaken in c.2006, which retained the former corner shop, but extensively redeveloped the remainder of the site. These works included the removal of the skillion roofed section and major alterations and additions on the rear portion of the site (facing Hensman Road).
In 2007 this place was identified as an example of a corner store in The heritage of the suburban store in the City of Subiaco.