PHOTOGRAPH: 15 HAY STREET, NATIONAL ESTATE SURVEY COLLECTION

From a series of photographs taken by Ian Molyneux for the National Estate Survey of Subiaco in 1985.

The building was constructed from 1904 to 1905.

Perth Suburban Lots 212, 213 and 214 had been jointly subdivided into 92 building lots by 1892, but initial development was slow and Lots 2, 3 and 4 (the subject of this report) remained vacant until c.1904. By this time they had been purchased by Minnie Lloyd and Minnie’s husband, William, had commenced work on the construction of the six houses. These were subsequently described and managed as three semi-detached houses (with one pair on each lot), but in reality they had been built as a continuous row (without the narrow side paths that would have more correctly defined them as semi-detached). The first pair of houses appear to have been completed by November 1904, when the following advertisement was placed: A New 7-roomed HOUSE, corner Hay and Thomas sts., all modern conveniences, low rent to good tenant. W. Lloyd, on the premises Work then progressed on the construction of the other houses, with William placing advertisements for tradesmen to work on this site through to mid-1905. The Lloyd family had lived at “Ravenswood”, Rokeby Road, until at least March 1905, but by July/August 1905 both Minnie and William were using the address ‘cnr Hay & Thomas’ or “Bombala” Hay Street which, together with other documentary evidence, indicates that they had completed and moved into 25 Hay Street. Newspaper advertisements calling for experienced tradesmen, and advertising rental properties, confirm that the Lloyd family were particularly active as builder-developers in Subiaco in the period 1902-1906. However, it appears that they over-extended themselves financially as, in December 1906, “32 new, well-built, and finished Villas and Houses, situate the best localities of the popular suburb of Subiaco” (valued at a total of £20,765), were offered for sale under the Bankruptcy Act, as means of clearing Minnie Lloyds debts. These related to residential lots in PSL 196, 213, 254, 276, 278 and 284. This debtor’s sale valued the six houses in Hay Street at £5,540 (or £923 each), which was considerably more than the smaller (4 roomed) terrace houses that they had built at about the same time at 18-32 Catherine Street - which were valued at £512 each. This reflected their relatively large size (with six main rooms, plus kitchen, bathroom and washhouse) and more desirable ‘elevated’ location near Kings Park. This additional value may have also reflected their construction as wider ‘semi-detached’ pairs, with subtle variations of detail - which also raised them above the standard of a utilitarian workingman’s terrace. It is also interesting to note that the value placed on the Hay Street terraces was greater than any of the Lloyd’s detached residences – which ranged in price from approx. £450 for single fronted dwellings to approx. £700 for double fronted villas. The houses may not have sold at that time as separate mortgagee sales were advertised for Lots 2, 3 and 4 in 1907. At this time the pair of houses at 15-17 Hay Street was described as follows (and similar, but separate, advertisements were placed for the other properties): Lot 2 of Perth Suburban Lot 213 (deposited plan 1508), C.T. Vol. 306, Fol. 81, having a frontage of 40ft to Hay-street by a depth of 117ft, 5ln, and 14ft. frontage to Thomas street, together with two semidetached Brick 2-storey Residences, each containing 6 large rooms, kitchen, pantry, bathroom, washhouse (copper and troughs fitted), verandah and balcony, erected thereon. The houses are both let to good tenants, are faithfully built, and altogether form a splendid rent-producing investment. (September 1907) In addition to the Lloyd family at No. 25, early occupants included Lemyn Ladies College (operated by Miss Ellen Thursfield at 15-17 Hay Street 1906-1907); the family of William Connell, a draper who had business premises at 782-784 Hay Street, Subiaco (19 Hay Street, c.1906-1915); and the family of Thomas Parsons, of T & FL Parsons, managers and attorneys, Yorkshire Insurance Co, Perth (21 Hay Street, c.1906-1910). This (together with the relatively high value placed on them in 1906) indicates that the terrace houses were built to a relatively high standard - suitable for small business owners and businessmen. However, by the time of World War One, the occupants had started to include skilled tradesmen and labourers – indicating a drop in status. The evidence reviewed for this report suggests that the three lots (each with two houses) were separately owned after the mortgagee sales and this has resulted in differences in their detailing and finishes over time. By the 1920s at least three of the properties had been converted into flats or boarding houses, including No. 15 (Mrs Ferguson’s boarding house, 1923-c.1949), No. 25 (Mrs Annie Carroll, 1921-1937) and No. 27 (Mrs Hannah Maria Scott, 1921-c.1949). For example, Nos 25-27 were advertised as follows in October 1921: AT 25 and 27 Hay-st., Subiaco, 2nd. section, Furnished Self-contained FLATS, double and single rooms, balcony, gas stoves, bath heaters, everything new, newly renovated. From c.1920 until at least the mid-twentieth century, the primary occupants listed for the other three properties included a high proportion of single women and widows – who, given the size of these houses (and their convenient location), may have also been supplementing their income by taking in boarders. In 2014, 25 and 27 Hay Street remain in residential use, but the remaining houses have been adapted as offices.