DEVON ROAD, 36

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1961

Overview

B/W Print. Ornate two-storeyed weatherboard house with corrugated iron gabled roof. There is an oriel window on the side elevation. Both upper and lower rooms on the right jut forward and both have bay windows with bull-nosed iron shades supported by decorative brackets.The remaining front section features a verandah with end and lower front enclosed. The balcony above, supported by wooden corbells, is partially enclosed . All gables have turned finials and there are two double chimneys, each with three chimney pots. There is a simple open picket fence in front of the house which appears slightly dilapidated. In pencil on the rear is [10 AUGUST 1961/ SWANBOURNE, DEVON ROAD 36, WA] and in ink [ 02/10/99 / Hello,/ I am a tourist from Germany. This/ is the first time in Australia/ for me. I took this opportunity to/ visit your house, in which my/ parents used to live in th early/ sixties. They came over to/ Australia in 1961 and lived/ for two years in Swanbourne before/ they went back to Germany. My/ parents took this picture during/ this time and I recognised it/ right away. Unfortunately you haven't/ been at home - I would have liked/ to talk to you./ Regards Jorg Magar/ GERMANY/ SCHEUREN STR.53/ Adress: JORG MAGAR 40215 DUSSELDORF]

Historical information

The house at 36 Devon Road was built by John McQueen, a capenter from Scotland. He, his wife and children lived in tents on the property while he worked nights and weekends to build the house. Originally the house was to be one level, however, during construction his wife gave birth to twins and later another child so he decided to build on a second floor. Upon Johns death, his daughter Charlotte and her husband moved back into the home for several years. When the house was sold it spent some years as a boarding house. It was even rumoured to be a brothel during the 1950s (see Devon Road Street history). Ros Seale lived in the house for over forty years. During this time she was in contact with many of the ancestors of the original builders. Ros sold the house in 2006. In 2008 she donated a file containing photos and letters of the McQueen family that was left in the house, to the Claremont Museum.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-28--9-92-

Item type

Photographs

Themes

Social History

Year

1961

Claremont Museum

Organisation Details
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