PHOTOGRAPH: 180 BARKER ROAD, NATIONAL ESTATE SURVEY COLLECTION

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

The house was constructed from 1899.

The first confirmed owner/occupants were William Archibald Ambrose (c.1866-1943) (printer/compositor) and his wife, Margaret, who settled here in c.1902, but were renting the house out by 1905. Online family trees state that William was born in New Zealand, which is consistent with the name given to the house, when it was offered for sale In February 1907:

NICE BRICK VILLA, 180 Barker-road, SUBIACO. CHAS. SOMMERS has been favoured with instructions from W. Ambrose, Esq., to SELL as above, "Hokitika." a brick residence, containing 4 main rooms, kitchen, bathroom, pantry, etc., wide verandahs. Let to good tenant at 17s. 6d. weekly. £250 can remain on mortgage.

The next owner/occupier was William Henry Gumbleton (estate agent), who lived here in c.1908-1911, after which it was used as a rental property for a few years (owned by J Lovatt).

From c.1921 it became the long-term home of the Burton family. Thomas Alfred (aka ‘Suby’ or ‘Tom’) Burton (c.1879-1948) (painter) and Catherine Alice (‘Kate’) Silvester (c.1887-1982) were married in Subiaco in c.1912 and had at least 3 children: John (‘Jack’) (born c.1914); Archie (c.1917) and Charles (‘Charlie’) (c.1919). Catherine was still listed at this address in the Electoral Rolls of 1980, together with her son, Charles, and daughter-in-law, Ann.

An analysis of a historical Metropolitan Sewerage Plan (revised March 1954) and historical aerial photographs indicates that the footprint of this house has remained relatively unchanged since the mid-twentieth century, with the exception of the construction of a new carport in c.1985-1989.