Murray Street 8
| Place type: | Building |
|---|---|
| Address: | 8 Murray Street |
| Town or Locality: | Gawler |
Please <click here> to view a photo of 8 Murray Street.
DESCRIPTION:
The double-storey mid-late Victorian-era building is one of a small group of residential dwellings/buildings to the southern end of Murray street’s commercial precinct. The building is constructed of overpainted stone rubble with overpainted brick dressings and has been partially rendered up to sill level. The hipped roof is clad with corrugated metal and includes an overpainted brick chimney with corbelled cap, and a skillion addition to the rear. The windows to the first floor and ground floor facade are all double-hung, multi-paned sashes, whilst the large window to Murray street appears to be a non-original fixed panel, multi-paned window. The door to the main façade is a non-original half glazed timber panel. The ogee verandah with mini orb infill end panel is clad with corrugated metal and supported on simple timber posts.
STATEMENT OF HERITAGE VALUE:
Likely constructed between 1858 and 1869, the former attached dwellings at 8 Murray Street, Gawler, are associated with the early phase of residential development of the township in the midnineteenth century when Gawler was flourishing on the basis of emerging industries and the rapid development of surrounding and northern agricultural districts. The concentration of small, row-style cottages and dwellings within one allotment demonstrates the effective use of land to provide low cost accommodation close to the town centre and employment. The double storey form is unusual for country South Australia where development pressures were generally lower.
BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The Gawler township was planned by Light, Finnis & Co and laid out by William Jacob in 1839; the Deposited Plan No. 138 of 1863 confirms this plan. Murray Street was established as per Light’s plan and was set out as a continuation of the main road from Adelaide, across the South Para River, Murray Street became the main commercial centre and focus of Gawler township. While the bulk of commercial activity occurred to the north of the Adelaide Road intersection, Murray Street continued south towards the South Para River. At this end development tended to be more residential with the exception of some smaller workshops. The original allocation of Allotment 2 of the subdivision of Section 24 was to Henry Dundas Murray, proprietor of the Gawler Special Survey.
Dundas disposed of Lot 2; by 1858 it contained a number of residences, at least one of which had been occupied for 8 years. Owners included Robert Fotheringham (house), William Ogilvy (cottage), Thomas Penaluna (house) and H Russell (pine cottage). The ownership varied little until 1875 when Arthur Skurray, blacksmith, is listed as owning ‘cottage, [work]shop and land’ and W H Gatley owned the other three buildings, one of which appeared to be a larger ‘residence’. An 1886 plan of Murray Street which clearly shows the building outline and some detail suggests that the two-storey building was actually divided into two ‘cottages’ which explains the two separate entrance doors; at that stage the building did not include a verandah. The early construction date of the current building is confirmed in a distant historic photo, dated c.1869.
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
.
References
- Gawler Rate Assessment Books East Ward
- [[‘Gawlertown plus details of original ownership of Gawler lots’ [Edited from LTO GRO 138/1863]]]
- LTO Certificate of Title CT 631 19 1898
- Pierce ‘Plan of Gawler South Australia
- surveyed and drawn by T Pierce’ 1886
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